Students at Chatswood High School were recently given the chance to create a mock news broadcast using the new Roland VR-3EX video mixer. “Green screen” or Chroma-Key technology has been around for decades, but has previously been out of reach financially, or too complicated for everyday use. The VR-3EX has this technology built-in amongst many other video and audio processes, and the students were then able to imagine any news story they liked with the knowledge the background could be changed easily to suit. Predictably, stories ranged in location from ancient Egypt to deep space, with high definition video being played in to the mixer from a computer.

One of the other key features of this new video and audio mixer is that the output can not only be sent to screens on location (sporting event, school musical, assembly etc.) but via single cable can simultaneously be recorded or broadcast live over the internet – for free. Someone at this shoot referred to the VR-3EX as a “TV studio in a lunchbox” which seemed a little funny at the time, but pretty much sums it up.

Check out some preview footage (including outtakes) from the day.