Anamorphic lens captures cinematic look for Champions League Final By Roberto Landini, Italian Correspondent
Friday, June 16, 2023 - 14:07
Print This Story
The anamorphic lens offered a cinematic look
Some 42 cameras were used to capture the action of the 2023 Champions League final, held on Saturday 10 June at the Atat rk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, including, for the first time in the Champions League, a Sony FX30 camera complete with a portable anamorphic lens.
Host broadcaster for the event was Spain's MediaPro, while the one-sided customisation for Sky Italia was handled by Cinevideo and directed by Roberto (Popy) Montoli.
The customisation involved filming from within a small studio set high up in the stands as well as from a second pitchside setup, both very crowded spaces. Sky, somewhat against the trend compared to other broadcasters, requested that all the cameras used for the match could provide images with a cinematic cut, and in the field the full-frame Sony FX6 and FX9 were chosen. The production was carried out in P50 UHD.
In addition, Andy Galeazzi, DoP/filmmaker and inventor of the Rocky electronic stabiliser camera mount system for capturing special shots, proposed employing an anamorphic lens for his pre- and post-match shooting.
In the constant search for something more and more spectacular, the idea was appreciated and a Rocky support was applied to a gimbal by hand to transform it into a shoulder camera; a small Sony FX30 video camera was mounted and a new-generation anamorphic adapter was born. This design made it possible to circumvent the heavy weight and high cost associated with anamorphic lenses used in cinematography, which limit their use in television production
Today, companies are springing up, says Galeazzi, which make lightweight optics that are ideal for film-makers and for anamorphic assault shooting, i.e. that are capable of capturing more information on the longitudinal axis and compressing it with an optical squeeze.
Furthermore, the latest firmware update of the Sony FX30 goes precisely in this direction, since it is able to electronically decompress or de-squeeze', the aberrations of these lenses.
This makes the use of these new optics perfect as they are able to capture a greater portion of the field in the long focal length in the panoramic angular aperture, that is, horizontally.
These are lenses with a fixed focal length which, impose some limitations, but it will not be long before we also see light anamorphic lenses in zoom format on the market.
Reconstructed form
The concept of anamorphic, which derives from the Greek and means reconstructed form', is borrowed from traditional cinema, where in normal 35mm format it was possible to compress a greater framing space to return a very wide and spectacular image on the screen, through the process of compression and decompression.
Today the output signal from the camera which uses one of these new anamorphic lenses is normalised using a mixed optical and electronic process, and is therefore ready for use in the cinema or in the TV production chain.
This concept, says Galeazzi, has made anamorphic suitable for live productions, given that there is no delay in the output signal. This allows us to propose at least three advantages: the first is that it widens the panorama, or the long shot framed, to include a greater portion of the space, up to 33% more.
In football this is an advantage as the playing field is wide and using it in a crowded pitch position, as in this case, its allowed for much wider shots.
He continues: A second advantage of anamorphic images is a visual effect, that horizontal band, or line of blue/blue light, which is generated in the image when a strong light enters the frame. This gives back a very blockbuster cinema look, making the television image even more spectacular, as in the great movies.
The third advantage of these light and inexpensive optical adapters is the so-called out-of-focus bokeh, or out-of-focus effect, on the lights and background, which become out-of-round and make the subject in the foreground stand out.
The latest generation sensors of the small Sony FX3 and FX30 boast such high and pleasant dynamics that many at home have not been able to perceive any differences compared to the images taken by other much more expensive cameras.
The anamorphic lens used in the Champions League final delivered an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, horizontal blue strikes on the lights and an oval bokeh effect
At the Champions League a 24mm fixed focal length lens from Sirui was used, but the real step forward will be to use anamorphic zooms, i.e. conventional zooms equipped with a front anamorphic adapter, and we are already testing them in live sports broadcast. The image format is no longer 16:9 but 2.35:1, he adds.
As compact anamorphic lenses have become popular with young independent film makers, so the lenses have become lighter and anamorphic adapters for television zoom lenses are already being tested. Where a normal lens would have struggled to capture all the talent in the frame, anamorphic lenses make it possible to make even interviews and commentary spectacular.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
06/12/2025
In a live broadcast from the Reagan National Defense Forum, L3Harris Chair and CEO Christopher Kubasik joined Morgan Brennan on CNBCs Closing Bell: Overtime. Ku...
06/12/2025
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A new survey from Pixitmedia by Datacore revealed a major shift in the Media & Entertainment industry in media archiving, with 85% of resp...
06/12/2025
HACKENSACK, N.J. LiveU has announced that the national public broadcaster Czech Television has completed one of the largest LiveU live production deployments fo...
06/12/2025
NEW YORK The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) presented the Excellence in Production Technology Emmy Award to NASA+ and Dr. Tom Leight...
05/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Curt Gowdy Jr. - Master Storyteller, Nati...
05/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Veritone's Sean King on the Power of Mining Video, Audio DataThe company's Data Refinery offers users total control and governance over da...
05/12/2025
Platinum White Paper: Inside the Nashville Predators' Unified, Flexible, Sca...
05/12/2025
Netflix Reaches Agreement To Acquire Warner Bros. Following Planned WBD SplitThe deal does not include WBDs sports assets like TNT Sports (US, UK, LatAm), Euros...
