Shooting HS Ball

[Sportsguy]

Originally posted by <Lordo>:
Since when does Radio need to be included in shooting football. Your head needs to be in the game, not listening to it, or for that matter recording it. I made my sports guy understand that in a hurry!!

I record radio nats as channel 1, and real nats as channel 2 pretty much every time I shoot a pro or college game.

We do a half-hour pre and post season special for Penn State, and Steve Jones' voice makes great nats to break up otherwise standard stories. Plus, since you can't see everything that goes on from your position on the sidelines, it's helpful to listen so you don't miss something somewhere that may be important.

Plus, it's great to have something else as a backup for nats. I once had a nat mike crap out in the middle of a game and couldn't hear that it was bad through the earpiece. Fortunately, there were the radio nats to use in the editing pinch.

 

[photog1199]

If you can't get a program, at least go to the press-box, coaches box and shoot the rosters. Sometimes people on the sidelines know who scores and you can ask them.

 

[Jason Old]

Get to your first game a bit early - to got that good parking space that is close to the gates and (more importantly) an easy shot out of the parking lot when you're finished. Because getting to your second and third games is usually the key to an easy night. Try to map your games out so that you're farthest away from the station (or the live truck) at your first game and get closer as the night goes on. Always get rosters and/or a program when you walk in. Hand out your business card to both schools' Athletic Directors of official scorers and have them call in the score of the game when it's over. The worst thing at the end of the night is to have great highlights, but no final score... During the game, keep a reporter's notepad with you and a pencil (not a pen - in case it's raining). When you get a good highlight, burn bars after the highlight so it will be easy to find when editing. Also, write down the play, the numbers of the players, down and distance, result, score and TIMECODE for that highlight on your notepad. During your downtime, look at those rosters you got on the way in and match nmaes to numbers for your highlights and write them down, too... This will make writing quick and easy while editing.

 

[pinecone]

Originally posted by Sportsguy:
[QB]Shoot from up top? Not if you want the blandest vid ever shot at a high school game. If you can't shoot from field level, don't shoot it at all./QB]

Damn straight. High angle tripod stuff is booooorrrrrinngggg. Sportsguy is so right. If you can't get a couple highlights from the sideline you shouldn't be shooting sports. Period. And, no Buck, you can't shoot it in a way to make it as exciting as sideline video. Get real.

The Rookie wants to know how to make his sideline video better. There are a lot of good ideas here. But, let me suggest to you that the best way to become a better sideline photog is to practice. Do it as often as you can. When you are upstairs with all the VHS Dads that means you aren't improving your sideline skils.

So what if you miss a play? It is only high school. It is hit and git. You are only supposed to get a couple highlights anyway.

If you are shooting an entire college game you might consider one half up and one half down. That is a case where if you miss a highlight you are screwed. I would never tell someone to shoot HS games upstairs. Ever.

 

[<Buck>]

"only high school"? A missed shot is a missed shot. I hope you don't take that attitude with all of your stories.

To each is own, my man. Whatever floats your boat. I'm not losing any sleep over it.


Buck

 

[lost focus]

shoot all the plays while you're there not just the good ones.
-dumb producer

 

[<Bob Griese>]

Just shoot the touchdowns.

 

[<Buck>]

Originally posted by <Bob Griese>:
Just shoot the touchdowns.

That's the best advice in this entire thread.

 

[queen of blue]

My first year out, the advice I got was "Shoot tight end to tight end, and just keep the ball in the frame."

If I'm having a good night, I try to shoot pretty tight - but of course then you run the risk of losing the ball. If I'm having a bad night - then I just tell myself "tight end to tight end and keep the ball in the frame."

I've noticed that so far this year I've been able to shoot tighter than ever before, and I've still come back with good stuff. Must be the result of being in my what? fifth year of football now?

It just takes practice. Think about what you're doing, and DO keep that left eye open. Not only will it keep you from getting hit, it'll help you find the ball if you lose it.

Oh, and remember that you're still blind on the right side. The worst hit I've taken so far was actually from a coach who was looking at the field and not me (understandably) - and mowed me down on the way past.

