TVBEurope speaks to a cinematic lens manufacturer, service provider and leading sports broadcaster to get their thoughts on why cinematic technology is seeing broader adoption, how it enhances the viewing experience, and how the trend will continueBy Jenny Priestley
Published: September 14, 2023 Updated: September 22, 2023
TVBEurope speaks to a cinematic lens manufacturer, service provider and leading sports broadcaster to get their thoughts on why cinematic technology is seeing broader adoption, how it enhances the viewing experience, and how the trend will continue
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In recent years the use of cinematic lenses and cameras has become more prevalent in live sports broadcasting.
The Super Bowl, La Liga and next year's Olympic Games are among the tier-one sports employing cinematic technology to bring their viewers closer to the action.
But why is the technology seeing broader adoption, how does it enhance the viewing experience, and how will the trend continue? TVBEurope spoke to a cinematic lens manufacturer, service provider and leading sports broadcaster to get their thoughts.
The lens manufacturer: Carey Duffy , director of product experience, Cooke Optics Why do you think using cinematic technology has become so important to sports broadcasters in recent years? Cinematic technology of one sort or another has always been present in capturing sports. If the question relates to the quality of the image. My personal opinion is that sporting bodies and broadcasters are understandably trying to enhance their offering. Certain cinematic techniques add a layer of emotion that goes beyond just recording an image. If we are talking about the use of lenses. One has to know about the characteristics of a lens series and how they can add dimensionality and texture to the image, which will have a bearing on the outcome of the images captured. This is what cinematographers spend their working lives trying to perfect for the stories they are employed to capture.
How do you think it enhances the viewing experience? For me that only happens when the correct tech is used sympathetically to enhance the brief. For example in the FIFA World Cup, fast lenses were used at wide open T stop, to separate the players in the tunnel pre-match from the background and add dimensionality. To me the images looked plastic! There was no organic dimensionality because they were using cheap auto-focus photographic lenses that don't have soul or character in them. Obviously the idea was to make it look cinematic, so someone decided that this tech was good enough . That's where using the wrong tech which delivers a poor version of the nuanced look of a cinema lens causes issues.
Cooke's new SP3 range, which can be used to film sport Shallow Depth of Field when used sensitively is a great tool, but used for the sake of using it without craft and technique, is not cinematic. It can even be detrimental to what you are trying to capture, as cutting between shallow depth of field and deep depth of field can be visually off-putting. Also one has to consider the environment you are filming in and how cinematic techniques can enhance the viewing experience. One thing for certain is that people want to look good or have a flattering representation of themselves portrayed on screen this is where our lenses excel.
How do you see this trend continuing? I see sensitive people embracing the technology to do great work, whilst others will use simple tricks to try and attempt to deliver what they see as a cinematic image.
Tell us about your cinematic technology. Cooke lenses are renowned for capturing motion images in an organic and flattering way, especially faces. After all, when someone is speaking we tend to spend our time focusing on their face. In that environment, our lenses offer a unique look. That's the design philosophy we employ in our lens series, it's to lesser or greater degrees depending on the optical design of a series but that's what defines the Cooke Look.
The production company: Martyn Edwards, project director, EMG Why do you think using cinematic technology has become so important to sports broadcasters in recent years? New technological developments make it a possibility now, including RF technology. Shooting on film had its advantages in the old days, such as sharpness, depth of field, and colour gamut, but it also had disadvantages, such as time and cost for development. In the case of live sport, using film was extremely challenging and multi-camera switching was out of the question. With today's cameras and technology we can use cinematic lenses as part of a regular' multicamera environment. In particular we can now use cinematic cameras and lenses for depth of field and so-called bokeh' to create interesting effects.
How do you think it enhances the viewing experience? It enhances the viewing experience with dramatic effects and adds perhaps a little bit of artistry to the world of live sport. Within the last decade producers have tried to push the boundaries of what is possible to achieve a cinematic representation within broadcast. This approach offers a live event the same sense of visual gravitas as a cinematic experience. Surely a live event deserves that attention to detail? Especially when you think of the impact that key moments in sport have had on a fan's life. The shift towards a more cinematic approach enhances the viewer experience and sets milestone moments apart from traditional coverage.
How do you see this trend continuing? Historically technology suppliers have been limited by what is suitable to integrate into the broadcast environment. For us at EMG, a more cinematic method started out in concerts and one-off events, using cameras like the Alexa in a st
