The HELM Delivers Hybrid Timecode Solution

The 2025 Brisbane Festival launched with a dazzling start in early September as Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust lit up the city skyline, presented in partnership with Channel 9 and Triple M. Close to half a million spectators lined the Brisbane waterfront to witness a spectacular display featuring fireworks by Foti International Fireworks and dramatic Royal Australian Air Force fighter jet flyovers.

To support the scale and precision of the show, The HELM — a global specialist in cinematic broadcast solutions for live events — was brought in to deliver an enhanced method of timecode distribution and synchronisation.

Riverfire marked another chapter in The HELM's longstanding collaboration with Foti International Fireworks. "As rock solid timecode delivery was critical for the event, we took a hybrid UHF and SD-WAN approach," said Paul Barrett, Co-Founder and CTO at The HELM. "Our team deployed two constant transit UHF bases on key buildings, providing both frequency and geographic diversity. The fireworks barges then received the signal via two radios, ensuring clear and reliable timecode delivery."

Leveraging 5G, Starlink and fixed connectivity, a robust SD-WAN was created using The HELM's extensive inventory of bonded modem solutions linked to its private cloud servers, extending from the festival site to as far as the Channel 9 Network on Mount Coot-tha, where the timecode not only triggered the audio playback but also ensured seamless co-ordination with other on-air commitments. This combination of technologies enabled rapid deployment and a level of flexibility not previously available to the event organisers.

"What made this project so rewarding was seeing broadcast and live event workflows merge so effortlessly," added Barrett. "By combining UHF, SD-WAN and cloud control, we were able to deliver absolute precision and reliability across every part of the production."

"This year, we engaged The HELM to provide technical expertise for delivering timecode to multiple locations across Brisbane City for Brisbane Festival’s Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. The team's expertise and the service they provided were flawless throughout the process," said Tim Pack, Technical Director at Brisbane Festival. "I highly recommend their services and will definitely engage them again for next year's display!"

www.the-helm.co