24 TVBEurope Summer of Sports: OB Focus
View from ACS camera mounted 22m above the Wimbledon Championships
organisation, but as with any successful body they embrace evolution, not revolution.” One of those changes is a
programme to install permanent fibres and cables within much of the site. This will not only cut down rigging time each year, but also enhance the appearance of the grounds.
Revolutionary coverage This year sees 10 courts being televised for the first time with a total of 80 BBC cameras in operation across the site. On top of this, US broadcaster ESPN will supplement the world feeds with 20 of their own cameras, and there also will be provision for the six 3D cameras on Centre Court during the second week. Included in this mix of
BBC serves tennis fans
The Wimbledon tennis championships are one of the biggest annual OBs mounted by the BBC. Philip Stevens found out what’s involved in such a huge undertaking
IT WAS more than 75 years ago – 1937, in fact — that the BBC first transmitted television pictures from Wimbledon Championships. In 1967, Wimbledon became part of television history when it formed part of the first official colour broadcast to take place in the UK. More recently, the action has been captured in 3D and shown on the BBC’s HD channel. “During our long association with the Wimbledon Championships the BBC has continually broken new ground in broadcasting techniques,” states Paul Davies, BBC executive producer of Sport. “We have constantly added new innovations to our coverage – and this year is no exception.” Davies joined BBC Sport in 1988 as an assistant producer and has been involved with the tournament for each of the past 25 years. In 1999, he took over as executive producer.
Paul Davies: “There’s nothing quite like being in the hot seat, capturing the action and atmosphere of a Murray five set thriller!”
“We work very closely with The All England Club and there is a great deal of organisational and logistical planning as we look to deliver over 150 hours of live network programming, as well as coverage of 10 courts to a worldwide audience.” On top of leading the team,
Davies remains at the heart of the action by regularly directing
big matches on Centre Court, including the Men’s Final. “There’s nothing quite like being in the hot seat, capturing the action and atmosphere of a Murray five set thriller!” Eighteen other directors are employed to ensure comprehensive coverage across the two weeks of the Championships.
Shield: The official logo of the Championships
He says that planning for the
following year’s Championships starts while the current event is still happening. “It is a great deal easier to look at how things can be improved while the broadcast infrastructure is in place, rather than try to visualise the scene at a later date. The Club and its management team are a very modern and cutting edge
cameras are several robotically operated units provided by UK-based Aerial Camera Systems (ACS). These include a HD Cineflex V14 stabilised camera mount rigged to the underside of a hoist and operated from the broadcast compound 22 m (72ft) below. Another robotic unit offers unique tracking shots from just behind the base line of the Centre Court, while the company’s SMARThead compact remote heads are mounted on the umpire’s chair in Centre and No. 1 Courts to capture images of the players between games, as well as any net shots. A crew of eight from ACS delivers, installs and operates this robotic kit. “Nine of the courts are being
covered in a traditional way, but we are introducing something new for the tenth,” reveals Davies. “The Club has been working with Sony and Paul Hawkins (inventor of Hawk- Eye) to design a system that will allow cameras to track players, rather than just the ball. This enables the use of unmanned cameras and means the director simply cuts to the appropriate camera to follow the action. If successful, this could roll out across many more of the outside courts in future years.” Alongside the simultaneous
broadcasts on the two main BBC Networks the Corporation provides 10 interactive channels to allow viewers greater choice in the matches on offer. “We have a meeting with all
the key personnel, including the commentators, at 10 o’clock on the first morning of the Championships,” declares Davies. “One thing I emphasise is that everyone must assume that they are live at any given
www.tvbeurope.com June2013
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