FR Turbo
02-14-2007, 11:54 PM
From NewsOK.com:
Wed February 14, 2007
ON THE AIR IN 3..2..1
Hornets basketball: Getting the game to you
For Cox Sports, it's people, planning that bring the Hornets to TV
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1025/sparthornetsvw3.jpg
Brian Boyll shoots video of Jordy Hultberg during a CST Hornets broadcast at the Ford Center. There are 25 members of the entire Cox crew during home games. BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
By Darnell Mayberry
Staff Writer
This is the game you don't see.
The playing surface is a glitzy but cramped 18-wheeler parked in the loading dock at the Ford Center, not the 94-foot hardwood centerpiece.
The coach of this game is Scott Snyder, not Hornets coach Byron Scott. The quarterback out here is Gary Kirby, not Hornets playmaker Chris Paul.
While the Hornets dazzle with dunks inside, Snyder, Kirby and the rest of the Cox Sports Television crew are camped in a $5 million mobile television unit, dashing to make split-second decisions.
"I try to leave very few stones unturned, said Snyder, the show's producer. "Everything is formatted. There's no question as to where we're going, how we're getting there and what we're going to do.
But this game is called live television. Rarely are things so simple in this sport.
Computer malfunctions and unforeseen events often send Snyder and Kirby scurrying to make spur-of-the-moment adjustments.
"We arrive at this site six hours before the show goes on the air, said Kirby, the show's director. "It all goes back to how prepared you are.
Snyder, 39, is in his fifth year with the Hornets. He has worked in television since the early 90s, breaking into the business as an associate producer with Charlotte, N.C.-based Jefferson Pilot Sports. Kirby, 57, has been in television for 30 years, working on broadcasting crews for the Cleveland Indians and Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks and Brewers.
Snyder sits to the left of Kirby on the first of three rows in one of the truck's production sections. Snyder is in charge of the show's content while Kirby oversees the technical side of things such as camera assignments. Both are dependant upon one another to put out a good product.
"A producer is kind of like the head coach, and the director is the quarterback, Snyder said. "The head coach calls the plays, and the quarterback executes them.
Pre-game warmups
It's just past 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Hornets are playing the Memphis Grizzlies later in the evening, but the Cox crew is well into its game day routine. Cameramen set up at their customary positions inside the Ford Center while Snyder and Kirby oversee a group of about 10 inside the truck.
Snyder digs deep into a bag filled with tapes of past broadcasts and pulls out one with footage of the most recent Hornets' games. Snyder already has a script of what he wants and how he wants it. He collaborates with Brian Kaegeler to find and edit footage of coaches and players that will be used as teases, sound bites and features during the pregame show.
Kaegeler operates what's known as the EVS device, which essentially is a hi-tech household digital video recorder. The machine allows the crew to gather and edit all the necessary footage in less than 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, Colin Tuttle, the show's graphic coordinator, assembles graphics of the upcoming schedule and noteworthy statistics. He emphasizes the Hornets' franchise record 71 rebounds in their last game versus the Milwaukee Bucks, designing a nifty split-screen graphic showing center Tyson Chandler's 22 rebounds against the Bucks and David West's 19.
At 3 p.m., the crew begins pre-production, piecing together and readying the material for the pregame show.
"This is exactly what we just edited, Snyder says, "now we're making it pretty.
The process takes 30 minutes. When it's done, the pregame show's introduction is complete, along with graphics for each team's starting lineup, a scouting report on the Grizzlies and the keys to the game for both teams. All that's left is for on-air personalities Bob Licht, Gil McGregor and Jordy Hultberg to do live voiceovers.
Snyder and Tuttle meet with the trio at 4:30 p.m. before each game in the media dining room, where they'll eat a pregame meal while discussing that night's assignments. Both suggestions and questions are raised. Hultberg reminds the group that Memphis star forward Pau Gasol is close to being traded and it might make for good conversation.
"His best asset is making the show entertaining, Snyder says of Hultberg. "Nobody is better at talking on the fly than Jordy. He's very good at reacting to things on the screen and staying calm when things are hectic. Not everybody can do what he does.
Game time
When the team locker rooms open at 5:30 p.m., the crew gathers last-minute footage for the 6:30 p.m. pregame show. While Licht interviews David West in the locker room, Hultberg pulls Tyson Chandler aside just outside of the team dressing room.
The crew runs through the pregame show by 6:58 p.m.
"It's like anybody else in any other job, said Licht. "Once you get your routine down, everything becomes smooth. Everything gets coordinated, and that starts in the truck.
Snyder, however, cautions that the pregame show is the easy part. The game is where things get interesting.
Three minutes into the game, Jeff Smith yells to Snyder and Kirby that the "bug just froze. Fans watching at home know the bug as the scoreboard at the bottom of the screen. It malfunctions for nearly four minutes of game time, leaving viewers wondering what the score is and how much time is remaining in the quarter.
Five minutes later, Grizzlies forward Mike Miller falls to the floor with a foot injury. The crew scrambles to find an adequate replay showing exactly what happened.
