How Sony joined forces with Done & Dusted and Peter Gabriel to record the artist’s latest Back to Front: So LIVE tour in 4K

Sony broke new ground when it helped Peter Gabriel create a 4K recording of his Back to Front: So LIVE tour at the O₂ in London last autumn.
The aim of Gabriel’s concert tour was to mark the 25th anniversary of the release of his landmark So album, so it was important that the Back to Front: So LIVE recording was captured in the best quality to preserve it for future generations.
Mike Large, COO at Peter Gabriel’s music company Real World, reveals that Gabriel was determined to make a recording which would be innovative and which would stand the test of time.
“Peter has always looked for the best technology to immerse his audience in the show and the music, and 4K is the next step on that journey.” says Large.
One of the biggest live multi-camera 4K recordings to date, the concert was shot on Sony PMW-F55 cameras by production company Done & Dusted and ERP Productions supported by outside broadcast company CTV.

Benefits of 4K RAW

CTV international business director Bill Morris confirms that Peter Gabriel specifically wanted the concert to be captured uncompressed in 4K RAW quality to give the best possible end result.
“We have worked with Done & Dusted and Peter Gabriel on many concerts and have found that Peter has always wanted to push the envelope,” says Morris, who adds that Sony’s technical expertise and knowledge was a key factor in making the shoot a success.
“Sony advised us on the best way to use the F55s on live camera rigs and on designing a 4K workflow to get the 4K RAW files into post.”
“We couldn’t have done it without Sony’s support,” adds Morris. “Not only did Sony provide a huge amount of pre-production support, but the company also provided us with specialist knowhow which we wouldn’t have been able to source anywhere else during that time,” he reveals.
In terms of workflow the F55 cameras were used in combination with Sony AXS-R5 recorders with the highest quality RAW footage recorded onto high capacity ASXM cards while SxS memory cards were used to record HD proxies, with hire company On Sight providing DIT services.
The cameras were linked in HD back to the truck via Fibre with that footage used for the live cut big screen version broadcast at the O₂. It also acted as the guide cut for the 4K version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6h0Vi5ELdI

Maximising ROI

Sony's head of business development for 4K Mark Grinyer recalls that by shooting 4K on the F55 Done & Dusted was able to produce multiple versions of the concert.
“For the producers, shooting 4K means the maximum return on investment,” explains Grinyer. “Done & Dusted was able to make three versions of the show; a live HD version for the big screens at the venue which was also used as a guide cut for the edit, a 4K master for cinemas and archive, and a down converted HD version of the 4K master for Blu-ray.”
CTV’s Morris adds that the other big advantage of 4K RAW capture was that the editors had the best possible picture quality for post production, which meant that much more could be done with the images.
“In the edit, the RAW footage gives you a huge amount of creative control to manipulate and adjust the images and grade – which is the best way to produce a master which will stand up to scrutiny for the next 25 years,” says Morris.

Challenging lighting

On Back to Front, the F55 was a particularly useful camera because it has a sensor with very wide dynamic range, explains Morris.
“This meant it could cope with a wide range of lighting conditions presented by the concert’s three main sets.”
“The F55 was able to cope with all of these different conditions, which was essential as there were no gaps in the concert for set changes that could be used to tweak the camera set up.”
A great camera for low light, the F55 also enables productions to capture a single sensor film style look in a live production environment.
Other benefits are that the camera is comparatively light and has a small form factor. Plus it can easily be configured with a recorder or camera adapter back end, and its cost falls well within the budget range of high-end live event production.

Says Morris: “I think that the F55 is closing the gap between traditional film and OB acquisition. It will definitely be the tool of choice for 4K music and entertainment acquisition going forward, an area where we are getting a lot of enquiries with producers more and more interested in 4K.”

With a theatrical and a Blu-ray version of the O₂ recording expected soon, it won't be long before Peter Gabriel fans will be able to see the benefits of 4K recording for themselves.

Peter Gabriel - So Anniversary Tour - Live from London

Back to Front was a two-year concert tour by Peter Gabriel, a retrospective performance based on every song from his 1986 multi-platinum album So played in sequence.The backing band included musicians that Gabriel toured with in 1986–1987 in support of the album's initial release.

Each night of the tour was recorded and released both separately and as part of a box set entitled Back to Front: Encore Series. The releases were limited editions and available exclusively from Gabriel's official website.

On 23 June 2014, Real World Records and Eagle Rock Entertainment released the live album and film Back to Front: Live in London, recorded at the O2 concerts.

Peter Gabriel: Vocals, Keyboards
Tony Levin: Bass
David Rhodes: Guitars
David Sancious: Keyboards
Manu Katché: Drums
Jennie Abrahamson: Vocals / Background Vocals
Linnea Olsson: Background Vocals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN4jA_GpYWw

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