Sports Videography: Tips from a TV Sportscaster

In these next few pages, we'll give you some tips on how to shoot the big four in sports: basketball, baseball, soccer and football. All four sports are shot differently, but the basics are the same. Shooting sports highlights is an art. Want to know how the pros do it? Read on.

Before we get into the specifics of shooting the big four, let's discuss some basic rules of sports videography that apply no matter what the game.

First of all, the buzzword for most sports video is highlights. Chances are, your audience will just want to see the best parts of the game--the home runs, three-pointers and sacked quarterbacks. This means you'll have to keep the camera rolling during every play, in position to capture the action when it happens. Then, when you go back to edit your footage later, you can select only the most interesting parts for your final program. If you're editing in-camera, try to start the camera just before the beginning of each play. Then, when the action is over, turn it off briefly while the players are milling around on the field preparing for the next play.

Get there early, about an hour before the game starts, to scout out the best shooting locations. You may have to alter your shooting plan if a group of cheerleaders or the setting sun will ruin your pre-game plan. As with any event, it pays to talk about logistics with someone who is in charge. This person can tell you where the players will enter the playing field, when the band will play and if there are any special events that will take place at half time.

For your own safety, avoid setting up too close to the sidelines, as this may result in your being run down by a sprinting athlete. Once you have your position, it's important to remember two things: 1) if in doubt, go wide (zoom out to a wide-angle setting), and 2) use both eyes. Why both eyes? Because this will help you follow the plays as well as avoid being run down by enthusiastic players. The play may look far away in the eyepiece, but next thing you know, you're on the bottom of a pile and everyone in the stands is saying, "did you see the camera guy get nailed?"

Whether you're shooting in-camera or planning to edit, be sure to get plenty of cutaways (shots other than the sporting event itself). This can establish the venue and provide a visual break from the action. Often, viewers get desensitized to sports video because when you watch for more than a few minutes at a time, it all looks the same. Good sports cutaways include fans, signs, coaches on the sideline, cute babies and the scoreboard. In fact, it's a good idea to get a shot of the scoreboard after every significant play, because it tells inning (quarter, period or whatever), score and sometimes the name of the person who made the play.

When shooting sports highlights, shots from ground level generally look better than footage from the top of the bleachers. From ground level, the action moves faster and your viewers will feel like they are part of the game. If you are shooting an entire game for a coaching staff to review, a high-angle bleacher shot is preferred.

In most instances, it's best to shoot with a tripod whenever you can. Sports video is the exception. Because the action moves so fast, a tripod can be more of a hassle than a benefit. The less gear you have to lug around the field, the better. So this time, leave that tripod in the car and practice your hand-held techniques.

Now that we've covered most of the basics of sports video, let's cover each of the four most popular sports one at a time.

• The Spot Behind home plate. This position allows you to shoot everything: the pitch, the hit, the double-play and the scoring run. It's all right in front of you. Some people shoot from along the 1st and 3rd base lines, but that's only good for isolating a player on half of the field, and following the ball is more difficult.
• The Shot Medium/wide (showing players from head to toe.) If you're too tight, it's easy to get lost and wind up with blurry camera whips instead of interesting game highlights. Get tighter once you've gained some confidence in your work.
  The pitcher should be in the center of your shot, with the batter to the right or left. From this position, the catcher and the umpire should fall into place alongside the batter.
• The Game Plan Before the first pitch is thrown, make sure to establish a pitcher/batter relationship. When the pitch is thrown, the ball should look like it's coming right at you, or at least in your direction. Pay attention to audio as well as video; if you're close enough, you'll be able to hear the crack of the bat or the umpire's "steee-rike!" With any sport, avoid the urge to cheer aloud as you shoot. A whooping camera-op will drown out the cheers of the crowd.
  Shooting the actual action is the toughest part. Here's a basic example: a runner is on second base, and the batter hits the ball into right field; a routine base hit. But the runner on second is rounding third and heading home. While keeping the shot on the ball in right field, use your left eye to monitor where the base runner is. Once he steps on third, pan over to the runner for the play at the plate.
  It's easy to get lost. If you lose the action in the viewfinder, get wide until you find the ball. One thing that will help is using both eyes--one on your viewfinder, the other on the ball.

• The Spot If you are concentrating on a particular team, set up under the basket on the side of the court where they're playing offense. If you're neutral, and you just want the best highlights, set up near center court. The hardest part of getting into position in a basketball game is finding a place out of the way of people who are watching the game.
• The Shot Medium/wide. Too tight and you'll get confused by all the passing. Instead, shoot medium/wide and get ready to use the zoom. The goal is to keep the size of the players consistent in the shots.
• The Game Plan Basketball is probably the easiest sport to shoot out of the big four.
  Shooting the action is simple: just follow the ball until someone shoots it, and immediately get to the hoop. If the basket is good, you're already there. The hardest part of basketball comes after the basket is made. Getting the "runback" of the person who made the shot is a nice touch, because it shows the emotion of the player's face.