"They don't understand how many people and how many steps it takes to do what looks like the simplest things, Snyder said of the average viewer. "I have six options to pick from of which angle to use. I have to make that decision in a split second, because right after it happens you want to see it.
Minutes later, as Snyder counts down to a commercial break at the end of the first quarter, there is a sudden glitch in the "switcher, or a main control board, briefly giving viewers a green screen.
Snyder buries his face in his hands.
But the broadcast goes much smoother from then on. The production becomes a breeze for the Cox crew as the Hornets slowly pull away from the Grizzlies.
The Hornets outscored the Grizzlies 62-44 in the second and third periods and led by as many as 21 points midway through the third quarter. As the Hornets roll, Snyder puts together "packages of key players. David West is having a solid all-around game, which, for the Cox crew, means recapping his effectiveness.
Snyder spends much of the game marking certain plays from different players on a white sheet of paper. When it's clear that West has had a big impact on the game, Snyder instructs EVS operator Kaegeler to cue up highlights No. 2, 6, 12 and 18. Tuttle, the graphics coordinator already has West's up-to-the-minute statistics ready to go.
"That's when the juices really flow, Snyder said. "When you hit something on the nose just like that. You really hit the story.
In the fourth quarter, the packaging process is repeated for guard Devin Brown, who contributed more hustle plays than anything. With the Hornets ahead 98-83, sideline reporter Hultberg asks Snyder if he would like a live interview with Hornets general manager Jeff Bower from his seats in the Ford Center's lower bowl. The two briefly chat about Brown's acquisition during the game's closing minutes.
When the final buzzer sounds on the Hornets' 114-99 victory over the Grizzlies, Snyder slowly clasps his hands in what appears to be more of a sigh of relief than a sign of congratulations.
This game wasn't the prettiest. But the coach got his win.
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/2084/showimage1phpxt0.jpg
Inside the Cox Sports Television production truck during the CST broadcast of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Feb., 10, 2007, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. By Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/3038/showimagephpsi3.jpg
John Sanders shoots video for Cox Sports Television during the CST broadcast of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Feb., 10, 2007, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. By Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1566/showimage2phpdf2.jpg
Cox Sports Television producer Scott Snyder, left, watches as Jordy Hultberg jokes around with Hornet Tyson Chandler before a pregame interview during the CST broadcast of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Feb., 10, 2007, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. By Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/5080/showimage3phpxr7.jpg
Bob Licht with Cox Sports Television interviews Hornet David West in the locker room during the CST broadcast of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Feb., 10, 2007, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. By Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/9562/showimage4phpek5.jpg
The production truck for the Cox Sports Television broadcast of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Feb., 10, 2007, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. By Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Wed February 14, 2007
ON THE AIR IN 3..2..1
Hornets basketball: Getting the game to you
For Cox Sports, it's people, planning that bring the Hornets to TV
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1025/sparthornetsvw3.jpg
Brian Boyll shoots video of Jordy Hultberg during a CST Hornets broadcast at the Ford Center. There are 25 members of the entire Cox crew during home games. BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
By Darnell Mayberry
Staff Writer
This is the game you don't see.
The playing surface is a glitzy but cramped 18-wheeler parked in the loading dock at the Ford Center, not the 94-foot hardwood centerpiece.
The coach of this game is Scott Snyder, not Hornets coach Byron Scott. The quarterback out here is Gary Kirby, not Hornets playmaker Chris Paul.
While the Hornets dazzle with dunks inside, Snyder, Kirby and the rest of the Cox Sports Television crew are camped in a $5 million mobile television unit, dashing to make split-second decisions.
"I try to leave very few stones unturned, said Snyder, the show's producer. "Everything is formatted. There's no question as to where we're going, how we're getting there and what we're going to do.
But this game is called live television. Rarely are things so simple in this sport.
Computer malfunctions and unforeseen events often send Snyder and Kirby scurrying to make spur-of-the-moment adjustments.
"We arrive at this site six hours before the show goes on the air, said Kirby, the show's director. "It all goes back to how prepared you are.
Snyder, 39, is in his fifth year with the Hornets. He has worked in television since the early 90s, breaking into the business as an associate producer with Charlotte, N.C.-based Jefferson Pilot Sports. Kirby, 57, has been in television for 30 years, working on broadcasting crews for the Cleveland Indians and Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks and Brewers.
Snyder sits to the left of Kirby on the first of three rows in one of the truck's production sections. Snyder is in charge of the show's content while Kirby oversees the technical side of things such as camera assignments. Both are dependant upon one another to put out a good product.
"A producer is kind of like the head coach, and the director is the quarterback, Snyder said. "The head coach calls the plays, and the quarterback executes them.
Pre-game warmups
It's just past 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Hornets are playing the Memphis Grizzlies later in the evening, but the Cox crew is well into its game day routine. Cameramen set up at their customary positions inside the Ford Center while Snyder and Kirby oversee a group of about 10 inside the truck.
Snyder digs deep into a bag filled with tapes of past broadcasts and pulls out one with footage of the most recent Hornets' games. Snyder already has a script of what he wants and how he wants it. He collaborates with Brian Kaegeler to find and edit footage of coaches and players that will be used as teases, sound bites and features during the pregame show.
