Moritz Productions Leverages BlueParrott Headsets to Transform Production and Entertainment Communication

BlueParrott supplied Moritz Productions with the B450-XT and M300-XT headsets to provide superior connectivity for its production team, enabling them to stay in constant contact while executing live, in-person and hybrid events.

The Covid-19 pandemic forced many companies to cancel or virtualize their live events, greatly impacting the entertainment industry. As virtual and hybrid events have become standard, production companies have also been forced to adapt, as event management teams find themselves spread across multiple, often remote, locations. Reliable and clear communication among team members and event participants is as vital as ever to the success of these events.

Current equipment used for production team communication is not adaptable to these new working conditions. Historically, teams were equipped with wired headsets on a localized network that required a clunky phone app to connect multiple sites – which reduced sound quality and reliability considerably because it relied on unstable connections. Using a phone as a walkie talkie simply doesn’t suffice without the right equipment, especially in a hybrid event setting where event teams can be spread across a range of locations and time zones.

The team at Moritz Productions knew there must be a better way to navigate production team communication in the post-pandemic world. They began researching the market and discovered Unity Intercom, a bring-your-own-device production intercom. Thanks to its ability to connect teams both in the office and on single or multi-site events, the solution was perfect for their team. It offered the ability to create the same walkie talkie experience, that has been traditionally reserved for localized events, for teams spread across different locations.

Unity Intercom offers a push to talk application that lets production teams bring their own devices and work together effortlessly. The connection occurs over WiFi or cellular data, allowing teams to either talk on channels or point-to-point with individual users. Additionally, users can duck in and out of conversations and easily take conversations from public to private channels, ideal in the production setting. Another benefit of the Unity platform is that it can integrate with existing comms systems.

While the Unity solution was perfect for the Moritz team, it led to the question – what headsets would provide the best experience and operate like the devices the team was used to working with in production settings? They needed something that offered high sound quality, isolation, and noise rejection in high-volume environments that integrated easily into the Unity platform. The answer quickly became clear: BlueParrott’s headsets easily fit the bill. Not only did they feature the push-to-talk and mono headset options the production team is accustomed to, but they also integrated seamlessly into Unity’s platform.

The Unity Intercom system leverages the BlueParrott Software Development Toolkit (SDK), making its headsets a natural and seamless fit for anyone using the platform. The BlueParrott Button is exclusively integrated by Unity Intercom, creating an even more seamless team communication experience by providing one-touch, heads-up access to the application. And, since Unity Intercom is also a voice-activated system, that means production teams can keep their hands and eyes on their jobs. When using voice-activated or voice-directed software, the reduction of excess noise is essential to ensure commands are clearly heard the first time, preventing false triggers and other mistakes. BlueParrott headsets are ideal here, with a noise cancellation range from 80% to 96% depending on the model.

While majorly disruptive to the entertainment and live event production industry, the pandemic did provide companies the chance to reevaluate their tech stacks for the new hybrid production environment. The team at Moritz Productions embraced the Unity platform both in-office and in-production sets. They sought a complementary headset solution that would fit into the way they were already used to working, including push-to-talk features and wireless. They also needed superior noise rejection that could contend with live event spaces, where team members often work in close proximity to speakers. BlueParrott was the clear choice.

The Moritz Productions team uses the headsets in multi-location live situations and on more traditional commercial or live event shoots. The versatility of BlueParrott has given the team flexibility to adapt to any production scenario they face, while allowing them to easily work with people in other locations who are bringing their own device. In the reality of pandemic-influenced production, this level of flexibility has proven essential.