Fan Cam, Live Drone Highlight On-Site Production of USL Summer Showcase VISTA Worldlink/NEP team brings full on-site operation to tentpole event in Colorado Springs By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Wednesday, August 9, 2023 - 2:48 pm
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It's a tentpole night in the USL Championship on Wednesday as the Colorado Springs Switchbacks host FC Tulsa in the USL Summer Showcase.
The USL Summer Showcase is an annual date on the league calendar that features executive meetings, a fan fest, and a high-profile match which, this year, will air on ESPN2 (9 p.m. ET). To meet the demands of the special occasion, the USL's production partner VISTA Worldlink/NEP Broadcast Services will break out of their traditional centralized production workflow and bring a full production truck and on-site crew to Weidner Field in Colorado Springs.
The live game crew will also be experimenting with a collection of new camera angles never used before on a USL match: a live drone, cameras in each of the goal nets, and even a Marshall camera in the hands of a Switchbacks fan.
The production team hopes to push the limits in unique ways with the live drone. In addition to scenic shots of the new stadium and the beautiful surrounding geography of Colorado Springs, the hope is to make the drone a key part of match coverage.
The USL Summer Showcase will take place at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo Courtesy: Mike Freedman)
I think soccer has real potential [with live drones], says Mike Freedman, VP & Executive Producer, Production Services at VISTA Worldlink and NEP Broadcast Services. We want to see how far we can push it. We want to use it in action and not just with reactions and scenics. We've been working with the team and the city to try to be able to do that. We're excited about the potential and the different shots we hope to get.
While Freedman couldn't committ to exactly what shots would ultimately make it on air, he did say his team would experiment with many different looks, including potentially flying above the touchlines as an alternate, more dynamic main game cameras or swooping in lower for looks at set pieces like corner kicks. The drone is a DJI Air 2S provided by Rush Media, which is also providing the production truck from which the game will be produced: Rush RMTC-1.
The USL Summer Showcase match between the Colorado Springs Switchbacks and FC Tulsa on ESPN2 will be produced by Mackenzie Pearce (left) and directed by Gage Tillotson.
As for the Fan Cam, the production crew will be giving a fan (Annie Coffman) a small Marshall camera to hold that the front bench can cut to live at any point in the broadcast they wish. Coffman is expected to travel the Fan Fest with the camera in addition to taking in the match in a section on the sideline between the benches.
These angles will also supplement the typical standard compliment of four game cameras (Grass Valleys) available to producer Mackenzie Pearce and director Gage Tillotson.
The USL Summer Showcase is the only event on the league's calendar other than the Final where VISTA/NEP's live match operations travel to site. The entire rest of the year is done as centralized productions from VISTA's South Florida-based headquarters. VISTA/NEP is working closely in Colorado Springs with the USL's Media Director Matt Fischer, as well as Rush Media VP and Executive Producer Annie Curry to pull off their special show.
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Fan Cam, Live Drone Highlight On-Site Production of USL Summer Showcase VISTA Worldlink/NEP team brings full on-site operation to tentpole event in Colorado Springs By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
