First Skating Cameraman In Live TV Broadcast
07/05/2021
CREATING NEW PERSPECTIVES OF DANCING ON ICE WITH A REMOTE-CONTROLLED BROADCAST CAMERA
In the British live TV show Dancing on Ice , a figure skater is skating among the dancers with a Sony HDC-P50 camera and Canon HJ14 lens. This broadcast camera is stabilized and remote-controlled through a NEWTON system and the results are unique in the broadcast world.
DANCING ON ICE
Dancing on Ice is a British television series that features celebrities figure skating with professional skating partners in front of a panel of judges. Each season has 10 shows that airs live on ITV from January to March and each show has around 6 million TV viewers. The series started in 2006 but was cancelled in 2014 and then revived in 2018 with a new TV studio at RAF Bovingdon. With the revival, the production hired Alan Wells Camera Services, which supplies a rail cam along the skating rink and since the 2019 season has helped introduce a new camera angle to the show, the Ice Cam.
THE ICE CAM
The Ice Cam consists of the figure skater Jordan Cowan, wearing a Ready Rig that holds a NEWTON stabilized remote head. The head features a Sony HDC-P50 broadcast camera and a Canon HJ14 lens that is remote controlled by cameraman Dominic Jackson, through the renowned NEWTON control panel at a normal operator's desk.
JORDAN - THE SKATING CAMERA DOLLY
Jordan Cowan is an American figure skater who used to compete in the national team, and since a few years, he is bringing cameras onto the ice to film figure skaters under the name On Ice Perspectives . In mid-2018, Cowan heard through a friend that the producers of the reality show Dancing on Ice in London, UK were looking for a cameraman who could skate. Jordan explains: I contacted the producer and showed them some of my recent video productions. They liked it and hired me for the 2019 season, making me the first ever skating camera operator for a live televised skating show.
DEVELOPING THE ICE CAM
Cameraman Domenic Jackson had operated a Steadicam on Dancing on Ice for several seasons and he used to walk out on the ice, with spike shoes, to shoot links in and out of dance numbers. In October 2018, ITV asked Alan Wells to put together a rig that could move faster on the ice and replace the Steadicam. Alan Wells first thought of a push trolley featuring a remote stabilized camera head but soon abandoned it for a handheld solution. The outside broadcast company Telegenic supplies the cameras and lenses for Dancing on Ice and with their input, the team at Alan Wells customized a Ready Rig so it could control a Sony HDC-P1 camera and Canon HJ14 lens. This was achieved by adding carbon fiber brackets on the Ready Rig so it could hold a NEWTON stabilized remote head, which is rarely used handheld, but that Alan Wells use for broadcast on cable cams and rail systems. Unlike typical handheld gimbals, NEWTON has a control panel that features a standard broadcast setup for camera angle and lens, which is much more suitable for professional TV cameramen.
During the development of the camera rig, the team at Alan Wells had conference calls with Jordan and when he arrived from USA, they could do the final customizing to Jordan's body and arrange the balance of the gear to allow full movement. They also met up with the Dancing on Ice production at the Bovingdon studio, to do tests with camera supervisor Lincoln Abraham and director Nikki Parsons. The final wireless camera rig, the Ice Cam, weighed 15 kg and included an RF system for data communication, a Boxx Link for video, batteries and a monitor so Jordan could see the picture.
Jordan comments the weight:
The rig could be lighter, but NEWTON was the only gimbal that could keep a steady horizon through all the twists and turns at high speeds on the ice, while carrying the standard 4.3-60 mm zoom lens. NEWTON also requires less clearance for the 3-axis motors which, while requiring counterweights, meant I could let the rig hang close to my body and thus keep it close to my center of balance.
AT THE TV PRODUCTION
Dancing on Ice is rehearsed on Saturdays as they do a full camera run-through of all music numbers and this amounts to three rehearsals per dancing couple. Then on Sundays all the links are rehearsed with the presenters and there is a full dress run before the live show at 6 PM.
Since Dominic had been a camera operator on the show for several seasons, he knew the format well but controlling a skating camera was new. He soon realized that he needed line of sight to Jordan so he arranged his control desk so he always could see where the camera was in relation to the dancers. Apart from hearing production talkback, Dominic and Jordan have a radio system that allows them to talk to each other.
Jordan is an experienced skater, so he knows how skaters behave and to read their movement during the show. However, he had only filmed skaters with a DSLR gimbal before and never on a TV set, so he had a steep learning curve about live TV production; Technical sides and terms, to count bars and beats whilst listening to the director, the PA and Dominic, being aware of other cameras, what shots are before and after to keep out of the other cameras. Jordan elaborates: Dominic has been an essential part of the show for me and his experience working with Nikki was invaluable. We work closely together on headset the entire weekend through rehearsals and the show. Dominic taught me everything I needed to know to work in a live multi-camera broadcast situation and taught me how to translate Nikki's shot cards. He's been a great mentor as well and I'm lucky to have learned so much from someone so experienced in live broadcast television.
