Actors with cameras on stage projecting live feed composited into a template

[SecondCity]

I'm researching for a show that will require our actors to have a handheld camera on stage and shoot into the audience and zoom in on people. This video feed will be projected live onto a screen. The video will need to be composited onto a preset background template as well.

Any suggestions on the best way to do this? Could the camera send a wireless feed?
Would this be done via software like QLAB or through hardware like a switcher?

 

[techfreek]

I personally I little experience in this topic, but I have a decent idea of how it would have to be done. You would have to get something like this; 8CH 2.4G 200mw Wireless Camera Video Audio Transmitter and Receiver - SecurityCamera2000.com . A simple video camera should work fine, you might want to have the actor have long sleeves in this scene, and have a video cable run to a transmitter that is in his shirt or clipped to his belt. Have the receiver within plenty of distance from the transmitter. It is hard to say about the template part. Depends on the effects, if it is like a border around the video, you create the border in photoshop, and have a green background behind it, get a video mixer and chroma key the green out and have the video you are shooting be placed behind it.

Hope that helps!

 

[jstandfast]

You should check w/the production folks @ Synetic Theater Co. in Arlington, Va. They had a very similar gag working on their production of Othello
this past summer @ the Kennedy Center in DC. Word is they've had some significant shake ups of late in staff so you may have to hope for good instititional memory........

 

[ruinexplorer]

I haven't had great luck with lower grade wireless video, especially with latency. At that point, you could potentially just pre-record the effect that you are looking for and have it be played back with the performer mimicking the same movement. Sure there will be a different audience.

As for putting the video onto a background, there are several programs that coud do this, but it depends on what you already have.