Kaegeler operates what's known as the EVS device, which essentially is a hi-tech household digital video recorder. The machine allows the crew to gather and edit all the necessary footage in less than 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, Colin Tuttle, the show's graphic coordinator, assembles graphics of the upcoming schedule and noteworthy statistics. He emphasizes the Hornets' franchise record 71 rebounds in their last game versus the Milwaukee Bucks, designing a nifty split-screen graphic showing center Tyson Chandler's 22 rebounds against the Bucks and David West's 19.
At 3 p.m., the crew begins pre-production, piecing together and readying the material for the pregame show.
"This is exactly what we just edited, Snyder says, "now we're making it pretty.
The process takes 30 minutes. When it's done, the pregame show's introduction is complete, along with graphics for each team's starting lineup, a scouting report on the Grizzlies and the keys to the game for both teams. All that's left is for on-air personalities Bob Licht, Gil McGregor and Jordy Hultberg to do live voiceovers.
Snyder and Tuttle meet with the trio at 4:30 p.m. before each game in the media dining room, where they'll eat a pregame meal while discussing that night's assignments. Both suggestions and questions are raised. Hultberg reminds the group that Memphis star forward Pau Gasol is close to being traded and it might make for good conversation.
"His best asset is making the show entertaining, Snyder says of Hultberg. "Nobody is better at talking on the fly than Jordy. He's very good at reacting to things on the screen and staying calm when things are hectic. Not everybody can do what he does.
Game time
When the team locker rooms open at 5:30 p.m., the crew gathers last-minute footage for the 6:30 p.m. pregame show. While Licht interviews David West in the locker room, Hultberg pulls Tyson Chandler aside just outside of the team dressing room.
The crew runs through the pregame show by 6:58 p.m.
"It's like anybody else in any other job, said Licht. "Once you get your routine down, everything becomes smooth. Everything gets coordinated, and that starts in the truck.
Snyder, however, cautions that the pregame show is the easy part. The game is where things get interesting.
Three minutes into the game, Jeff Smith yells to Snyder and Kirby that the "bug just froze. Fans watching at home know the bug as the scoreboard at the bottom of the screen. It malfunctions for nearly four minutes of game time, leaving viewers wondering what the score is and how much time is remaining in the quarter.
Five minutes later, Grizzlies forward Mike Miller falls to the floor with a foot injury. The crew scrambles to find an adequate replay showing exactly what happened.
"They don't understand how many people and how many steps it takes to do what looks like the simplest things, Snyder said of the average viewer. "I have six options to pick from of which angle to use. I have to make that decision in a split second, because right after it happens you want to see it.
Minutes later, as Snyder counts down to a commercial break at the end of the first quarter, there is a sudden glitch in the "switcher, or a main control board, briefly giving viewers a green screen.
Snyder buries his face in his hands.
But the broadcast goes much smoother from then on. The production becomes a breeze for the Cox crew as the Hornets slowly pull away from the Grizzlies.
The Hornets outscored the Grizzlies 62-44 in the second and third periods and led by as many as 21 points midway through the third quarter. As the Hornets roll, Snyder puts together "packages of key players. David West is having a solid all-around game, which, for the Cox crew, means recapping his effectiveness.
Snyder spends much of the game marking certain plays from different players on a white sheet of paper. When it's clear that West has had a big impact on the game, Snyder instructs EVS operator Kaegeler to cue up highlights No. 2, 6, 12 and 18. Tuttle, the graphics coordinator already has West's up-to-the-minute statistics ready to go.
"That's when the juices really flow, Snyder said. "When you hit something on the nose just like that. You really hit the story.
In the fourth quarter, the packaging process is repeated for guard Devin Brown, who contributed more hustle plays than anything. With the Hornets ahead 98-83, sideline reporter Hultberg asks Snyder if he would like a live interview with Hornets general manager Jeff Bower from his seats in the Ford Center's lower bowl. The two briefly chat about Brown's acquisition during the game's closing minutes.
When the final buzzer sounds on the Hornets' 114-99 victory over the Grizzlies, Snyder slowly clasps his hands in what appears to be more of a sigh of relief than a sign of congratulations.
This game wasn't the prettiest. But the coach got his win.
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/2084/showimage1phpxt0.jpg
Inside the Cox Sports Television production truck during the CST broadcast of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Feb., 10, 2007, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. By Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/3038/showimagephpsi3.jpg
John Sanders shoots video for Cox Sports Television during the CST broadcast of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Feb., 10, 2007, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. By Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1566/showimage2phpdf2.jpg
Cox Sports Television producer Scott Snyder, left, watches as Jordy Hultberg jokes around with Hornet Tyson Chandler before a pregame interview during the CST broadcast of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Feb., 10, 2007, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. By Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/5080/showimage3phpxr7.jpg
Bob Licht with Cox Sports Television interviews Hornet David West in the locker room during the CST broadcast of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Feb., 10, 2007, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. By Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/9562/showimage4phpek5.jpg
The production truck for the Cox Sports Television broadcast of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Feb., 10, 2007, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. By Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman