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Kicking off to meet the challenge
Thousands of fans who were not able to secure a seat at the game were
eagerly anticipating the clash of these two top teams on television.
Broadcasters were faced with the challenge of transmitting the amazing
atmosphere in and around the stadium right into the living room of
viewers across Italy and Europe. As the viewer becomes more
demanding, and the industry more competitive, broadcasters really need
to make the armchair fans feel like they are part of the game. Broadcasters
must show professionalism of production and also the ability to harness
technological innovations to keep viewers at home on the edge of their
seats. One way of doing this is showing close-up shots – of the anxiety
on the faces of the footballers in the changing room, the crowd’s reaction
when the teams run on to the pitch, and of course the critical pitch side
interview post game.
The best way of getting closer to the action at games has traditionally
been through the cable-free TV cameras. However, the analogue
transmission technology used in these cameras can sometimes result in
picture break-up. In addition, analogue cameras need to have constant
visibility with aerial transmitters at all times, reducing the camera’s
flexibility and limiting its range of movement to isolated areas.
Delivering a stunning victory
For the Parma vs. Bologna game, Video B, which has a reputation for
delivery of innovative footage to broadcasters, fed the game live
directly to SKY Sports – a channel which constantly pushes the
boundaries of what viewers watch on their TVs. In order to achieve
the footage the viewers demanded, a WiCam-C was hired – a wireless
camera system that transmits robust, high-quality digital pictures for
broadcasters, as launched at IBC last year. The key benefits of the
WiCam-C are that it has a fast set-up time which reduces the number
of operators needed to control the system. It also only requires access
to one unmanned receiver, to deliver unparalleled, in-depth coverage.
At the event, just one cable-free, hand held WiCam-C captured all the
footage that previously would not have been possible from both a set up
and safety point of view. Used extensively throughout the day, the camera
shot footage of the players stepping off the coaches as they arrived; in
the ground during the games; even capturing intimate shots of the players
in the changing rooms. The flexibility and ease of movement provided
by the cameras enabled the production team to quickly deploy them
around various parts of the ground to relay pitch side interviews, close-
ups of the action and all the pre- and post-game drama.
Video B’s Technical Manager Ettore Cortesi was delighted with the
results. “In the Parma vs. Bologna match, BBC WiScape’s WiCam-C
really did produce excellent coverage – it was used most effectively for
pitch side interview shots where it provided robust pictures and produced
close-up footage of the players without hampering safety issues. The
WiCam-C enabled us to deliver groundbreaking footage of this exciting
game and, most importantly, deliver a total football experience to the
viewers who could not watch the match live at the ground.” Cortesi was
voicing what Andy Brown, General Manager for BBC WiScape, thinks
is WiCam-C cameras’ biggest asset: they are revolutionising the
broadcast of all manner of live events and are giving viewers at home
access to more real-life, exciting shots of their favourite sports.
Developed by the BBC’s R&D team, theWiCam-C is now commercially
available through BBC WiScape. The ability to be racked remotely,
allowing the picture on all cameras to be matched, coupled with the
stability of its picture output, makes the WiCam-C perfect for use in
multi-camera environments. This enables the action to be switched
between cameras, cabled and uncabled, without any impact on viewers’
enjoyment. And the
tifoso
of course is king!
WiCam-C scores with football fans
For most Italians life without football is similar to life without an espresso! So when the
two
Serie A
football teams Parma and Bologna came head to head recently, passions were
always going to run high.Transmitting the electric atmosphere of a stadium packed to the
rafters with 30,000 cheering
tifosi
to viewers across Europe was a challenge which only the
BBCWiScape’s revolutionary WiCam-C could successfully handle.
BBCWiScape is a leading specialist supplier of wireless content capture equipment.
BBC WiScape brings the BBC’s award-winning technologies to programme makers
worldwide enabling them to push boundaries of what they can deliver to viewers,
giving them access to new markets and revenues. For the BBC, it also means that
it has access to more robust products that can also enhance its own programme
making as well as realising its initial R&D investment.
FACTS