 

[<interception>]

If and interception or fumble is returned away from me, my first reaction is to take about five steps out on the field. All the guys in my market do the same. You've got to be aware of what is going on. If you have another photog between you and the play, take six steps or whatever. When the play is 50 yards away from you and going the other way, noone is going to care if yu step out on that part of the field. It might not be pretty, but at least i've got the play. Now in College or NFL, you're screwed if that happens, but in HS, this has worked for me for almost ten years. I've never shot HS football from up top, and never will. Like everyone else says, it's too boring and I just don't have time to haul the sticks up a tiny ladder ont the roof of a pressbox on most Friday nights.

 

[Photog--69er]

I don't know where all of you are from, but it seems as if we all have different opinions on what should be done when shooting high school football. Here's what I do, and if anyone has anything else, let me know.

1. Always get a kick ass opening shot, whether it's the team running through the banner, or a shot of the band or something.

2. Always shoot for that crucial sound. (ie. coaches yelling at the players, or players psyching each other up.) This might not work for some of you guys, but here at my station, we get a minute and a half of highlights for each game in our football show.

3. Cut shots are a must to break up the monotany of going from play to play. Plus they capture the moment of what High school football is. You can't show a big play without showing that the fans enjoy seeing it.

4. Between each play, get a quick shot of the scoreboard, so that you can tell what down the play happened on, what quarter, and how many yards the play went for.

5. Always keep the play in front of you. If it's a long play, get on the field to get the athlete downfield. Doing this keeps you from being blocked by the guys on the sideline.

 

[photog1199]

Our highlights run 30 sec's plus pad, so we get about two touchdowns, maybe a good interception or something that could be a turning point in the game, then we split. Gotta get to our next game. We try to fit 13 to 14 games in a 15 minute show. Our highlights have to be tight.

Good opening shot, like some said running through banner, maybe sombody grilling up hamburgers outside the game. Then throw in a couple touchdowns, cutaways, and you are set.

 

[<Buck>]

We use 2 scores per game. No opening shot of banner crashing or cheerleaders. Straight to the highlights. No cutaways in between.

 

[pictureperfect]

Originally posted by queen of blue:
It just takes practice. Think about what you're doing, and DO keep that left eye open. Not only will it keep you from getting hit, it'll help you find the ball if you lose it

I miss shooting football... we completely ignore our sports guy's here.

anyway, she's right about that. My first football experience tought me that all too well, not only did I constantly get "faked out" and lose the ball but I believe I should hold some record for for getting hit, trampled and nearly killed in one game!

 

[<me>]

Stand 10-15 yards in front of the ball. If your alone run a few seconds of bars after a big play or touchdown. Helps you find your video in a edit crunch

 

[<Chiefs fan>]

A couple of more tips...when I'm absolutely sure that one of the teams is way overmatched and has absolutely no chance of moving the ball downfield (let alone scoring) I always shoot from behind that team when they have the ball so that I can get a better shot of them getting drilled in the backfield, not to mention the more-likely defensive touchdown. And when a team is punting, make sure you're behind the punter so that you can get the return-for-TD coming coming your direction (you'll have to hustle down there once it's 4th down). And when he punts the ball, let him kick it out of frame (and go straight to the return man) rather than try to follow the ball all the way, because the kick might be blocked and you don't want to jerk the camera back suddenly as if you didn't see it coming.

 

[sports dude]

Another tip is do your homework on the game you are going to, Maybe read the local paper about the game. Or when you get to the game talk to some people who is involved in the game maybe the AD of the school or just a coach in general. and find out some news on the teams your covering. IF you are going to two or three games a night then try to pick up the games your going to on the local radio. so when you get to the game you have some understanding of what is going on. and how much time you have in the game to shoot. I hope this helps you out.

 

[pinecone]

Back to the roster issue...it is easy to get one at the first game, but for the games later that night they are usually gone.

- Keep your old rosters and use them later in the year (but, that doesn't help early in the season)

- Bribe some kid to find one for you

- Call the schools a couple days before the game and have them fax you a copy of the roster

I really don't like climbing up to the pressbox to shoot a copy on tape. It takes a lot of time to make the trip and to extra edit time to find all the names again. Speed is the operative word when shooting multiple games here. Every second counts.

 

[Anton Saur]

Go to your football show producer, or the head anchor of the show and ask what it is they're looking for...they are the ones you have to impress.

 

[<Buck>]

Just have a fan show you their program and shoot it.