The title says it all.

The title says it all.

This isn't SKY.


CS

I guess there could be room for a forum about techniques for filming moving objects.
Full of things like deep-DOF, fast pans, zooms, autofocus and high frame rates.

I would be really interested to read about all that!

Would this fit under the previously proposed changes to the Wedding / Event Videography section? If you seperated the wedding piece out, the sports stuff would seem to fit in with the "Other" Event video stuff.

the sports stuff would seem to fit in with the "Other" Event video stuff.

The "Event" stuff is pretty particular to birthdays, Bar/Bat/B'Nai Mitzvahs, retirements and other similar sorts of stuff. Sports shooting is radically different - often multicamera live switched, VERY fast paced, followed by periods of sheer boredom...

Agreed, I guess I was thinking more of some parent/ grandparent shooting their kids in high school sports or even those people doing recruiting videos and/or highlight videos.

Yeah, sports is a different animal. I've done footaball, both pro and high school, Nascar, (robotic) baseball (HS and JR college) and basketball and there is little if anything in common with events and weddings other than knowing how to operate the camera.

While baseball can be fun it is kind of slow moving, football, well you need to be on your toes (I have been tackled) and of course it depends on where you're postioned. End zone is far different than sideline which is a lot different than pressbox etc., basketball is faster paced and you nned to be ready for anything (yeah I've been knocked over on the court also) and NASCAR, well following a car at close to 200mph is a trip in itself.

I know there aren't that many people here on the forum that do sports compared to the number of people that do weddings and other live events but sports is a whole different thing.

Maybe a sub-forum for threads and video clips!?!?!

Sports and news to me has always been similar to my time in Vietnam. Hours of boredom, moments of terror. Hmmm, come to think of it, weddings can be pretty much the same. ;-)

well you need to be on your toes (I have been tackled)

CFL football, Winnipeg Blue Bombers sideline - had to grab my cable puller by the scruff of the neck to get out of the way. Never been tackled but MAN that was close!

Also almost got hit by the ski on a snowmobile at Sno-X when it left the track at my position in the corner - I just fell straight back and it went over my chest, missing me by less than 3 feet.

isn't it funny. Do this long enough and think of the story's we could tell. The best part is no one would believe them except us!

Gotta love it! I really miss shooting sports. Good stuff!

O|O
\--/

I'm pleased by the interest in this proposal. I'm really hoping for a sports forum or sub-forum. Shooting sports as part of a multi-cam, wired set-up, where each operator has only brief periods of responsibility, is very different than doing single-camera coverage of an entire event. When I've done track meets, it's like a 6-ring circus and getting at least some of all the events is a big challenge. For awhile, I was using a full-size Beta camcorder, but eventually shifted to smaller cams with autofocus. The amount of usable footage increased a lot with that. Something like the Sony XR500 and its close relatives, which are great in dim light, would be my choice for such sports events.

I'm going to try my Sony HX1 photo camera, using its 720p HD video mode, on a track meet this weekend and am expecting good results. This is the Pepsi Invitational in Eugene. The 640mm video FL and tight AF of the HX1 will come in handy and it is also excellent in low light. Compared to other CMOS cameras, especially those with large sensors, the motion artifacts are minimal. I expect the same would be the case with the XR500 group. I'll put up a link to my coverage of that meet on Vimeo and those in my region can compare it to the commercial broadcast coverage on the Oregon Sports Net. I'd be interested in what camcorders others find most suitable for full, single-camera coverage for sports events.

Here's a link to a track meet video I shot 14 years ago, with a little Sony TR700. There's information about the equipment along with the video. It is almost entirely unedited, except for a few bits at the beginning and about 99% is just as I shot it. http://www.vimeo.com/10577962

Hey Don, here's a pic of me operating the swing seat for the Manitoba Moose (the Vancouver Canucks farm team in the AHL) at the last game in the old Winnipeg Arena, home of the much maligned Winnipeg Jets for so many years...

GO JETS GO!

<sorry, had to>

And one of me and my belly at a Winnipeg Blue Bombers game, east side "Fan Cam" - across the axis of action so only fans and visitors' bench.

Wow, round lens hoods! That takes me back.

We can certainly do this, but it might have to wait until after NAB.

Wow, round lens hoods! That takes me back.


Sony UVW100's - 1/2" BetaSP one piece camcorders. 16x Fuji's on them. 6.5mm or something.

And remember those pics are at LEAST 5 years old...

and a handsome man you are. lol!

the 100's had to lov 'em.

I have no pics that I can share but I can say I would have burned them anyway.

Seriously, I started thinking about stuff as we got this thread going and man I remembered a bunch of stuff that happened to and around me when I did a lot of sports. Can't remember all the details but I DO remember a lot of it not being too humorous.

