Blackout 2026 - ID# 557
Lyons Township
Live Event Coverage Sports
Entry Description
An excerpt from an epic match up of boys' varsity basketball.
Copyright Info
Recent Teacher Comments
- 4/29 8:41 am - Be aware of the fan section. Bunch of middle fingers in the fan shots around 2:02. Watch out for those unpredictable moments during live coverage.
- 4/29 8:39 am - Great job covering the atmosphere of this game. Fan shots, etc.
- 4/29 8:39 am - Don't cut to the low camera when the ball is in mid-air.
Judge 1
Positives: Loved the energy from the announcers. They kept the audience excited and broke down the game very well. I liked seeing the crowd shots going into the timeout. It sets the scene well to show the atmosphere of the gym.
Improvements: Try to stay on game cam as game play unfolds. When cutting to the handheld, we missed seeing the block from Downers Grove. Cutting the handheld is great after a basket is made for a player reaction or for replays. While having a sideline hit is exciting following the end of the quarter, it would have been nice to see the made basket at the buzzer before sending it over to the hit. The game is the thing, and it should always take priority.
Judge 2
Positives: - Good camerawork throughout - game camera did a great job of tracking the ball appropriately and making it easy to see what was going on. - I thought the announcers were good - clearly well versed in the sport of basketball and seemed to have a good handle on players on both teams.
Improvements: - As a director, remember that Camera 1 (game camera) is your best friend. It can be tempting to try and cut around frequently to different cameras, but doing so during live action runs the risk of making it very difficult to see what is happening, which we saw a few times in this clip, especially with the under basket camera. - Make sure we have microphones unmuted at proper times - we couldn't hear the very beginning of the sideline report.
Judge 3
Positives: Great directing. The camera kept cutting to close ups that I wanted to see, right when I wanted to see them. Good instincts! I really love the shot of the "black out" fan section at 0:06. That shot captured the "black out" event very well, it also injected a sense of community and excitement that is happening in this gym. And this was done in a way that still let me follow that play and not lose sight of the basketball game. This was pro-level camera work and directing in this moment.
Improvements: The mic popped a few times. I suggest testing the levels before recording and listening to the recording so you can adjust for any mic pop and/or peak issues. Announcers: Great job overall. I would like to hear a little more emotion and description being added from the announcers. I loved when one of you said "look at the passion that they are playing with". That is what we want to hear when listening to sports announcers. We want observations about the emotions. Tell a story every play. At 0:46 two players fell down in a mini-scuffle. We want to hear something like "things are getting a little chippy here in this first quarter!" Or maybe these two players have a history of hard fouls... Good announcers are always trying to emphasize the emotions and the mini story lines of a sporting event. But like I said, still a great job overall.
Judge 4
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Judge 5
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