Catalan’s 3Cat (TV3) captured the celebration of the Sagrada Familia’s completion in HDR using Sony VENICE 2, ILME-FR7 and ILME-FX6 cameras during Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the cathedral.
National Catalan Broadcaster 3Cat (TV3) led the production that covered the celebrations held at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona on 10 June as part of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the site. Shooting live and in HDR, the TV3 crew captured the events held in part to mark the centenary of the death of the building’s architect Antoni Gaudí, and coinciding with the official inauguration of its central Tower of Jesus Christ.
The architecture of the Sagrada Familia features variable natural lighting, hard-to-access spaces and a colossal scale, which put extra demands on the team. Some 20 cameras from Sony`s Cinema Line including the VENICE 2, ILME-FR7 and ILME-FX6, were selected to cover the event. Deploying Sony’s Cinema Line equipment for a live, international HDR broadcast at this scale marks a significant achievement.
Camera Fleet
Nevertheless, both the creative and production staff rose to the challenge of using cinema cameras to capture the occasion, a spectacle of light and sound that combines cinematic expression and live broadcast – with a memorable result.
The deployment was made up of seven Sony ILME-FR7s and three Sony ILME-FX6s with Fujinon Duvo lenses and Sony E-mount lenses, and followed a carefully planned and coordinated production. Ten Sony VENICE 2 units were used for the main shots, chosen for their low light response during the artistic show at night, when the light became the main focus of attention.
As remote-controlled cameras, the Sony ILME-FR7s made it possible to capture hard-to-reach angles without interfering with the proceedings. They are also compact and lightweight, allowing the mobility required for very dynamic shots. All three models share Sony’s colour science, which they have used to ensure colour consistency in the final result and simplify the live production workflow.
Hector Sole-Bradshaw Beltran, Project Manager / Production Technical Manager, 3Cat Cine Live said, "For the main cameras, the cinematic nature of the VENICE and the 4000 ISO sensitivity of the VENICE 2’s sensor means these cameras can perform beautifully at a night-time spectacle where light takes the role of a character. The FR7 and FX6 complete the line-up, functioning in situations where compact size is essential, but image quality and consistency are extremely important.”
Live Show Production
To produce the live show in the evening, the camera feeds were handled on a Sony XVS switcher, which supports the Networked Media Interface (NMI) Sony has developed with different broadcast industry organisations. It combines IP networking with a current SDI standard interface to support video transmission at most resolutions.
Instead of needing a full range of cables to carry the various signal types (video, audio, reference, metadata and control data), NMI uses only a single standard cable passing through regular network switches. Up to 40 inputs and up to 12 assignable outputs are configurable depending on the I/O option configuration.
The XVS switchers carry out up/down/cross/level conversion between 4K, HD and SD, and have an intelligent, multi-functional tally system that directly integrates the switcher and router tally functions. Keyers are available for sophisticated layering, with advanced mix effect modes whereby one bank can be configured to control the main M/E output as well as a sub mix from that M/E. This Double M/E Mode can produce multiple outputs of the same event.
The programmable macros are extremely useful in live environments when timing is precise and there is little margin for error. Users can record complex panel operational sequences, then store and assign them to any of the buttons.
Dual Historical Significance
The event holds dual historical significance. First, Pope Leo XIV’s presence at the Sagrada Familia was the first papal visit to Barcelona since Benedict XVI consecrated the basilica in 2010. Second, the official inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ, the central tower of the basilica, was held on the same day. Measuring 172.5m high, the Tower makes the Sagrada Familia the tallest church in the world.
The date is no coincidence – 10 June 2026 marked exactly a century since the death of Antoni Gaudí. Adding to this context was 3Cat’s Director of Photography Pauli Subira Claramunt, whose vision asserted that this show, created by creative director Igor Cortadellas, required a different kind of photography and treament than that of conventional broadcast.
Paulí remarked, "The completion of the Sagrada Familia was a special occasion and a specific challenge. We had previously produced the musical Mar i Cel in the Broadcast Cinematography format, gaining experience with the tools and workflows. The extra layer of complexity in Barcelona came from the need for a live broadcast.
“When we began to bring the creative narrative to the screen, we realised that whatever system we used had to be adapted to tell the story properly. We needed to transport the viewer to this very special moment, with an emphasis on aesthetics. Hybrid tools and workflows that blend television and cinema, and defining working standards at both national and European levels, have been the priorities for the team and the 3Cat group."
From Capture to QC
Technically, the choice of Sony Cinema Line equipment marks a milestone as the first use of Cinema Line in an international HDR live broadcast. They were deployed with the OB3 mobile unit from PhotoCine, also a practical choice because this OB van can control up to 20 cameras and features live, HDR compatible colour grading and is fitted with 12 workstations. The van was integrated with the Sony XVS mixer and with Sony PVM-X and BVM-HX reference monitors.
Hector said, “For quality control of the international UHD-HDR HLG signal, having the technology of the 4,000 cd/m² (nits) Grade 1 mastering monitor, the BVM-HX3110, allows us to work in HLG 1000 and 2000 brightness formats, assuring us of the quality of the image distributed worldwide."
The BVM-HX3110, a 4K HDR master monitor, emphasises colour fidelity. The BVM-HX series monitors support 4K HDR video production workflows with high peak brightness, deep blacks and EOTF tracking. Maximum luminance can be set from 400 to the peak luminance of 4,000 nits, meanwhile maintaining the blacks and preserving detail, highlights and colours in the image.
EOTF – a transfer function that converts video signals into the linear light output of the display - is accurately tracked from deep black to specular highlight. Users can dispaly and view the waveform monitor and vectorscope with scales for HDR, and a colour gamut scope is also available, mapping onto the CIE1931 standard chart with the standard colour space area display. pro.sony
