Case Study: Sleight of Hand Artist Shin Lim’s Las Vegas Limitless Show

Magician Shin Lim, the 2018 winner of “America’s Got Talent,” uses Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 digital film cameras and the ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K live production switcher for his Las Vegas magic show “Limitless.”

When Lim was invited to produce a show at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in 2019, he was challenged with finding a way to translate his intimate magic performance, usually best viewed by a small crowd, into one that could be experienced in a large arena but without the resources of a major network production. Lim chose to train his own team to shoot the show. He turned to the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 for a camera solution and chose to incorporate live switching via the ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K. “The first time we shot the show ourselves, we had a day to learn all the gear,” said Lim. “But because the Blackmagic equipment is super user friendly, my crew picked it up quickly.”

“Limitless” is shot live with a two-camera setup. One camera is placed at the back of the theater for a traditional broadcast master shot, using a long lens with the ability to punch in close to the performers on stage. The second camera is a handheld unit positioned on stage in the wings, which wirelessly transmits its feed to the ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K. Both cameras are switched live to massive monitors on either side of the stage, ensuring the audience doesn’t miss a trick. In the control booth, a HyperDeck Studio 4K Pro broadcast deck records the show on dual SSDs.

Lim’s team is purposefully small, enabling a quick build-in and out for each show. Team members often fill multiple tasks, but the Blackmagic Design gear prevents them from missing a beat. “We use the software and hardware components of the ATEM extensively, particularly when I need to reset for a new segment of the show,” said “Limitless” Technical Director Casey Kathleen, who manages the live feeds using the physical ATEM unit backstage. “Our lighting director Mark Broedling runs the software version of the ATEM from the booth while I’m away. He also helps with graphics during the show, prepping elements for me as I track shots. It’s like having two switchers for the price of one and really makes our job a lot easier.”

Lim appreciates not only the quality but also the price point of the Blackmagic Design equipment. “The original third-party production crews we hired often brought massive production cameras from the 1990s, yet couldn’t match the resolution and quality of the URSA Mini Pro. Just knowing what I’m going to get every show, day in and day out, is a huge relief for me and allows me to focus on the audience instead of the technology,” he noted.

In between the Las Vegas shows, Lim and his team also tour the country with the show, and the portable solutions available from Blackmagic Design help with each move. “We also plan to use our new ATEM Mini on our Midwest tour. It’s amazing how the unit can do many of the same things as the larger switcher, but when we tour, the small size is a huge help,” he said.

Lim has also been able to adapt the Blackmagic Design cameras to a variety of uses beyond the show. “I used to shoot my magic/music videos with DSLRs, but there’s a huge difference in quality using a cinematic camera like the URSA Mini Pro. We started using them solely as production cameras but quickly realized they have tons of features for a higher-end look. I had thought as a production camera that the URSA Mini Pro would be too bulky for more intimate magic shoots, but I’ve found it does just fine,” he explained.

With a solid handle on technology, Lim is excited for the future of his shows, both touring and his newest residency at the Venetian Las Vegas. The hardest part used to be capturing the intimate magic for a big audience. “I never want to hide anything or make my magic feel like some sort of editorial trick. That is the key to what I do, so I want to show it to the audience as big and as clearly as I can,” he concluded.