THE POSITIVE RECEPTION
The new perspective of the Ice Cam was well received by the UK TV viewers and
LINK: | https://www.live-production.tv/news/shows/first-skating-cameraman-live... |
See more stories from liveproduction |
Europe Stories
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with URSA Broadcast G2
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
25/04/2024
Opinion: charting a cloud driven future
M2A Medias Matt Hughes asks, is it time for news broadcasting to shift to the cloud? By Contributor Published: April 25, 2024 M2A Media's Matt Hughes ...
25/04/2024
Czech mates
The writer and director of a hit Czech series tell Robert Shepherd about their approach to portraying real-life Pakistani kidnappings on the small screen, while...
25/04/2024
Molinaire Creative Group opens new Liverpool facility
Notorious DIT will work with the Liverpool Film Office to increase opportunities for regional talent By Matthew Corrigan Published: April 25, 2024 Notorio...
25/04/2024
IBM Transforms the Storage Ownership Experience with IBM Storage Assurance
LONDON, UK, April 25, 2024 IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced new storage capabilities that give clients choice and control in the data center to maximise perfor...
25/04/2024
Socio-ecological impact through reuse of IT hardware
Social and Ecological Impact through Reuse of IT Hardware Social & green IT: Arvato Systems and AfB Securing three jobs for people with disabilities Savings...
25/04/2024
AMATEUR DRAMA TAKES CENTRE STAGE AS RT ALL IRELAND DRAMA FESTIVAL LAUNCHES IN THE ABBEY THEATRE
Amateur drama took centre stage as the All Ireland Drama Festival was officially...
25/04/2024
AI-assisted optronics: an unprecedented European project to increase combat perception capabilities
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn The European Commission signed the Grant Agreeme...
24/04/2024
UKTV's pay TV channel Alibi joins forces with S4C and All3Media International for new legal crime drama series Mudtown
Cast set to star include Erin Richards and Tom Cullen Wednesday 24 April 2024 ...
24/04/2024
K-Hip-Hop's Biggest Names Take Center Stage on KrOWN X HAN 2024'
This month marked the return of Spotify's HAN, our collaborative program that brings the unique sounds and culture of Korean hip-hop to the world through ex...
24/04/2024
RADAR Italy Returns With 6 Artists Transforming the Country's Music Landscape
As Spotify's program to spotlight rising talent from around the world, RADAR...
24/04/2024
Spotify Partners With Les Flammes Music Awards To Celebrate French Rap
Spotify is once again teaming up with Les Flammes, the only music awards dedicated to rap, R&B, Afrobeats, and popular culture in France. Spotify helped create...
24/04/2024
Taylor Swift's THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT' Becomes Spotify's Most-Streamed Album in One Week
Records smashed. History made. It's been just five days since Taylor Swift u...
24/04/2024
Authentic Perspectives
The first feature film from writer-director Shaun Seneviratne, Ben and Suzanne: A Reunion in 4 Parts depicts the struggle between love and duty as Ben (Sathya S...
24/04/2024
Melanie Georgieva Joins Panalux as Long Form Sales Director
LONDON, England (24 April 2024) Panalux, a leading rental provider of lighting and power solutions for the motion-picture industry and part of Panavision'...
24/04/2024
Deutsche Telekom Powers New MagentaTV Service With Broadpeak's Cloud DVR Solution
April 24, 2024 -- Deutsche Telekom Powers New MagentaTV Service With Broadpea...
24/04/2024
VEON Announces 2024 AGM and Board Nominees
24 Apr 2024 VEON Announces 2024 AGM and Board Nominees Amsterdam, 24 April 2024 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON, Euronext Amsterdam: VEON), a global digital operator...
24/04/2024
Rohde & Schwarz and IPG Automotive unveil a complete Hardware-in-the-Loop automotive radar test solution
Rohde & Schwarz and IPG Automotive unveil a complete Hardware-in-the-Loop automo...
24/04/2024
Nurturing a new look for Huntapac
Posted on 24 Apr 2024 Creating a contemporary brand update that reflects a company's strong heritage can often pose a challenge, yet its a task ICG embrace...
24/04/2024
2024-04-24
Beginning in May, a special Today at Apple series titled Made for Business will offer small business owners and entrepreneurs free opportunities to learn how ...
24/04/2024
Print beats other media channels to deliver largest ROI
% of profit volume % of advertising investment % of full payback % of sustained parback % of short-term payback % of immediate payback Full payback ROI S...
23/04/2024
Tackling lies online: the answer may be all in the mind
Psychology can play an important role in helping us understand what audiences respond to (Dr Jon Roozenbeek, Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab) For newsroom...
23/04/2024
Spotify Reports First Quarter 2024 Earnings
Today, we announced our first quarter 2024 earnings. In a solid start to the year, Spotify reported Monthly Active Users grew 19% Y/Y to 615 million. Subscri...
23/04/2024
Spotify rapporterar intkter fr frsta kvartalet i 2024
Idag publicerar Spotify sina finansiella resultat f r f rsta kvartalet 2024. ret har inletts stabilt: M natliga aktiva anv ndare kade med 19 % j mf rt med f...
