With a line-up of original programming focused on natural wellness and healthy lifestyles, Veria Living has entertained and informed viewers for the past four years. Previously, the network commissioned outside production companies to create its content, but that changed in early 2012 when Veria partnered with NEP Studios to launch its own dedicated studio and post-production facility in midtown Manhattan. Veria is committed to reaching its audiences in different ways, including the ability to deliver content for multiple devices and platforms. The network felt that bringing its production capabilities in-house would make it much easier and more cost-effective to realize this vision.
NEP Studios took into account Veria’s fixed budget, unique programming and post-production requirements to design and build out two fully integrated studios within its 401 Fifth Ave. facility. The seventh-floor studio is for smaller productions and more intimate/instructional programming, such as yoga classes. On the eighth floor, Veria produces its more variety-oriented talk shows and cooking programs. The studios include seven Sony HD cameras and four Avid editing suites, and both stages share a common, fully integrated control room backbone. Robust routing and switching capabilities enable Veria to produce content from either studio using a completely tapeless workflow. In addition to facilities design and equipment, NEP Studios also provides a core technical staff, including an engineer in charge, camera operators and audio/video engineers.
The facility’s split-stage configuration offers the versatility and capacity to support many production formats and an ambitious line-up of programming. NEP Studios designed and executed a dual recording configuration that allows the network to produce some content in a tapeless workflow (via a four-channel Avid Airstream video server) and record to a 64TB Avid ISIS drive for line cuts that can be delivered quickly to air. By going with the XDCAM codec in an MXF wrapper, Veria is able to deliver masters without requiring additional transcoding. At the same time, it has the option of ISO recording and editing for programs that are less time-sensitive. Thus, the highly versatile design enables them to have both studios in production simultaneously, using both recording methods.
A large reason Veria chose to partner with NEP Studios is its industry reputation as a problem solver. One example was the natural gas line installed in the eighth-floor studio for the cooking shows. NEP was able to apply its expert project management skills to shepherd the application through the New York City permitting process, secure approvals and manage construction. Also, NEP played a key role in helping Veria define the format for its final production deliverables.
Veria will begin airing a minimum of five new shows in the first quarter of 2013, all of which were shot and produced in the NEP studios. This will result in a huge increase in new, original daytime content for Veria viewers to enjoy — a level of growth that would not be possible without dedicated studio facilities. By supporting Veria’s requirement to rapidly develop content, NEP Studios has enabled the network to move to the next level in targeting different audience segments with its programming — an important factor for any TV network.
