Television Sports Production

  Author Biography Jim Owens has worked and taught in the video and television industry for over 30 years. His international television work has included fourteen Olympic broadcasts and has taken him to over thirty countries. He is the author of the Video Production Handbook, Television Production, and Television Sports Production and has had over thirty articles published in television and broadcast magazines in the United States and Europe. Owens is Dean of the School of Communication Arts at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, where he has taught since 1981.

CONTENTS





Foreword xi


Acknowledgments xiii


Preface 1





PART 1 INTRODUCTION TO REMOTE PRODUCTION 5





Chapter 1 What Is Remote Production? 7


Live-to-Tape 8


Remote versus Studio Production 8





Chapter 2 Personnel 9


Personnel Descriptions 9


Freelance Personnel 17





Chapter 3 What is Television 21


Defining Television


Multiplatform Television 23


Platform Integration 25


How is Television Changing 26


Television Formats 26


High Definition Television


3D Television


4K Television


8K Television


Future Television


4-8K 3D


Holograms 26





Chapter 4 The Second Screen & Social Media


What Makes a Good Second Screen 29


Partnerships are Paramount: Case Studies


Social Media


Balancing the Budget 29





Chapter 5 The Mobile Production Unit 27


The Remote Truck Mobile Unit 29


Inside a Remote Truck


Production Area in a Remote Truck 29


Audio Area 30


Record/Videotape Area 30


Video Control Area


IT Structure 31


Outside the Remote Truck


The Compound 31


Virtual Remote Productions 31


The Flypack 32


All-in-One Mobile Production Unit 34


Complex All-in-One Production Unit


Computer Based Mobile Production Unit


Communication Devices 37





PART 2 PLANNING 39





Chapter 6 Planning the Production 41


Coordination Meetings 42


Remote Surveys 43


The Contacts 44


Venue Access 44


Location Costs 46


Electrical Power


Other Areas for Survey Consideration 46


Program Transmission 46


Other Areas that Significantly Impact the Survey 47


Location Sketch 81


Backup Plans 81





Chapter 7 Cameras


Camera Placement


Types of Cameras


Why POV/Robotic Cameras


Camera Set-up Checklist


Camera Shots


Camera Movement


Camera/Lens Moves


Shooting Sports


Composition


Caring for the Camera





Chapter 8 Lighting


Indoor Venue


Outdoor Venue


Other Lighting Concerns





Chapter 9 Audio Production


Stereo Audio for Television


Basic 5.1 Surround Sound


Audio Levels


Microphone Pick-up Patterns


Microphone Sound Generating Elements


Types of Microphones


Phantom Power


Microphone Accessories


Microphone Placement


Gamestime Audio


Communications (Intercom) Systems


Prerecorded Audio





Chapter 10: Graphics


Television Graphics Goals


Tips on Making Great TV Graphics


Viewer Enhancement Tools


The FoxTrax


Virtual Information Graphics


Virtual Ads


RACEf/x


Transposition Replay Systems


StroMotion





Chapter 11: Pre-production and Set-up 85


Production Meetings 85


The Show Format 85


Equipment Set-up 86


Cabling 88


Camera Meetings 91


Facilities Check 92


Schedule 97


Rehearsals 97





PART 3 CREATING THE PRODUCTION 99





Chapter 12 The Production 101


Producing the Remote 101


Directing the Remote 102


Types of Sports Action 102


Action Flow 102


Stop-and-Go Sports 102


Directing Stop-and-Go Action 103


Directing Emphasis on Scoring 104


Pumping 104


Continuous Action Sports 105


Camera Action Tends to Be Rapid 107


Increase in Shot Size 108


Camera Changes During Action 108


Team and Individual Sports 108


Team Sports 108


Individual Sports 108


Building Emotional Involvement 109


Dealing with the Dominant Player 109


Limited Space for Coverage 110


Horizontal versus Vertical versus Circular Action 10


Horizontal Action 110


Vertical Action 111


Circular Action 111


Combinations 111


Coverage Design 112


Follow-the-Bouncing-Ball 112


Needs of the Audience 112


Directing Style 113


Facilities and Coverage 114


Directing Cameras 114


Assigning Cameras 114


Camera Initiative 116


Directing Replays 116


Directing Graphics 117


Shading 126


The Crew 133





Chapter 13: Directing: Telling the Story


Understanding Story


"We Are Going to Add Show Business to Television Sports"


The Sports Director’s Role as a Storyteller


Homework


Storytelling


The Viewer’s Position


Equipment Enhancement


Directing is Like Conducting a Symphony





Chapter 14 Sports Announcing 135


Play-by-Play Sportscast Training 135


Research


Television Announcer Sports Cliches


Announcers and the Broadcast Booth 135


Interviews


Doing the Interview 139


Go Beyond the Obvious 140


Spotters 141





Chapter 15 Post-production 143


Editing Guidelines 146





Chapter 16 Production Safety 147


Trips & Slips 147


Weight 148


Hearing 148


Electrical Power 148


Cables 149


Weather 149


Heights 150


Hazardous Areas 150





Chapter 17 Budgeting for the Remote


Budgeting Case Study


Equipment Rental


Crew Costs


Operational Costs





PART 4 HISTORY OF SPORTS TELEVISION 153





Chapter 11 Milestones in Sports Broadcasting 155





Appendix I Truck Diagrams 161





Appendix II Camera Placement Diagrams 167


Baseball: Small Production


Baseball: Large Production


Basketball: Small Production


Basketball: Large Production


Boxing


Football (American)


Shooting


Soccer/Football: Small Production


Soccer/Football: Large Production


Swimming


Tennis: Small Production


Tennis: Large Production


Volleyball: Small Production


Volleyball: Large Production





Appendix III Microphone Placement Diagrams 197


Baseball: Audio Diagram


Basketball: Audio Diagram


Soccer/Football: Audio Diagram


Tennis: Audio Diagram





Appendix IV Event Storyboards 233


Opening Ceremony XIX Olympic Winter Games





Appendix V Sports Announcing Article 241





Glossary 261





Index 275