23/04/2024
Discover Your K-Pop Persona With Spotify's New Interactive Experience
In the last decade, as K-Pop cemented its status as a global phenomenon, Spotify has helped fans around the world keep their fingers on the pulse at every step ...
23/04/2024
Creative UK launches manifesto calling for more investment in creative R&D; revised approach to trade and exports
Entitled Our Creative Future, the manifesto calls for radical new action' t...
23/04/2024
Audiotonix secures landmark' investment
The company has secured investment from private equity firm PAI Partners, which also holds a stake in outside broadcasting company EMG By Jenny Priestley Pub...
23/04/2024
James Cameron backs Marlow Film Studios proposal
Cameron also said he recognised Marlow as a potential UK and European base for his new company, LIGHTSTORM 3D By Matthew Corrigan Published: April 23, 2024 ...
23/04/2024
IBC launches 2024 Innovation Awards with new categories
The five categories cover Content Creation, Content Distribution, Content Everywhere, Social Impact and Environment & Sustainability By Matthew Corrigan Publ...
23/04/2024
Pascal Fratellia leaves Olympics role at EBU
He played a central role in securing key broadcast rights, including the FIFA World Cup 2018 and 2022 By Matthew Corrigan Published: April 23, 2024 He pla...
23/04/2024
Discover what is new: Mistika Boutique and Ultima enhance conforming, rendering and project collaboration
Published On: April 23rd, 2024 data-orig-src=https://www.sgo.es/wp-content/upl...
23/04/2024
Rohde & Schwarz introduces new R&S SMB100B microwave signal generator for analog signal generation up to 40 GHz
Rohde & Schwarz introduces new R&S SMB100B microwave signal generator for analog...
23/04/2024
FilmLight Colour Awards welcomes 2024 entries and introduces new Emerging Talent' award
Entries open from 1 May 31 July to colourists on any grading platform The Fil...
23/04/2024
Niels Steenstrup appointed CEO of Thales InFlyt Experience
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn We thank TK for his leadership and dedication to our customers' success. We wish him well on his retirement, said Yannick ...
23/04/2024
Thales opens a new System Testing Centre for German F126 project
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn On April 23rd 2024, Thales, the German Navy and German military procurement agency, BAAINBw (Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipm...
22/04/2024
UKTV Ventures partners with Elder, in airtime-for-equity deal
22 April 2024 - Award-winning broadcaster UKTV has today announced it has invested in the award-winning online care marketplace, Elder, using its multi-million ...
22/04/2024
Taylor Swift's THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT' Breaks Multiple Spotify Records in Less Than 24 Hours
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. On April 19, Taylor Swift dropped her ...
22/04/2024
Adapting to Landscapes With LEE Filters
In this video, LEE Filters ambassador Jordan Banks ventures into Snowdonia National Park in Wales. Faced with less-than-ideal weather conditions, he adapts his ...
22/04/2024
Ross Video expands graphics portfolio with Bannister Lake Software acquisition
The Chameleon solution provides access to real-time data from a range of sources, enabling users to construct tickers, L-bars, snipes, web widgets and full fram...
22/04/2024
What happened in Vegas: 2024 edition
TVBEuropes editor Jenny Priestley highlights some of the main talking points at this years NAB Show By Jenny Priestley Published: April 22, 2024 TVBEurope...
22/04/2024
Rohde & Schwarz expands footprint in India by opening new state-of-the-art facility in Bengaluru
Rohde & Schwarz expands footprint in India by opening new state-of-the-art facil...
22/04/2024
Comscore at the 19th Annual Needham Technology, Media & Consumer Conference
Comscore at the 19th Annual Needham Technology, Media & Consumer Conference RESTON, Va., April 22, 2024 Comscore (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for plannin...
22/04/2024
CODA Audio system is Crowning Glory for Brooklyn Cultural Hub
Crown Hill Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, officially opened its doors with a red-carpet event in early December 2023. The brainchild of entrepreneur and musicia...
22/04/2024
Cian Cobhin's An Taobh Tuathail marks 25 years on air
An Taobh Tuathail (ATT), RT Raidi na Gaeltachta's flagship alternative radio, presented by Cian C obh in show turns 25 in May 2024. The acclaimed music ...
20/04/2024
Taylor Swift's THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT Breaks Multiple Spotify Records in Less Than 24 Hours
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. On April 19, Taylor Swift dropped her ...
19/04/2024
Thank You for visiting us at NAB 2024!
Thank You for visiting us at NAB 2024! Thank you for joining us at the ToolsOnAir booth during NAB Show 2024! We were delighted to showcase our latest inno...
19/04/2024
How Spotify Approaches Safety With Sarah Hoyle, Global Head of Trust and Safety
Spotify's mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the ...
19/04/2024
Spotify and Taylor Swift Create a One-of-a-Kind Library To Celebrate THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT'
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. Today, Taylor Swift dropped her 11th s...