Lookin' for advice on game filming ...

[freeagent]

Was thinking of trying to put together a quick how-to list for folks who film games.

I'm going on the assumption (especially among private schools) that the folks who film games don't work on Sundays for NFL films and are usually somebody's mom or dad using the family video camera on Friday night or Saturday afternoon.

I'm also going on the assumption that the school does not have fancy video equipment, editing software, or web-based tools beyond what you'd have for family videos. If you got that stuff, great, but what I'm looking for is the simple here's where you go, here's what you shoot, here's what makes this work stuff.

Here's a few I came up with on to start with ...

1. Height -- press box, raised bleachers, deer stand, top of pickup truck; not at ground level Remember - safety of the film person is important (esp. with deer stand and inclement weather); remember the kid at Notre Dame killed when the scissor lift he was filming practice fell.

2. Use tripod -- most people can't hold the camera level. Spend some time before the game taking test shots, get comfortable with the lay of the land.

3. Film entire game, preferably not stop and start at each snap. Have extra batteries available and switch at quarters or half . Stuff happens (good and bad) between snaps that should be recorded; coaches need to see formations and shifts which may be lost if filming starts at or just before snap

4. Take shot of scoreboard after each score, end of quarter (change of possession would be good, too).

5. Keep audio comments to a minimum or mute copies of films.

6. Take as wide a shot as you can. Closeups on individual players usually aren't helpful in determining entire play for coaches.

7. If your film isn't useable, ask your opponent if you can have a copy their game film.

8. Make several copies of DVD; also helpful for coaches to have film the day after the game, especially if there is a film exchange with a future opponent.

9. Most coaches don't need to see shots of the cheerleaders or fans. But if you need to take those, do it at time outs, quarter breaks or halftime.

 

[Shane]

Talk to the coach to find out what he'd like to see on the film. Does he want the entire game, or just each play from huddle to whistle? Does he want to have one film in game sequence, or would he rather have seperate films for offense, defense, and/or special teams? You could use 2 or even 3 seperate cameras to film - 1 for offense, 2 for defense, and maybe 3 for special teams. That would save you from having to go in and edit one film to separate out everything.

 

[freeagent]

Talk to the coach to find out what he'd like to see on the film. Does he want the entire game, or just each play from huddle to whistle? Does he want to have one film in game sequence, or would he rather have seperate films for offense, defense, and/or special teams? You could use 2 or even 3 seperate cameras to film - 1 for offense, 2 for defense, and maybe 3
for special teams. That would save you from having to go in and edit one film to separate out everything.

Good ideas, all ... but in many cases, you're lucky to have one person willing to film the game. I'm trying to come up with ideas for one-man (or woman) shows...

 

[ZeroRisk]

Get a comfortable viewing zoom. It's important to make sure that you are catching as much of the action as possible, not just what is happening right around the ball carrier. If you're in a press box or other filming area that is set a ways back from the playing field, you will zoom in slightly so that you're capturing the entire width of the field as well as a little bit of the near sideline.

My officiating crew brings a blank DVD to every game and requests a copy of the game film from the coaches so that we can study. I also know that a lot of coaches send in videos of specific play situations to officiating chapters when a mistake has been made by the officials (sadly, it happens to the best of us) or the coaches otherwise feel that a review is necessary. As a result, it is important to see as much of the play as possible.

If you have a long breakaway run for touchdown or a long pass, often some of the most crucial action that a coach will want to review isn't the catch or the speed of the player, but the blocking, hitting and encounters back around the line of scrimmage. The ball isn't the only place where action happens on the football field.

 

[Shane]

Good ideas, all ... but in many cases, you're lucky to have one person willing to film the game. I'm trying to come up with ideas for one-man (or woman) shows...

Oh yeah, I agree....one person. If you have a couple of cameras set up on tripods, you can just hit the record button on the one for offense and then the one for defense. Still just one person, and no editing (if that's how the coach would prefer to have the video done).

 

[Cherry5]

If you dont stop it for everything (timeouts,between snaps, changing possessions, etc) makes for a vary vary long game film. Which makes film study a ton of fast forwarding and that cuts away from practice time.
The films we had the most trouble with this year were sideline films that were even with the ground and filmers that didnt stop ( i think they stoped for half of half time) it ran nearlly 2 1/2 hours!

