Basketball Blackout Game - ID# 18

Lyons Township

Live Event Coverage Sports

Entry Description

This is an excerpt from our coverage of one of the biggest games of the year. This clip features some amazing back-to-back plays that our crew captured. All announcer and crew positions are students, and all of our games are streamed live.

Recent Teacher Comments

• 3/27 9:27 pm - Technically very strong with excellent play-by-play from the announcer and commentary from color guy. Only critique is losing the shooter in the corner when he put up the 3 pointer and awkwardly transitioning to the camera underneath the basket. Otherwise very good!
• 3/7 10:51 am - Good segment of the game to highlight. Good storytelling by the announcers. Even in this little clip, we learned a little bit about the history of the Blackout game and who some of the past opponents have been. It’s apparent the announcers understand the game and know their team. The shots followed the storyline of the game. At :21, the pass in the corner was lost on the wide shot until the director changed to the under-the-basket camera. There was one time I wish the director had chosen to stay with the under-the-basket camera - when the player stole the ball shortly after the inbound pass, it went back to the wide shot before the player scored. That could have been because the steal was unexpected and took everyone by surprise. But would have been nice to stick with that player and see him complete the play and score - then go to the wide shot as the other team takes the ball out of bounds.

Judge 1

Positives: The graphics were great! Aesthetically pleasing and clear. The transition from live action to slo-mo replay into the free throw shots. Very smooth. Great use of graphic elements to enhance.

Improvements: Tighten high shots as teams enter half court. Careful cutting away during moves to the basket. Handheld a bit shaky at start.

Judge 2

Positives: Having multiple camera angles was great. I also appreciated the transition graphics for the instant replay so the viewer won't be confused.

Improvements: The camera work at the baseline seemed a bit unsteady. I know there is typically not a tripod being used in that situation, but it still seemed more unsteady than it should. Sitting and bracing yourself in a rolling chair is a trick you sometimes see used in broadcasts. The lower third graphic was a nice touch to share information on the scorer, but it felt a bit as though it were lacking content. I understand that budget and support staff may not allow for live stat updates, but a bit more information on the player might be nice.

Judge 3

Positives: I thought the talent did a very good job setting up the situation, working together, and showing emotion. This is a small clip, obviously, but from what I heard it was done well. The audio person also did a good job of riding the levels so it did not over-modulate when exciting events happened.

Improvements: The overall audio mix was low and did not sound the best, so definitely room for improvement there on set-up. On the missed 3 pointer, my advice would be not to switch to the low camera because it is jarring for the viewer. I understand because of the students/camera placement that you couldn't see everything, but if you high camera panned, you should still get enough. You then have the low camera available for your replay look. A lot of work went into the animated supers, but I think it was a bit too much. Also, since you went to replay, trying to squeeze the info in before the FT was tough. I think stats are more useful to the viewer than an animated picture.

Judge 4

Positives:

Improvements: