Blackmagic Design Levels Up New Rockstars’ ComicCon 2024 and Disney D23 Livestream

Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K G2drives improved viewer engagement for leading YouTube channel.

Blackmagic Design today announced that leading entertainment and pop culture YouTube channel New Rockstars relied on Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K G2 and ATEM 2 M/E Constellation 4K live production switcher for its live event coverage of Comic Con 2024 and Disney’s D23.

In two episodes for its daily talk show “The Breakroom,” livestreamed on New Rockstars’ YouTube and Twitch channels BreakroomNR, the hosts talked about everything exciting that happened at the events, reaching more than four million viewers, a forty percent increase from its 2022 coverage.

New Rockstars is a Burbank, CA based digital content company renowned for its YouTube channel of the same name, which reaches more than four million subscribers and offers expert analysis as well as deep dives into the worlds of comics, movies, and fandoms. Its production workflow for “The Breakroom” includes four Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pros, two HyperDeck Studio HD Plus broadcast decks for graphics playback, two ATEM Mini Extreme ISO live production switchers, and DaVinci Resolve Studio to add graphics and music, as well as make minor changes to the final show edit, which is posted to YouTube after the stream is finalized.

“Blackmagic Design has been part of our workflow for years, so it was a no brainer for us to incorporate new Blackmagic Design gear to achieve what we wanted during these events,” said John Costa, producer at New Rockstars. “Our goal was to get the news of what was happening at Comic Con and D23 to our audience faster without sacrificing quality and visuals and while maintaining the dynamic multicamera experience they’re used to.”

“To cover these events, we sent team members to report on location and then share the news with our studio team in real time,” Costa added. “We incorporated a Micro Studio Camera 4K G2 inside the studio as more angles make content more dynamic, and the camera’s small form factor meant we weren’t disrupting the established gear. Even though the camera is compact, we got all the features we were looking for from a traditional studio camera with an added cinematic look and feel.”

Because of the extra camera angles, external feeds, and prerecorded content the special livestreams required, the team used an ATEM 2 M/E Constellation 4K, capitalizing on its 20 inputs and centralizing the workflow. The ATEM 2 M/E Constellation 4K also equipped the team with full control over focus, color, and even tally lights during the live events through the ATEM Software Control. “In a live setting, where every moment counts, having this degree of control within the software was essential,” said Costa.

In addition to improving the operational effectiveness of New Rockstars’ production, the adoption of additional Blackmagic Design technology also significantly improved viewer engagement. The enhanced production quality translated into a noticeable spike in viewership, reflecting the audience’s appreciation for the sharper and more cohesive live content. As a result, New Rockstars has successfully expanded its audience, maintained its loyal fan base, and cultivated a more interactive community by expanding its content production workflows.

“We didn’t expect the tech upgrade alone to make such a noticeable difference, but the increased flexibility and quality definitely helped engage our audience more,” concluded Costa. “The increase in viewership speaks for itself: with the addition of Blackmagic Design gear we’re able to produce more dynamic, polished content, and the audience is responding to it.”