Sling Media - On and Off Set with Entourage Producer Wayne Carmona

Paired Slingbox and OQO handheld computer solution enables producer of HBO hit show Entourage to view live feed of filming from anywhere with internet access

As producer and unit production manager of Entourage, Wayne Carmona is responsible for coordinating 75 to 80 people who are heavily tasked with planning and producing up to 20 episodes a season. Often filming on multiple locations rather than on a single fixed set, Wayne and his crew are constantly on the go and multitasking at the pace of a "speeding train." Remote access to real time information is critical for quick decision making and keeping to schedule and budget. One challenge for Wayne and his crew has been keeping an eye on live filming while readying for another scene or episode on or off site. Typically, cart stations with two monitors and receiving antennas are positioned on location for the director and others to view filming in real time. Although portable, the cart stations force Wayne to stay in the viewing area and restrict his ability to multitask. To devise a mobile solution that "place shifts" live filming video, Wayne turned to Sling Media and OQO.

"Everything I do is problem solving. With the Slingbox and OQO handheld computer, I eliminate location barriers and time delays...I can get near real time access to filming while I am on the go."

Claudette Barius/HBO
When filming on set and on location, cameras with UHF transmitters broadcast video captured in digital and 35mm format. Through an intermediary laptop with a Pinnacle HD Stick, which includes tuning software and Cable/USB adapter, the Slingbox AV receives the video feed and streams it via wireless to both local and remote OQO computers running the SlingPlayer application. The same Slingbox AV and SlingPlayer solution used by consumers who want access to their living room TV from anywhere is now being adopted by the entertainment and film industry as a productivity tool and application. To accommodate multiple live feeds for simultaneous access by the production crew and studio executives, Sling Media built a portable Anvil rack of 16 Slingbox AVs for Entourage. Delays between filming on location and reviewing the film remotely are now reduced to a few seconds rather than a couple of days, enabling the production crew to incorporate feedback and changes on the spot.

The OQO computer is a perfect companion to the Slingbox solution as a mobile handheld device featuring a 5" Wide VGA LCD display optimal for watching video both indoors and outdoors. OQO ultra mobile PCs configured with both WiFi and EV-DO offer the flexibility to use either wireless technology for internet connectivity. Because the OQO computer runs the full Windows® XP operating system, it also supports standard PC software including a project management application that Wayne uses to coordinate all aspects of production. For Wayne, being more efficient and saving time are the major benefits of using the OQO computer and Slingbox.

"Real time information flow for fast decision making is necessary to keep production on schedule and on budget. With the OQO handheld computer, I have access to the live filming on set via the Slingbox and accompanying SlingPlayer software anytime, anywhere."