05/12/2025
FOX Sports Returns to Indianapolis for Primetime Broadcast of Big Ten Championsh...
05/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Digital Engagement & Monetization Workshop Tackles the ...
05/12/2025
Atlanta United Lights Up New Emory Healthcare Studio With First Live Broadcast f...
05/12/2025
As Messi Takes the Pitch, MLS, Apple, NEP Roll Out Largest MLS Cup Production Ev...
05/12/2025
ESPN Enters College Football's Most Intense Month With Elevated Workflows fo...
05/12/2025
It's about that time! Awards season is in full swing, and the Film Independe...
05/12/2025
Every year, Spotify Wrapped offers a personalized look back at the audio that defined your year. It's a snapshot of your listening habits, designed to tell ...
05/12/2025
In 2025, Spotify's EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR programs celebrated women, LGBTQIA , and emerging artists who turned moments into milestones. From breaking record...
05/12/2025
In our latest blog, we explain how Wi-Fi 7 rollouts can drive consumer loyalty with value-add services such as consumer cybersecurity. We also explore how this ...
05/12/2025
LOS ANGELES Netflix announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion....
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Nielsens Gracenote has launched Gracenote Content Connect, a new ad platform that provides agencies, brands, supply-side platforms (SSPs) and demand-si...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK In an most important update to the workings of deal-based programmatic advertising, IAB Tech Lab has released version 1.0 of its Deals API for public c...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Pass the turkey. Pass the stuffing. Pass the cranberry sauce. All are common requests of Americans celebrating Thanksgiving Day with family and f...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Iris, the new cloud-connected camera control platform, has officially launched with features that turn virtually any PTZ camera into a software-connect...
05/12/2025
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. Netflix announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion....
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Iris, the new cloud-connected camera control platform, has officially launched with features that turn virtually any PTZ camera into a software-connect...
05/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has approved AT&T's $1.02 billion acquisition of spectrum from UScellular in a decision that was issued sho...
05/12/2025
The Best Coldplay Songs: 21 Tracks That Shoot for the Stars From Yellow to Viva La Vida, Fix You to Paradise, this playlist goes back to the start.
December ...
05/12/2025
Zafris Lecture Series Brings Nabil Ayers to Berklee The 32nd annual James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture series was held on Thursday, November 13, with guest...
05/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the First Look for Land of Sin' - Premier...
05/12/2025
Introducing New Perks to Help You Get Even More from LinkedIn Premium Published on Dec 5, 2025 Categories: Company News, Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Co...
05/12/2025
Friday 5 December 2025
A new Game of Thrones Tale: Official trailer for Sky Exc...
05/12/2025
Back to All News
Don Lee, Lee Jin-uk, and Lalisa Manobal to Star in Netflix Act...
05/12/2025
Tis the season of giving once again and this year we've taken our Give Back Fridays' concept and turned it on its head.
In the autumn we were approach...
05/12/2025
Brayden Gogis doesn't remember a time when he wasn't completely fixated on games in all forms. In preschool, when they asked us to dress up as what we ...
05/12/2025
The Grinch steals the spotlight as the theme for The Late Late Toy Show 2025
Tune in tonight at 9:35pm on RT One and worldwide on RT Player
#LateLateToyShow...
05/12/2025
RT Announces New Presenters of Flagship News Programmes
New RT Six One News co-presenter Tommy Meskill
Sarah McInerney & Justin McCarthy join Morning Ir...
04/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Event Presets for just:in mac pro 2025 & ...
04/12/2025
ToolsOnAir AJA Ki Pro Event Presets for just:in mac pro 2025 & just:in linux
More Details:Starting with version 5.5, both just:in mac pro and just:in linux sol...
04/12/2025
Wangu Kanuri from Kenya and Godwin Asediba from Ghana are two of this years finalists for Thomsons Young Journalist of the Year Award. The pair are runners-up i...
04/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: ProximaVision's Claudio Lisman on Why Tethered Drones Could Be...
04/12/2025
SVG Campus Shot Callers: Imry Halevi, Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Co...
04/12/2025
Platinum White Paper: LiveU Lightweight Sports Production: A Step Change in Spor...
04/12/2025
London to Riyadh: DAZN brings the boxing glamour to new production levels for Be...
04/12/2025
Analysis: Paramount bets on the battering ram' with Champions League play By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 - 10:12
Print ...
04/12/2025
Space City Home Network Launches SCHN DTC App for Astros and RocketsThe Rockets and Astros were previously the lone NBA and MLB teams without a DTC appBy Jason...
04/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Content Workflows Workshop Spotlights Evolution of Spor...
04/12/2025
New Sponsor Spotlight: Geotech's Patrick Wambold On the Unreal Engine Revolu...
04/12/2025
Curt Gowdy Jr. - Master Storyteller, Nationally and RegionallyBy Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Thursday, December 4, 2025 - 1:52 pm
Print This Sto...
04/12/2025
(L-R) Rebecca Lichtenfeld, Mohammadreza Eyni, Sara Khaki, and Judith Helfand att...
Anamorphic lens captures cinematic look for Champions League Final By Roberto Landini, Italian Correspondent 
