180º Productions leverages an ATEM Television Studio HD8 live production switcher, coupled with ATEM Microphone Converter for audio input expansion for live streaming and live production, along with two Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pluses to capture content and two Blackmagic Web Presenter streaming solutions, and the Blackmagic Video Assist 5" 12G HDR monitor/recorder and HyperDeck Studio HD Pro broadcast deck.
With a background in sales, talking with people and networking has always come easy to Tony Rushing. Having worked in real estate and for several airlines, he thought that he would retire and travel the world, but life threw him a curve ball.
In 2018, Rushing shot a jazz benefit concert for cancer awareness, which was backed by his wife’s haircare and skincare companies. Bitten by the production bug, he then took classes on how to work with professional cameras in studio environments, three-point lighting, editing, and producing small shows for his local public access television station.
“That love grew into a small production company, and 180º Productions has been in business for eight years, based in the beautiful city of Charlotte, NC,” he said. “Its success is due to my belief in myself, my ability to connect with people and clients, and the strong production workflow I’ve developed around Blackmagic Design.”
Building Connection with Impactful Content
Empowering businesses and individuals to tell their stories in a way that inspires and moves their audiences, 180º Productions strives to create content that reflects the unique visions and values of its clients, while exceeding their expectations.
“Our purpose is to create impactful content that resonates with people, whether it's a marketing campaign, a documentary, or a music video. We aim to be a trusted partner to our clients and to help them achieve their goals by leveraging our creative skills, expertise, and technical workflow,” explained Rushing.
Like many, COVID-19 threw Rushing another curve ball.
“Pre-COVID, we mainly served the wedding industry by way of photography and videography,” he continued. “But if COVID taught us anything, it was just how important it is to stay connected. The desire to learn really intensified as contracts started to cancel or push to the following year because of lockdown. This is where we pivoted and starting live streaming.”
When Rushing’s wife’s skincare company was picked up by livestream shopping company HSN, it was time to build out a new workflow.
“Because of COVID, there were no in person appearances on set, so we had to live stream from home. Being new to live streaming, I watched a lot of content creators, PhotoJoseph being one of them,” Rushing noted. “From there, I started looking at switchers and came across the Blackmagic Design ecosystem. I started with the ATEM Mini, and my workflow has grown from there. I wanted to ensure that I was selecting a future-proof system that would stretch my dollar, and Blackmagic Design was that system.”
Answering the Call
From humble beginnings with the ATEM Mini, Rushing recently upgraded to an ATEM Television Studio HD8 live production switcher, coupled with ATEM Microphone Converter for audio input expansion, as demand for the live streaming and live production side of 180º Productions grew. He also uses two Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pluses to capture content and two Blackmagic Web Presenter streaming solutions, as well as Blackmagic Video Assist 5” 12G HDR monitor/recorder and HyperDeck Studio HD Pro broadcast deck.
On the jump from the ATEM Mini to the ATEM Television Studio HD8, Rushing explained, “The needs of our customers grew, so we had to answer the call. I decided to future proof my system by moving away from HDMI and going with an SDI ecosystem. The ATEM Television Studio’s streaming, multiview, recording and 2TB of internal storage are all wins for our company. Also, having MADI within the switcher is a game changer for us as it means bringing less equipment and a quicker setup in many cases.
“In choosing the Studio Cameras, so many things come to mind: affordability, MFT mount, tally lights, SDI and HDMI connections, the ability to be controlled by the ATEM, etc. From conferences to graduations and podcasts, we now have a future-proof, professional workflow.”
“I love that Blackmagic Design is always thinking of the creators that use its products and giving us the updates that we need to stay ahead of the curve,” Rushing concluded. “I’ve even migrated over to DaVinci Resolve Studio for editing as the application is always evolving. Having that support means I can continue to grow my business and will tackle any more curve balls that life throws at me.”