Check out Alister’s blog post here!

The post FX6 Firmware Version 6 Released! appeared first on Z Systems, inc..

Check out Alisters Blog Post Here!

The post CineEI How and Why? with Alister Chapman appeared first on Z Systems, inc..

TLDR – A Quick Synopsis

You are running more “all-hands” and town hall meetings than ever… but a lot of them still look like a basic screen share.

We break down why this keeps happening and the simple shift that instantly makes a town hall feel more like a live show than a meeting.

The key piece in that shift: Vizrt TriCaster.

With TriCaster, your customers can:

• Take Teams/Zoom feeds, slide content, and video and build real layouts
• Keep the CEO visible next to the data they’re explaining
• Cut to different speakers without the awkward “who’s sharing next?” moment
• Add lower thirds, roll in pre-recorded segments, and match company branding

They still use the tools they know… TriCaster just puts them in the director’s chair.

We’re offering a Town Hall Transformation Session — a FREE consultation where Z Systems and our partner, JB&A will review your current workflow and show what a real production-style town hall could look like with TriCaster.

If you or your company run high-stakes internal meetings, this is must.

Still Reading? Here’s Some More Detail:

How to Take Control of the Screen and Run a Company Meeting People Actually Want to Watch

We see a lot of different production setups. Some are massive, some are tiny, and some land in that strange middle space where the stakes are high but the tools people use are… let’s just say “creative.” One of the places where this shows up the most is the good ol’ company town hall. Every organization has one, and almost every organization quietly agrees that their town hall could be better. Sometimes way better.

If you’ve ever sat through one, you probably know exactly what I am about to say. Your CEO is a tiny thumbnail floating in the void and the slide deck is taking over your entire screen. There are fifteen future slides visible on the left side, so everyone is reading ahead instead of listening. Half the team is responding to emails. A few are ordering lunch. One person is definitely scrolling through memes. It happens.

To be clear, it is not necessarily because your content is bad. It is because the layout is bad. And most people don’t know that layout is everything.

The Meeting Software Problem

One of the most common mistakes we see is letting the meeting platform dictate the entire show. If you just hop into Teams or Zoom, hit Share Screen and hope for the best, your layout is already working against you. The presenter gets minimized. The slides take over. The pacing disappears. You lose control of what the audience is supposed to pay attention to.

A town hall is basically a live broadcast. If you treat it like a simple meeting, it is going to feel like one.

The Shift That Changes Everything

The fix is surprisingly simple. Stop thinking like a meeting host and start thinking like a broadcaster.

Before anyone panics, you can still use what you have, for now. Your current tools can get the job done: Teams for remote presenters and PowerPoint for content. This combo is perfectly fine. It is familiar. It works. You do not need to reinvent your whole workflow or buy a stadium sized LED wall, yet… later you may want to take your production to greater heights as your company grows. We are here for that too.

The missing piece is the thing that brings your existing tools together and lets you design your show the way you want instead of the way the meeting software forces you to. That piece is a production switcher. At Z Systems, we lean heavily on the Vizrt TriCaster for this because it is flexible, reliable, and one of the most capable machines to level up a town hall.

Why TriCaster

Meeting platforms are built to facilitate conversation. Production switchers are built to craft the viewer experience. That is the key difference.

A TriCaster takes your Teams feeds, your presentation content, your titles, your videos, and puts you in the director’s chair. You can frame your CEO side by side with the data they are explaining. You can cut to another speaker without that awkward silence where someone fumbles for the share button. You can bring in pre-recorded content, add lower thirds, match your company branding, and create something that actually grabs attention and looks good.

Most importantly, you control the story again instead of being restricted by the platform.

You Do Not Need a Full Studio

This is the part that surprises a lot of people. You do not need a big team or months of prep to pull off a professional looking town hall. You already know Teams and PowerPoint; the last piece is simply learning how to feed everything through a TriCaster.

And that is doable. Actually, it is very doable.

At Z Systems, we have been helping companies modernize their internal communications, and one thing has become pretty obvious. Once people see how much better their town hall can look, they don’t go back. Having your executive actually visible is proven to be more engaging because it allows the viewer to feel more connected. When you also have your information framed cleanly, your audience will pay attention because the event feels professional instead of lame.

Ready to Clean Up Your Town Hall?

If you are reading this and thinking, “Yeah, our town hall could really use some help,” then this is exactly why we are offering the Town Hall Transformation Session. It is a free consultation, and it is designed to give you a clear plan for turning your current town hall into a proper broadcast.

During the session, you will meet with our engineers who will walk you through your workflow, look at the layout you are using today, and show you what it would look like when it is rebuilt as a real production. We will talk through Teams, PowerPoint, TriCaster integration, framing, graphics, and how to make everything feel intentional.

No pressure and no big sales pitch. Just hands on guidance, examples, and real next steps that you can use right away.

If you want your next town hall to actually keep people’s attention, fill out the form below and we will be in touch to schedule your one-on-one meeting with our experts:

We will help turn your meetings into something your whole company will remember!

The post Your Town Hall is Boring. Here’s the Fix. appeared first on Z Systems, inc..

Of all the cool features packed into Burano, 8k shooting is coming into its own – mainly because of the ability to derive so many different shots from one recording!

Capturing in 8k for 4k or HD delivery opens up a ton of creative and time/money saving options.  Think about it: one camera, lens, operator, teleprompter, and file instead of three. Infinite flexibility in post.  And supremely high resolution if you want it.

New – $24,999

Take advantage of Sony’s 12 or 24 months free financing, plus rebates on up to two lenses and Memory Cards!

Learn More

Demo/B-Stock – $22,499

Save some money but get the full factory warranty.

Learn More

Lightly Used – $21,000

Save more money on a used unit and a 30 day warranty from Z Systems.

Learn More

Be sure to check out our YouTube channel to watch some informative videos and shorts featuring Keith Mullin: youtube.com/@Zsyst/featured.

Have questions or want to come in and chat? Reach out to us at marketing@zsyst.com or call us at (952) 974-3140.

Happy Holidays!

The post Maybe It’s Time To Start Shooting in 8K… appeared first on Z Systems, inc..

We continue to be impressed with what we’re seeing from this new camera from Sony, and we wanted to take a moment to share some of our favorite examples of that. Below are 3 beautiful examples of short films (all different production types) shot on the BURANO.

The Sony BURANO will be available starting in spring 2024 ,and YES! We’re taking pre-orders.

Call 952-974-3140 or email us with any questions.

“At the Motel” by Sam Corlett – Narrative

“A Day to Remember” by Chris Schmid – Nature Doc

“Sum of One” – Sony Promo for BURANO

The post The Sony BURANO – Used to Shoot These Gorgeous Short Films. appeared first on Z Systems, inc..

Here at Z Systems, we’ve been selling and supporting shared storage for media production based on Tiger Technologies for over 20 years.  They have really withstood the test of time!  A nice mix of stability and new features as our media production workflows change (constantly).

The ‘super power’ of Tiger is that it is a modular system:  They provide the software and you are free to spin up your own subsystems.  Tiger also has the benefit of scaling easily as your need grows.

Check out this article by our friends at Microsoft for further details about this exciting storage partnership.

To learn more about Tiger Technology and other shared storage solutions, call us at 952-974-3140 or email us today!

The post Microsoft Azure and Tiger Technologies – Stepping Up Your Storage appeared first on Z Systems, inc..