News Production with Cuez by TinkerList: Interview with VRT NWS

When it comes to news production, every second counts. Current trends in news production are still lagging behind with inefficient workflows and over-complicated set-ups prevalling. However, some news studios are ready for a change. Vic Dobbelaere, a technical coordinator at VRT NWS, sheds light on how the adoption of Cuez by TinkerList has transformed their operations. Ensuring the seamless technical flow of VRT’s Webstudio, Vic believes Cuez by TinkerList has become an indispensable asset in this endeavor.

News Production with Cuez: New Ways

One of the biggest advantages of Cuez for VRT was its ability to automate manual technical tasks. Before the switch, Webstudio required a more complicated setup, whereas now most of the studio is automated.

• “Before we used Cuez by Tinker List, our director had to put everything manually himself. Sometimes we have people or camera crews that are on the field, [the director] has to call them in, make sure everything in the screen is done at the right moment. And whenever we used Cuez by Tinker list, we could put it all in one cart and make everything automatically,” says Vic.
• Everything here is automated. The audio faders are automated, the playlist in vMix is automated, the lights are automated as well,” adds Vic.

Cuez by TinkerlIst: News Transformation

The transformation facilitated by Cuez extends beyond mere convenience. Cuez has significantly reduced the workload on VRT NWS’s directors, making the whole production news production process less stressful.

• “Our workload has shifted from during transmission to beforehand. With Cuez, we prepare our lists in advance, alleviating the stress during live broadcasts,” Vic elaborates.

In addition to that, VRT NWS had the goal of transforming their Webstudio into a “one man band” studio, where one person could operate the setup easily, without any help. This was vital, as Webstudio is designed for delivering breaking news, that requires quick response and is time-sensitive. By adopting Cuez, VRT NWS transformed their studio, making it possible for the presenter or director to simply come in and start using the studio right away, by simply pressing one button.

• “So the director does everything here. He does the cutting, the audio, the videos. We wanted to take some workload away from him by using Cuez and Automator. So that he could just click one card and everything follows. That’s what really was our goal. We wanted to use one button to control everything,” explains Vic.

As VRT NWS continues to push the boundaries of innovation, Cuez remains their partner, empowering them to navigate the dynamic landscape of live news broadcasting with confidence and ease.

Watch the full interview with Vic on our YouTube channel.