Earlier in the year Frame.io announced a new feature called Real-Time Logging (RTL) that was designed to speed up camera-to-cloud workflows. At IBC 2024 in Amsterdam, I caught up with Ambient to find out how it works.
The whole concept behind RTL is it lets you communicate your thoughts about what the camera is capturing, as it’s happens, by just pushing a button. Now, to do this you do need additional hardware. RTL only works if your Frame.io project is connected up to Ambient NanoLockit devices.
How does it work?
You may be thinking how can it leave a comment by simply pushing a button? Well, one of the unique abilities that the Ambient NanoLockit devices have is that you can pre-program buttons to indicate certain comments. When you press a button, RTL will send a timecode-accurate, customizable comments directly to your editor. You could set the green button to indicate good take and the red button to indicate a bad one. This speeds up the remote editing process as it lets the editor skip or skim over footage that isn’t going to be used. Now, the flip side of all of this is that you need someone on set to actually be pressing the buttons.
RTL will certainly be handy for certain productions that are shooting live sporting or music events, documentaries, and wildlife.
RTL is now available to use in the current version of Frame.io from today, with Frame.io V4 access coming later this year.
If you are not familiar with the Ambient NanoLockit Miniature Timecode Synchronizer with Logging Feature, it is a small and easy-to-use timecode logging system that supports all frame rates of timecode in and out. It can be used to easily mark shots using timecode, speeding up your post-production process. You can mark each shot as good or no good, and a green or red LED illuminates to confirm your selection. You can also generate timecode that stays accurate to within one frame over 24 hours, or use an optional C-Jam master to maintain zero drift over the ACN network.
The NanoLockit supports the ACN (Ambient Communication Network), which has over a 600′ wireless range and can support an unlimited number of Ambient ACN-compatible devices to keep all in perfect sync. The generator supports timecode in/out and ACN metadata, and it can also be used as a metadata transceiver for RED cameras. The timecode output level can be adjusted, allowing you to record it on an audio channel on non-timecode-compatible equipment (optional cable required).
