Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever, The World Tour Relies on URSA Broadcast G2 Cameras

Manchester, United Kingdom – September 27, 2022 – Blackmagic Design today announced that the Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever, The World Tour has implemented a multicamera live production workflow from Blackmagic Design.

Video production specialist Vis a Vis, led by Stuart Merser, has embarked on a year long tour spanning 43 dates that included a live performance at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. In addition to the on stage visuals, Vis A Vis also streamed the singer songwriter’s headline set to the festival’s YouTube channels.

While venues differ each night, the core production setup remains the same essentially and includes six Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 cameras with SMPTE fiber chains. Several smaller camera systems complement this, including a Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K with a detached fiber back solution rigged on a Polecam system.

When it came to planning for Coachella, much of the tour’s video elements were adapted to the festival stage. According to Merser, “That included incorporating disguise xR and Notch Blocks to create stunning and dynamic backdrops for Billie to perform against.”

Vis A Vis also had to cater to special guest appearances and a live stream on YouTube. As a result, two additional URSA Broadcast G2 cameras and a dedicated production desk for the stream were incorporated.

“Having to cater for wide shots in the live stream, I had a second desk put next to me running an ATEM Production Studio 4K so I could throw in wides on the stream cut,” explains Merser.

Many artists, including Billie, go straight to their Instagram after the show finishes explains Merser. “And more often than not, if I get any feedback, it’s from a clip they’ve watched on social media,” he concludes. “With fans filming the screens and sharing that content to social media, it is vital more than ever that what we produce is the best possible quality, regardless of how or where fans will consume it.”