Champ Promotions Captures and Livestreams Live Boxing Action with Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design today announced that Canadian combat sports production company Champ Promotions relied on Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 digital film cameras to capture the highly dynamic “Round 4” Pro Boxing event held in Victoria, BC. Airing on social commerce platform MILLIONS.co, an ATEM Mini Extreme ISO live production switcher powered the fast paced, multicam livestream.

Cofounded in 2021 by Bryson Hill and former Canadian Light Heavyweight boxing champion Jason Heit, Champ Promotions is dedicated to producing high quality boxing events in Western Canada, aiming to help Canadian boxers become world champions on British Columbia soil. The “Round 4” tournament featured 16 amateur bouts, 32 fighters, and four professional fights, including the highly anticipated Canadian Light Heavyweight belt match.

Production lead Eric Orton teamed up with Chris Chisholm, director of production at Volare Media, relying on a Blackmagic Design workflow to capture and livestream the event’s dynamic action with precision and clarity.

“We needed cameras that were compact enough for us to move around and capture different angles in the ring but that also could handle difficult lighting and changing color conditions as the matches started at 3:00 p.m. and continued into the late hours,” noted Orton.

The setup included two Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pros mounted on shoulder rigs on either side of the ring, one Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro as a handheld camera, and a Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 as a wide angle camera positioned 50 feet from the ring at a height of 25 feet.

“The cameras’ intuitive design, especially the touchscreen and Blackmagic OS, enabled our team to quickly adjust focus, exposure, and other parameters without interrupting the flow of the livestream, all while elevating the overall visual look of the production,” added Orton.

Central to Champ Promotions’ setup was the ATEM Mini Extreme ISO for live switching and streaming the boxing matches, along with a HyperDeck Studio 4K Pro broadcast deck for seamlessly integrating animated graphics into the broadcast.

“The ATEM Mini Extreme ISO’s ease of use and robust multi camera capabilities allowed us to capture every angle of the action,” noted Orton. “I was able to multitask between real time audio adjustments with the switcher’s integrated Fairlight mixer while changing camera angles, which allowed me to enhance the viewer experience by bringing the audience closer to the heart pounding action.”

During the livestream, the production team incorporated fighter bio segments which were shot outdoors prior to the boxing match. Captured in Blackmagic RAW with the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, the segments showcased each boxer in a dynamic music video style while they shared their story. Orton noted, “The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro’s built in ND filters were crucial for managing these shoots with varying lighting conditions, ultimately saving us time in post and allowing us to stay on budget.”

The team also relied on DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, color grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software for the fighter bio segments. “Shooting in Blackmagic RAW gave us exceptional flexibility in post, especially when color grading and shading. DaVinci Resolve Studio proved intuitive and powerful for achieving distinct visual styles in each fighter bio segment while still maintaining a cohesive and impactful narrative. The editing tools also came in handy when building out the bio packages quickly,” Orton added.

Orton concluded, “Blackmagic Design’s innovation and support has really empowered us to seamlessly capture, produce, and stream high quality sports content, allowing us to push boundaries in live events and deliver immersive experiences for our audiences.”