Man, I would love a sports forum. I need and warm and fuzzy place where everybody doesn't flip out when you say you have to use auto focus sometimes :-)

Can't remember all the details but I DO remember a lot of it not being too humorous.

If it was "live truck" stuff, remember: what happens on the truck STAYS on the truck!

I remember the first Blue Bomber CFL football game that went to the Jumbotron at Winnipeg Stadium - it was a TORRENTIAL downpour and I was operating East side camera, much as you see in the photo except about 50 lbs lighter.

So, as the rain continues, all us shooters are on the field wearing our slickers. No problem. Cameras are in Portabrace slickers. No problem. The brand new Jumbotron loses a vertical panel of LEDs. Down to 7/8 of our screen. Director says "everyone, watch framing and keep action inside Title Safe".

Half an hour later, we are down to HALF our screen and essentially we are shooting PORTRAIT format now because the working part of the screen is higher than it is wide.

Then it shuts down completely. Now we have to pack up our camera positions DURING an ongoing CFL game WHILE PLAY IS IN PROGRESS.

We get up to the control room an hour later and the director says "Well, let's beat the crowd to Hooters - first round is on me"

Took a WEEK to dry the board out. Not sure what went wrong but funny as heck in hindsight.

Auto Focus!?!?!?!? OH NO!!!!!! Auto focus?!?!?!?!? flip flip flip flip flip flip flip!!! ;-)

Ah that felt good to get out of my system and Denise, you are 100% right. Sometimes auto is better and that's the way it is. You use what works, right?


Shaun, yes it stays on the truck or at least in my head-no torture in the world can make me reveal-ouch ouch! OKOKOKOK, I'll tell you! (after coffee.)

That jumbotron sounded like a lot of fun :-O

When I started in Television - 1974 in Houston, Texas - we used to hall the five-tube GE STUDIO cameras to events. I ran camera for "Houston Wrestling" (where I met Andre' the Giant), World Team Tennis, Astro's games in the Dome, the short-lived World Football League, Houston Aero's Hockey in the Coliseum, Rodeo Events, and college basketball.

Recently, I've worked cable tv multi-cam shoots of college basketball, high school football, little league baseball championships, and junior college track and field.

Yeah, we got war stories.

I ran camera for "Houston Wrestling" (where I met Andre' the Giant)

Met Mad Dog Maurice Vachon and Puppy Dog Fred Peloquin from the early days of AWA Wrestling at a Winnipeg ceremony to acknowledge the accomplishments of Mad Dog. Somewhere I have a picture...

Was shooting ringside for a WWE or WWF inhouse feed at the old Winnipeg Arena and Kane was making his grand entrance. Well, the problem is, I'm 6'3" so Kane didn't look as big as he really is (and he is big!) so I scrunched my knees a bit to bring me down to "normal" camera guy size. He "pushed" the camera lens out of the way (live to the video boards) and whispered "Thanks"

Worked with a lot of wrestlers and show management over the years - GREAT bunch of guys.

Will we be including Beach Volleyball in this new forum? Just thought I'd ask.

Full of things like deep-DOF, fast pans, zooms, autofocus and high frame rates.
Honest.

Shaun - yeah, I met "Mad Dog" - and "Rowdy Roddy Piper", back when he was a good guy. Jose Lothario, a host of other 'oldies but goodies'.

KHTV in Houston was my first job out of High School - as a Communications Major at UH. Loved shooting the wrestling matches.

I was running Camera One, which was mounted on an elevated platform perhaps three feet high, which was situated ON TOP of a rickety series of stages that were used for the 'interviews'. All in all a fairly unstable platform to shoot from. My camera was hot, when someone started shaking the platform. Without turning around, I shouted "WHOEVER THE FRACK IS BEHIND BE - BETTER SETTLE DOWN!"

"OH - SORRY" the deep voice made it through my dual muffs.

I turned to look, almost eye to eye - into Andre' the Giant's face. And yeah, I'm 6'4" and was still impressed. Really nice guy though - his English was very poor in those days.

As the rookie on the team, it was my job to set and retrieve the 'thump mic' we put under the ring. After the main event, I would crawl under the ring to get the mic and pull cable. (There was usually a match or two after the Main Event). I was crawling out from under the ring, when some wrestler landed (mostly) on top of me. Yeah, I 'broke' his fall. I was a pretty tough 19 year old at the time, and bounced back okay - but the wrestler who tossed the guy was really upset that I got smashed.

I am really excited about this new forum/sub forum. I have been shooting sports for a few years and have loved every minute of it (I swear I have the best job)! I love hearing some of these stories and am looking forward to creating some of my own memories. I'm just getting into the field and can't wait to learn from everyone!

And yeah, I'm 6'4" and was still impressed.

Well heck, and I thought I was the biggest shooter on DVi! May still have you by "weight class" though... <laughs> Yeah I'm a pretty solid handheld guy...