A group of students at Solent University are preparing to broadcast a live basketball show as part of the final major project this weekend.
The doubleheader of the women’s and men’s matches will include 10 cameras for the match coverage, 4 cameras for studio analysis in front of the university’s virtual production stage, as well as graphics, four specially produced feature VTs, intro and hype VTs, three presenters, 2-3 pundits, two commentators, and interviews with coaches and players.
Both games will be streamed on Basketball England’s YouTube channel.
The 50+ students production team will employ numerous pieces of technology for the broadcast, including:
- EVS multi-angle replay and end montage
- Tinkerlist Cuez rundown cloud-based running order, which interacts with media and on-screen elements as well as feeding to the autocue
- NDI link to send multiview, programme, isos, comms and audio between the two studios
- Panasonic AC160 camcorders in the gantry and pitchside with a Sony PMW-400 RF Roaming camera which is used both shoulder-mounted and underarm
- A pair of Marshall lipstick cameras mounted on magic arms behind the hoops
- An X32 mixer for audio
- Sennheiser shotgun microphones mounted in the roof and another pair in the camera gantry. Rode Pro wireless microphone mounted on each hoop.
- Presenters will be fitted Audio Technica AT8004 lapel microphones, and commentary captured with Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS head and breast sets
- Comms from Riedel and Clear-Com
- Singular.live graphics system for both match and presentation, which also plays a key role in helping the students achieve the albert kite mark for sustainable production
The six students driving the project, who include Sophie Humphrey as script supervisor, director Ben Killackey and Fergus Daly, match camera supervisor, wanted to do something “a bit different that has not been done before on their course” for their final project.
They decided to combine their regular live basketball match coverage with the studio presentation opportunity presented by using the university’s brand-new LED virtual production wall.
“We are all passionate about creating the best work possible, a lot of us love the thrill and pressure of live broadcast, especially live sports,” they tell TVBEurope. “We knew that we all had complimentary skills in different operational areas, and we believed that bringing these assets together could make for an impressive live broadcast. The combination of diverse production skill sets like camera operation, directing, producing, replay, live graphics, editing will give us a strong foundation and structure for the show.”
The project will graded on the creativity of the show, originality and technical ability which led the group to choose something that could combine all they have learnt in the last three years of studying at Solent and showcase their skills.
The production team is made up of students from a variety of complementary Solent courses, including live event technology undergraduates who are focused on the technical side of the broadcasts such as video, audio or communications. “However, most of the students involved are production students from either the TV, film or media courses who are interested in live broadcasting and the associated technology. We even have students from games design who have got involved using some of the visual storytelling tools,” the students say.
The majority of the group group are part of Sonar Events, the university’s student-run TV and live events society Through Sonar Events, they have covered and produced a range of live events including basketball, award shows, theatre shows and local events within the community. Many of the students also freelance for different broadcast and facilities companies.
They have received support for the project from a number of individuals and companies within the media technology industry, including former BT Sport chief engineer Andy Beale. “Andy’s been involved for a little while, having come down to a previous game to give us pointers on how to make the broadcasts work better,” say the students.
“He has always been very kind and supported us throughout the project and before, seeing the importance of pushing young people into the ever-changing broadcast industry. He helped us make the connection with Ross Video who have supplied a Piero license; the analysis tool used in the likes of Match of the Day and in Sky Sports’ coverage. Rugged Earth kindly helped install it and provided training for the Solent operators.”
The team will use Piero in the studio presentation to break down plays and help highlight player movements, helping the pundits illustrate the main stories of the game.
Beale also helped with connections at Clear-Com who have donated their comms kit, as well as introducing the students to EVS chief technology officer Alex Redfern. “Andy asked Alex to attend and see how equipment from his company is being utilised by students on live productions. He kindly donated an EVS XT-3 replay system for the production to use in the presentation gallery in conjunction with the Piero.”
The game will take place at the Solent Sports complex, next door to the main Solent Campus. “We’re really lucky on the match side, as the Sports Complex was built with the intention of TV coverage, so we’ve got direct SDI lines from wall boxes in the basketball hall which link to our purpose-built gallery,” explain the students.
“This gallery was custom built by the Sonar students for covering the basketball games that take place at the Sports Complex. The match gallery is then connected to the studio presentation gallery via NDI, with two feeds going each way. These feeds also carry all the audio, as well as the comms 4-wires, linking together the Clear-Com system used in the match gallery, to the Riedel system in the studio.”
Coverage of Solent Kestrels games is usually presented from a courtside position, but the team have decided to employ Solent’s new virtual production stage for this special broadcast. “Having the presenters and pundits in our brand new virtual production studio will allow us much more time and space to really get inside the game and bring to life the key talking points both pre game, at half time and post-match,” explain the students.
“The LED volume will allow us to bring up clips and graphics such as player images and scores tables to highlight the narrative the presenters are communicating to our viewers. The studio presenters will throw across to the pitchside reporter at appropriate times to get updates from court as well as player and manager interviews.”
One of the biggest challenges to the whole production has been linking the two galleries together whilst allowing the team to have one director for the whole game who remotely directs the studio as well as the match.
“The production management and planning was also a significant challenge; filling over 50 crew roles with students who were available for the rehearsal days as well as the TX,” say the students.
“We also had to scout and audition talent that where passionate and knowledgeable about the game as well as being confident working in the new studio, and arrange and film the supporting VT shoots and edits that will form part of the live show.
“All of the above was very constrained by zero budget and a tight time schedule.”
