Stream to be filmed in 4K for the first time ever
After a long two years, Step Sing is returning to Samford University.
This renowned Samford tradition has made noticeable efforts to bring the show to a larger audience by live streaming the performance using state-of-the-art technology. This technology brings the moving and grooving of Step Sing to thousands of viewers each year.
The production crew that operates the live stream has a vital role in the Step Sing process. The crew, made up of a diverse group of students led by Mr. Ed Landers, is able to put on a fully professional production.
The broadcast production truck being used to broadcast the 2022 show was the same truck used on the 21 Pilots concert tour as well as the same systems used for the Super Bowl and other productions that require the best equipment in the business.
Landers, having been involved with the Samford media center since 1991, was able to obtain the machines while simultaneously training a crew to be capable of using such equipment.
One of the crew members is Kyle Bowman, a senior who has been broadcasting with Landers since his freshman year. Bowman travelled to Nashville, Tennessee with Landers to tour the truck and decide if it suited the massive needs of Samford and the Step Sing production.
“Everything we do in the media center throughout the year is to practice for being in the truck during Step Sing week,” Bowman said. “Every event we livestream or record something, it helps us to sharpen our eyes, our ears, and our skills so when the truck pulls up to the Wright Center, we are the best production crew we could be, and we are ready to give the world the best livestream they can see. It’s a huge team effort.”
This will be the first video production Samford has produced live that will be in 4K, which is a professional, cinema-level resolution, and with Ultra HD dimensions.
“I am just so excited that our students- broadcast students, school of the arts students, divinity media students- are all going to have this opportunity to use a machine of this caliber,” Lander added.
Will Hudson, a senior from Marietta, Georgia, is another member of this year’s production crew.
“Ed has done this for a really long time,” Hudson explained. “He has such a clear picture of what needs to happen for a good broadcast to take place. This with all of his connections make him a quality asset to Samford University.”
The livestream will film each of the four Step Sing 2022 performances, beginning with opening night on Thursday, Jan. 27. It can be viewed on samford.edu/live.
