Covering the Finals

So here's a video I produced during Game 5 of the NBA Finals this past Sunday with the help of Cathy. I've been thinking about shooting this video for a few months but never had an opportunity to have an extra person for scenes that would require someone to follow me around.

This video gives some insight as to what I do when shooting a basketball game. It shows that I don't just show up an hour before tip-off and sit on the court to take pictures. It's usually a 10-hour day and rigging remote cameras. The remote camera help me hedge my bets that I don't get blocked during the key play.

After editing the video I've developed a drinking game for it. Man I say the word "so" often during the video. I may also have to upload the blooper reel. The opening was shot over several takes as Cathy kept cracking up every time. Eventually I had to make her go down to the court until I was done.

Anyways, hope you enjoy.

Slam Cam Setup

Last week during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals I was informed that I would be responsible to set up the pool remote for all of the wires that goes behind the glass backboard during Game 4. This wasn't a problem as I've done this for years at USF basketball games. The main difference was that this was the NBA and not USF. I knew that I would have to get approval for where I positioned this remotely fired "slam cam" so as not to block TNT's cameras. At USF I was the only one who ever clamped a remote behind the backboard so I had carte blanche. Now it was a little different.

Only the NBA and Sports Illustrated are allowed to set their cameras behind the glass at every game in the playoffs. All the others had to share a pool camera. Well it was EPA's rotation and I was the person in charge of rigging the camera as well as firing it during the game.

Tipoff for the game wasn't until 8:30pm which meant I needed to get my remote installed around 2pm. No joke. Because you have the teams practicing in the morning, then rehearsals for all the performers during the game and halftime before the players come back to warmup the only time I could rig was six hours ahead of time.

The key to rigging any remote is safety. The camera is locked into place using a special clamp that screws into the tripod socket and then clamped to one of the support arms connecting the backboard to the stanchion. Once you have it locked down, a safety cable is connected to the camera and support arm in the event the clamp fails the camera doesn't come crashing down on someone (specifically a multi-million dollar athlete).

The next part is to focus the lens to where the anticipated action will be and shoot a couple test frames to see if it's sharp. Finally you have to connect the camera to a remote triggering device. In this case I use a Pocket Wizard Multi Max to fire the camera. Once the shutter release cable is connected to the Wizard and the camera I do anther test fire to make sure the remotes are receiving the signal and then I turn everything off.

About 40 minutes before the game I had to scramble up a ladder to turn on my remote camera and double check everything. This was important as it would be the last time until halftime that I would be able to change any settings.

Now during the game I have two cameras in my possesion. One is used for the times when the action is at my end of the court and the other had a long telephoto lens attached for the times the action goes to the other end. It is on the down court camera that I attached the remote trigger for the "glass cam".

The Pocket Wizard transmitter fits into the flash hot shoe at the top of the camera. This is so that I just have to follow the action and fire whenever something happens. Thus allowing me to have an action sequence from both the camera in my hand and the one behind the backboard. I don't have to make a snap decision which camera might have the best angle I can see both angles later to decide.

At the end of the game I took a look through the hundred of shots I got and felt pretty good about what I captured. It was just a little stressful because I couldn't tell if it was firing during the game and I was responsible for more people photo feeds. And that was the last thing I needed. Someone else's picture editor yelling at me when I don't even work for them.

Now on to the NBA Finals. Go Magic!!

Back to Boston

Yes the Magic won ugly the other night and sent their series with the Celtics back to Boston for a deciding Game 7. The game Thursday night was physical and made for some nice pictures on my part. I hung two remotes for the game. One was in the my usual spot on the basket to get the picture above and the other was off to the side of the court.

The second remote is what I attribute to the Magic's win. You see going into the game I knew that if Boston won they'd advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against Cleveland and I needed to make sure I got a jubilation picture of them.

After Baby's buzzer beater in Game 4 I watched the highlights on SportsCenter the next morning and saw Celtics coach Doc Rivers reaction to the win which was euphoric. I thought I need to have one camera just on the bench in the event I was unable to make a picture due to all the people on the court.

So right before the start of the fourth quarter I went up to the bench camera and double-checked everything. Well I guess expecting the Celtics to win and devoting one camera specifically for jubilation jinxed them and sent this series to a Game 7.

I just hope Sunday night someone has a bench camera set up for the Celtics inside the TD Banknorth Garden.