North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS)
“We knew that Z Systems would be all encompassing. They would help us with everything from the beginning to the end.” - Benji Perez Gonzalez, Multimedia Producer for The Indigenous Food Lab.
Problem
NATIFS is the non-profit organization fronted by the James Beard-awarded chef Sean Sherman. Its mission includes teaching people the history of Native American cooking and instructing the next generation on cooking with traditional methods and ingredients in the 21st century. One of the ways it does so is with the Indigenous Food Lab. Located inside the bustling Midtown Global Market is the interactive cooking classroom. NATIFS wanted a way to create professional, non-intrusive video content to broaden their audience and share their message.
Solution
Z Systems decided to install a 3-camera production system that leads to a control point across the hall. 5 Ikan lights were mounted on the ceiling to create a bright and even shot. Utilizing Marshall PTZ cameras, production staff can follow the action from the stove top to the sink. These cameras find their way to a Blackmagic Hyperdeck which records to an SD card. For more intense shoots, the video feeds also go into a Blackmagic ATEM Switcher. This allows for a seamless live production when combined with Sennhesier wireless mics and an audio mixer. The finished product can be recorded, or livestreamed via the Blackmagic Web Presenter.
“Z Systems really worked for us to make this not only a viable studio space, but a viable studio space inside a live market.”
Aftermath
The Indigenous Food Lab has regularly hosted instructional video shoots and in-person cooking courses from their studio. This studio has been an integral part of NATIFS’ weekly upload schedule, and has helped show their message across their 30,000 subscribers. The setup allows for a one man band to adjust audio, frame the subject across the three cameras, and record the production easily.