 

[freeagent]

If you dont stop it for everything (timeouts,between snaps, changing possessions, etc) makes for a vary vary long game film. Which makes film study a ton of fast forwarding and that cuts away from practice time.
The films we had the most trouble with this year were sideline films that were even with the ground and filmers that didnt stop ( i think they stoped for half of half time) it ran nearlly 2 1/2 hours!

I'd rather have it too long than too short. A friend of mine told me of a game film he got that started every play at the snap and was nearly impossible to determine formations (both on offense and defense). And unfortunately, once in awhile something extracurricular happens and it's nice to have it on real time on film.

I hadn't thought of the request of the officiating crew for a copy of game films, but they would also like to have a full tape.

 

[freeagent]

Let me bring this to the top for some additonal wisdom and insight ... or whatever ....

 

[T-boneisGood]

Was thinking of trying to put together a quick how-to list for folks who film games.

I'm going on the assumption (especially among private schools) that the folks who film games don't work on Sundays for NFL films and are usually somebody's mom or dad using the family video camera on Friday night or Saturday afternoon.

I'm also going on the assumption that the school does not have fancy video equipment, editing software, or web-based tools beyond what you'd have for family videos. If you got that stuff, great, but what I'm looking for is the simple here's where you go, here's what you shoot, here's what makes this work stuff.

Here's a few I came up with on to start with ...

1. Height -- press box, raised bleachers, deer stand, top of pickup truck; not at ground level Remember - safety of the film person is important (esp. with deer stand and inclement weather); remember the kid at Notre Dame killed when the scissor lift he was filming practice fell.

2. Use tripod -- most people can't hold the camera level. Spend some time before the game taking test shots, get comfortable with the lay of the land.

3. Film entire game, preferably not stop and start at each snap. Have extra batteries available and switch at quarters or half . Stuff happens (good and bad) between snaps that should be recorded; coaches need to see formations and shifts which may be lost if filming starts at or just before snap

4. Take shot of scoreboard after each score, end of quarter (change of possession would be good, too).

5. Keep audio comments to a minimum or mute copies of films.

6. Take as wide a shot as you can. Closeups on individual players usually aren't helpful in determining entire play for coaches.

7. If your film isn't useable, ask your opponent if you can have a copy their game film.

8. Make several copies of DVD; also helpful for coaches to have film the day after the game, especially if there is a film exchange with a future opponent.

9. Most coaches don't need to see shots of the cheerleaders or fans. But if you need to take those, do it at time outs, quarter breaks or halftime.

1. Height is a huge element. In sixman stadiums there is no place that is to high, but good height then requires more judgement in number 6.

3. Longer is better to an extent. Longer is better than missing formations and the end of plays. Let the film run a few seconds after the play and start it when the huddle breaks in 95% of the situations.

6. This again is a middle of the road approach. Close enough to see numbers and where the players are lined up and wide enough to catch most secondary alignments and routes run by recievers.
Good filmers will start tighter and zoom out so the alignment of defensive players is visible because a coach needs to know if the defensive player is head up, shaded to an eye, or over the shoulder, or in the gap. These subtle differences are sometimes important for coaches in play calling and coaching.

 

[oldschool47]

When I shoot games:
1. Start with a shot of the scoreboard.
2. Get the coin toss.
3. Kickoff and 2nd half kickoff are important. Some people miss them 'cause they are goofing around.
4. Start as the offense gets to the line. Stop 2-3-4 seconds after the play is over. Formations and shifts are important.
5. Keep a wide enough angle to get most of the players in. (It is called the 22 shot, or 12 in 6-man). NO EXTREME CLOSEUPS!!!!!
6. Record any skirmishes, fights, officials discussions with each other or with coaches.
7. Get the referee's signals for penalties and a shot of the clock.
8. Get a shot of the scoreboard after change of possessions, penalties, scores, timeouts, major injuries, etc, and at the end of the game.
9. Use a tripod.
10. Do not talk while the camera is rolling. Find a spot to shoot from that there are not loudmouths talking while the camera is rolling.
11. Carry a bag with extension cords, cube tap, bungee cords, towel, plastic bag, extra batteries, etc.
12. Shoot the game in 16:9 ratio, not 4:3. The wider screen allows sideline to sideline with most or all players in view on the field goal to goal.

A game video shot in this manner can run anywhere from around 42 minutes for lots of running plays to 70 minutes for teams that pass all the time and the clock stops alot.

 

[Dogface]

This topic may be relative to the Computer Program topic??