The sell-out meeting on Wednesday 18 November gave SMPTE members and guests a chance to see Sydney’s newest facility at Chief Entertainment.

SMPTE members and guests get the technical briefing

SMPTE members and guests get the technical briefing

Occupying the entire fourth floor of the building at 4 Broadcast Way in Artarmon (AKA: the old ABC site), we saw the two 100sqm studios, control rooms, shared TD area, rack rooms edit suites and the spacious offices.

The designers took  special care to ensure that the facility could be expanded easily, and the build is magnificent.

Michael Bentsen (StudioTech) explains the audio design at Chief

Michael Bentsen (StudioTech) explains the audio design at Chief

Our hosts Scott Kinlyside (Chief Entertainment) and Michael Bentsen (StudioTech) gave a solid overview of the design, paying special tribute to Peter Bedford for project management.  Key Chief and StudioTech staffers then led groups through the facility providing plenty of time for questions.  There were plenty of ooh-ahh moments, especially in the main equipment room where highly attractive cabling (we’re engineers, right?) has been combined with clever access and attention to air-handling.

Hamish Cameron AOM (CEO of Chief Entertainment) and Paul Broderick (Australia Section Chair) with Damien Spanjer, newly joined member.

Hamish Cameron AOM (CEO of Chief Entertainment) and Paul Broderick (Australia Section Chair) with Damien Spanjer, newly joined member.

Throughout the facility, modular furniture has been used to allow easy and inexpensive reconfiguration – as well as having enhanced ergonomic features.

Chief_JW4

Brendan Rossiter (left) came over from Auckland for the meeting!

Before and after the tour, members and guests were able to mill around the open kitchen and meeting area, and gaze upward at the Gore Hill tower – noting that RF ingress has been cleverly managed down to levels appropriate to a broadcast facility.\

Section news

Ahead of the tour, the assembled members heard about the HPA/SMPTE linkup, the success of Tait De Lorenzo in the Student Film Festival at SMPTE 2015 in Hollywood, and the forthcoming annual XMAS Bash (see story on these pages).  It was quite a night.

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