OmniScope Feature: George E. Kennedy Jr.

January 24, 2025

OmniScope Feature:

George E. Kennedy Jr.

Head of Production | Engineer, Magek Filmworks


This month, we’re excited to spotlight George E. Kennedy, Jr., a seasoned video professional with over 25 years of experience in production, live events, and streaming. Based in Washington, D.C., George is the founder of Magek Filmworks, a company specializing in live event coverage and streaming solutions. His passion for technology and community shines through his leadership of District Digital Creatives, a local meetup group dedicated to education and networking, as well as his active participation in Office Hours Global, an online community of over 5,000 media and event professionals.

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Recently, George caught our attention with his innovative use of Nobe OmniScope in his live multi-camera streaming setup. Intrigued by his expertise and creativity, we connected to learn more about his workflow and how OmniScope has become a key part of his production toolkit.


Hi George! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

“I was born in Georgetown, Guyana, and lived there until I was 14. I moved to the US in 1983, attended high school in NYC, and served in the US Navy from 1988 to 1992. I knew the creative industry was the field for me when I picked up a camera and became my high school class photographer. I graduated from the University of DC with a degree in Media Arts & Television Production in 1998.

After college, I briefly worked at CNN, but a college classmate introduced me to the field of Audio Visual.  This began my career as an AV Tech – producing corporate events.”

It looks like your company has been in business for a long time. That is a great achievement. Can you tell us more about Magek Filmworks?

“Sure, I started Magek Filmworks in 1998. I decided that if I was going to work as a freelance contractor, I needed to have an established entity so I could provide full production services and develop my own clients. I've been fortunate over these past 27 years to be able to work in the Live Event (Audio/Visual) and Production space.

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The AV side takes care of the bills, so I'm first, a Live Event Video Engineer (using Barco E2 and Analog Way Switchers). I also offer other services such as Playback Op, Camera Shader, Technical Director, the list goes on a little... I like to tell folks that I can fill multiple positions in the AV event space, except Projection. 😂

Production and post is where my passion lies. So, I’m also able to combine my interest in production with my AV skills. I become a one-stop shop for my AV clients that also need projects to be shot and edited.


A/V for Live Events is not a forgiving field. It's live, so every mistake is in the forefront… but you do get to walk away when the event is over!


What projects from your career are you most proud of and why?

“This is always a tough question. Early in my career I traveled to South Africa to cover the UN World Conference on Race, that was a highlight. And working both of President Obama’s inaugurations was energizing. But if I had to be proud of anything I've done in the 27 years, it is the work I did during COVID, and the communities that I was part of. The AV community helped keep the world going, and also brought cloud production technologies to the forefront. Shout out to Alex Lindsey and the team at Office Hours Global!”

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We’ve seen some of your posts about OmnIScope. Can you describe the typical live production set-up?

Blackmagic Decklink line of capture cards is my go-to choice because they are reliable and fit my budget. Currently, we use the Decklink Duo 2 and the Decklink 8K-2. While the Decklink Quad is still in our kit, we are in the process of phasing it out.

OWC plays a significant role in our ecosystem. We have several Mercury Helios 3S units, which make it easy to swap out cards and securely lock down the boxes. Additionally, we use a few OWC Thunderbolt Go Docks for added connectivity.

Bitfocus Companion and the StreamDeck are essential to our workflow, especially when we need to closely examine a single signal.

For 2025, I've sourced a new Mac Mini M4 as a dedicated machine to handle both HD and 4K signals. Whether I’m using one camera or six, I rely on Omniscope, along with a Calibrite Color Chart, for proper color management.

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How and why have you been using OmniScope for live events?

“Believe it or not, there have been times when I showed up on site and found that there were no scopes available. In those cases, I would just toss up a whiteboard and Auto White Balance and Auto Black Balance and pray that the cameras looked right. That's when I decided to include Omniscope as part of my Shader kit.

In my AV work, we typically have one to three cameras for small events, and it's crucial that they match. Omniscope helps streamline that process. A typical workflow involves a Blackmagic Decklink Duo housed in an OWC Mercury Helios 3S expansion enclosure, along with a MacBook Pro M3 ProMax. When possible, I also request a 50-inch monitor for display.

If I have more than three cameras, I use two expansion enclosures. I not only bring in camera signals but also incorporate the camera switch and high-resolution switcher signals.

While most of the high-end shows I work on include an engineering rack with a hardware scope package, like a Tektronix, I still prefer using my Omniscope rig. In the engineering rack setup, there’s a 17-inch monitor that I use to switch between camera signals (to paint or shade).

I totally prefer my Omniscope heads-up display in front of me on a 50-inch monitor. Most of the time, the 50-inch monitor I use is a consumer-grade model; I would prefer a Flanders XMP650 65-inch reference monitor, but no client would indulge that request! 😂

How did you find out about OmniScope? Were you replacing a hardware scope?

“I found out about Omniscope from our industry friend and teacher Robbie Carman, who is a respected colorist in the Washington D.C. market. I had heard about OmniScope, but my interest spiked again during COVID and we covered it on Office Hours Live. Once we got back to live events it became part of my trusted kit.”

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What is your favorite OmniScope feature?

“Without a doubt, Twin Peaks is my favorite feature. Another video engineer, Noel Riddle from Freeman AV, once taught me how to match cameras using a Tektronix Diamond scope. When I discovered the diamond style scope was available as Twin Peaks in the Omniscope, I was thrilled. Being able to align my cameras visually on a monitor significantly reduces the time spent on painting.”

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Thanks so much for your time George. Why would you recommend OmniScope to others in live AV productions?

“It's 2025, and I highly recommend Omniscope for anyone working with media or live production. It's also a great teaching tool because you don't need a camera signal to start using the scopes.. You can import clips, so technically, you can grab a video and launch a few scopes… and then the learning begins.”


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