Pre-Production and Planning
I worked as a camera operator for BULBS to help them broadcast both the men's and women's Varsity basketball matches. Broadcasting live sport requires a completely different mindset than pre-recorded content. Therefore, to prepare for this I had to understand how basketball flows and prepare for the fact my camera could be live at any time so all shots must be usable.
Execution and Challenges
The challenges of live broadcasting were apparent to me when we had physical connection issues with one of the cameras. This meant we were broadcasting from two cameras as opposed to the desired three. Meaning I had to take on extra responsibilities as camera operator to ensure we could still have full coverage. Another challenge was the lack of communication between the camera operators and the director as we had no internal communication loops, although this presented a challenge I was told what shots to get and when to zoom into certain parts of the court during intervals. The challenges of live broadcasting made this a thoroughly enjoyable project and it was very satisfying to have done it successfully despite the issues.
Results and Reflection
As previously mentioned, both livestreams were very successful and gained large audiences. This project gave me a great insight into live broadcasting and showed me how much I enjoy the pressure attached to it. Alongside the camera operating, it was great to work with other students to deliver the project smoothly and we had a very quick de-rig afterwards.