Encompass Digital Media, Inc.
Playout Director
2 days ago
Chiswick
Hours of work: Day and night shifts, averaging 40 hours per week About us: Encompass Digital Media is a global managed services company focused on supporting TV networks, broadcasters, sports leagues and digital platforms with the delivery of their linear/nonlinear video and audio content across television, radio and digital platforms. We design, implement and operate reliable video and audio solutions that capture, process and deliver clients’ content from any source, in any format, to any destination in the most efficient and reliable way possible. Main Purpose: The Playout Director plays a critical role in ensuring the smooth delivery of service requirements within a busy transmission suite, acting as the key component in successful content delivery all the way through to playout and distribution. This position incorporates three fundamental disciplines which are Media Management, Live event MCR and Playout for a tier 1 public service broadcaster. The role will be working across a shift rotation of dayshifts and nightshifts 24/7/365 and at any one time working on one of the three positions per shift that delivers those three core functions. Effective communication skills and professionalism is required to deal directly with the client, routinely managing both server playout and high-profile live events and working alongside a live continuity announcer. The team of Playout Directors will be working together across the service requirements, implementing and maintaining ‘best practice’ SOPs and delivering maximum service levels to ensure client satisfaction. Principal Responsibilities: Media Management • Provide the media management Service 24 hours a day, seven days a week across the year., • Coordinate missing material lists -, • Deliver transmission master material to playout in a timely manner, some programming may be delivered within a few hours of transmission., • Coordinate the handling of proxy files for ‘late and live’ content, commercial copy or any material failing Auto QC and/or integrity checks, • Manually ingest content, including but not limited to, recordings of incoming live content., • Multi-point spot checks per all programme content. Any faults detected will need to be reported back to key stakeholders., • Coordinating quick turnaround content for TX, including recording line feeds, playing as lives or fast track ingest. Logging timecodes and making sure the scheduled playout is updated., • Overseeing automated content management processes and responding to any issues., • Manually push material to playout for TX if required., • Spot check failures notified to the key stakeholders to facilitate correction and/or redelivery of the material., • Coordinating the delivery, ingest and processing of both advanced schedules and the daily final TX Schedule, • Supplying content to the client as and when requested, • Managing commercial content with the commercial suppliers and arrange and manage any redelivery due to QC failures., • Working knowledge of the BT and client fibre networks., • Knowledge of television specifications in HD and SD, analogue and digital and audio specifications., • To understand the EDM and client network and facilities and to enact back-up procedures in case of emergencies., • To operate the playout automation system to enable video recording and playback of material., • Responsible for the line bookings of incoming connectivity to meet live event requirements., • Provide first line support and be the initial point of contact between any outside source and EDM playout., • Coordinating with the contribution partners to perform a line up and communicating clear and precise details with the client and playout., • Monitor and manage the incoming feeds during any live events. Playout • Appending, monitoring, and maintaining routine daily schedules provided by the client as they play out from the broadcast automation., • Understanding and routinely monitoring the various core elements of the Service, including video, audio, graphics, SCTE, delay services, access services, blanking events., • Monitoring the various hand-off points, including OTT and reporting and escalating any issues, • Exceptional knowledge of the playout automation, understanding the levels of manual intervention available and confidence to use them., • Quick and direct response to resolve any issues with any element within the playout chain that will impact the service delivery., • Clear understanding and efficient enactment of escalation procedures both internally and to the client., • Coordinating with the Playout director handling Media coordination and Live event MCR, • Monitoring missing material within the playout automation., • Responding to client requests for schedule amendments and maintaining the schedule integrity., • Running live events within the automation system, switching to the incoming feed, communicating side by side with PA’s or over talkback with the clients live production teams to coordinate taking commercial breaks, coming off at the end of the live and timing out the schedule as per client provided guidelines., • Recording the live event ahead of content QC and managing the schedule ahead of a quick turnaround repeat airing., • Working closely with the on-site continuity announcers to coordinate both live and pre-recorded voiceovers for air., • Clear and informative logging and reporting of all service impacting incidents and deviations from the delivered schedule. Experience / Knowledge: • Must have proven experience within an MCR/operations environment in a broadcast operation., • Strong understanding and experience of media management processes., • Extensive knowledge and experience of playout automation systems (Grass Valley AMPP preferred)., • Extensive experience of running high-profile live events., • Excellent understanding of the playout chain including distribution to the affiliates. Personal Skills: • Enthusiasm and commitment to adopt modern technologies and best practice operations solutions., • Strong work ethic and comfortable with shift work and unsociable hours., • Excellent communication and people skills., • Able to work under pressure and prioritise workload., • Eager, quick to learn and a collaborator. Benefits include: • 264 hours annual leave per annum, inclusive of bank holidays, • Matched up to 5% pension contributions and independent pension advice, • Health benefits including eye care vouchers, health cash plan and 24/7 employee assistance programme, • Income protection and life assurance benefits, • Regular wellness and engagement events, • Performance recognition awards