If your job involves sending TV crews around the country to shoot interviews in people's homes or workplaces, you'll know that the current pandemic has made such tasks very difficult. That's where Crew in a Box is designed to come in.
Created by a Los Angeles-based team led by director/producer Ira Rosensweig, Crew in a Box incorporates a 6K video camera, a 3-ft-wide (0.9-m) three-panel LED lighting system, two microphones (a shotgun and a lavalier), and a beamsplitter screen that the camera shoots through – that screen serves as both a teleprompter and an Interrotron, the latter of which displays video such as a live feed of the interviewer's face, instead of just text.
Everything packs down into a disinfected military-grade case, which is shipped to the interviewee. That person simply opens the lid, takes the block of connected equipment out, and plugs the system into an electrical outlet.
Crew in a Box proceeds to automatically connect to the internet (not using the interviewee's home Wi-Fi network), patching itself through to a control room in another city. Via the Interrotron, an operator in that room remotely guides the interviewee in positioning the system for the best shot, hooking up their lavalier mic, and other pre-interview tasks. They also remotely adjust the camera and audio settings, along with the intensity and color temperature of the lights.
The client (for whom the interview is being shot) stays in contact with the operator and the interviewee via a teleconference. When the interview is over, the equipment is sent back, and the client receives the footage in their desired resolution up to 6K – that said, the system can also transmit live.
Crew in a Box is already in use by a number of major US television networks. Rentals start at US$5,000, while complete systems can be purchased for $55,000 and up.
Prospective users might also want to check out the similar Solo Cinebot.
Source: Crew in a Box
