The goal of the Lennon Bus is simple: the Bus and its programs are designed to inspire the next generation to imagine a better world. A Blackmagic Design pipeline helps to share the message.

The first version of the Lennon Bus is from 1998, and since then Lennon Buses in the U.S. and Europe have impacted millions of students while delivering unique experiential programs at schools, colleges, universities, community events, festivals, and on tour with headlining artists. The project for the bus was born from another project, from 1997. That year, Brian Rothschild, Co-Founder/Executive Director for the project contacted Yoko Ono about creating a John Lennon Songwriting Contest to give songwriters around the world access to the music industry.

“It’s now in its 27th year – said Rothschild – and offers $390,000 in cash awards and prizes across 12 music categories. As we were looking at ways to promote the contest, the idea of creating a mobile music studio was hatched, and we launched the first version of the Lennon Bus in 1998.”

Easy broadcast style production

The idea of the nonprofit Lennon Bus is to provide experience to students in both music production and video. “Our workshop participants get hands on with today’s best technology to experience what it’s like to produce original digital content using the same tools and techniques they’ll find in the professional world,” said Chief Technology Officer Jeff Sobel. “They also learn about affordable tools that they can begin producing with right away.”

Creative content with the Lennon Bus is shot on the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, allowing students the opportunity to produce video individually, in groups, or capture multiple angles of scenes. “We worked with Westlake Pro to integrate an ATEM Television Studio HD8 ISO switcher as well as to install camera I/O panels in each room of the studio,” added Sobel. “These panels, with their adjacent Triad Orbit quick mount points, are the perfect place to connect the three Blackmagic Studio Camera 6K Pros, which work seamlessly with the ATEM. These studio cameras allow for easy broadcast style production, live streaming, or just to capture more angles in the studio.”

The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus uses a full Blackmagic Design pipeline for its video programs, including the ATEM Television Studio HD8 ISO live production switcher, Blackmagic Studio Camera 6K Pro, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro digital film camera and DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software.

Designed to inspire the next generation

“DaVinci Resolve Studio also provides an intuitive and powerful workflow for post production. Video captured with the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro in Blackmagic RAW provides maximum fidelity, and DaVinci Resolve Studio is the best way to output projects with support for Dolby Vision,” continued Sobel.

The goal of the Lennon Bus is simple. “The Bus and its programs are designed to inspire the next generation to imagine a better world,” said Sobel.

Rothschild added, “Lennon Bus student sessions bring young people together to create a project in one single day. They might write and record a song, then shoot a video, or come together to produce a documentary focused on an issue of importance to them. Culminating events showcase student projects and bring students, celebrated artists and community leaders together for roundtable conversations of special interest to today’s youth. Of course, John Lennon’s name adds a special focus on social justice and peace.”