Directing masterclass: Gudren Wanek on setting new records for crew equality at the Women's EHF Euro 2022 By Heather McLean, Editor
Monday, November 21, 2022 - 18:09
Print This Story
Gudren Wanek, freelance director, working on the European Handball Federation Women's EHF EURO 2022
The final weekend of the Women's EHF Euro 2022 saw a new broadcast record in handball, from behind the scenes. The broadcast crew, which was 50% female throughout the event, grew on the last weekend for the Final with more replay operators arriving, taking the female representation on the team to two-thirds.
The team was led by director Gudrun Wanek, who has been directing since 2012 after starting as a replay operator in 2004.
The role of the TV director is basically to make sure that the viewers of the broadcast get to experience every aspect of the event taking place, says Wanek. I usually work in an OB van, where I am in front of a monitor wall, which displays all the sources available: cameras, slow-motion, replay outputs, TV graphics, picture-in-picture frames for video replay situations, and so on. I operate with a vision mixer, on which every button stands for a different source.
At the final weekend of the EHF Euro 2022, which ended on Sunday 20 November, Wanek managed 20 cameras and 10 slow motion replay outputs, as well as six different picture-in-picture frames, plus more.
You can sum it up as I push a lot of different buttons, talk and listen to a lot of people at the same time and, with all this crew effort, try to tell the story of the game as good as possible. It is a bit like being a team coach. You need all the others to deliver a good outcome. You are the guiding figure, says Wanek.
Fast-paced setting
To effectively guide so many people's work in such a fast-paced setting, it helped for Wanek to be familiar with the different team members and they with her. Although the team that worked together for the final weekend of the EHF Euro 2022 had not done so in this exact arrangement before, Wanek has worked with all of them.
I brought the replay crew because that is really crucial; they need to speak the same language. And ideally, they have worked with you before, because you have to be just so quick to bring something on the air that just happened a second before, says Wanek.
The experienced members of the team have backgrounds working in many sports, including football, table tennis, ice hockey, basketball, American football and of course handball. Wanek also played handball and comes from what she describes as, a handball family . Wanek was a director at the Men's EHF Euro 2022, handling the venue in Kosice.
Every broadcast day starts with a plan. You think about what are the possible situations in a match and what do you want each camera to do. So, I have long production briefings before we start the first production day and I go through every camera and tell them what I want from them in every instance of the game. For example, the camera which is low on the court: when there's a penalty, a seven metres, I want one camera to have a close-up of the player who throws and one camera for the close-up of the keeper.
Aside from capturing the match action, there are reaction shots, coaches and the audience. It is important also to capture the emotions of the match; the joy, the disappointment, and so on. I would not differentiate at all between men's and women's handball in terms of quality or speed or anything. In men's handball, they are all like, super serious; mostly. The women, they are having a ton more fun. You see so many smiles and high fives and dancing to music and stuff like that when they start to warm up or before they come onto the court. I see more joy.
When it comes to men's and women's handball, from a perspective of telling the story of the game, there is no difference. The only consideration is the size of the players, which can have a minor impact on some elements of the direction.
I would not differentiate at all between men's and women's handball in terms of quality or speed or anything, says Wanek, although she does find one different prior to the matches. In men's handball, they're all like, super serious - mostly. The women, they are having a ton more fun. You see so many smiles and high fives and dancing to music and stuff like that when they start to warm up or before they come onto the court. I see more joy.
Thinking of differences in men's and women's sport, Wanek says the way different athletes have often been presented in the media and by sports fans springs to mind. She says: It seems clear that some sports photographers, journalists and TV directors focus more on players they deem attractive than others or on trying to highlight features of the athletes' bodies.
As to whether Wanek has seen that change during her career she says: That is definitely something I pointed out to my camera operators as well, says Wanek, discussing some different warm-up games teams might play or exercises they might do that would end up highlighting certain parts of their bodies if shown on TV, as well as particular moments during the matches. That is also something which slowly changes. Many directors don't show that anymore because it is inappropriate, says Wanek.
Clear representation
Although this might be more of a consideration with female players, especially for a female director aiming to ensure positive change in terms of how women are presented and valued, it must also be taken into account for men. That is something which is probably a certain awareness that is changing slowly, says Wanek.
It is not only concerning the athletes where certain shots or focus on particular athletes because of the way they look can be an issue; that can also happen when it c
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched On Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
17/03/2026
NASA+'s Rebecca Sirmons and Brittany Brown offer unique look at live streami...
17/03/2026
The transition to IP has fundamentally reshaped professional media infrastructures. Video, audio, and increasingly metadata now circulate as independent, precis...
17/03/2026
Live sports streaming can push every element in your video delivery chain to its limit, exposing every potential weakness in seconds. When the Super Bowl, the O...
17/03/2026
Texas Athletics sought to modernize its media production, enhance fan experience...
17/03/2026
Ikegami USA will demonstrate the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast...
17/03/2026
TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia announces a new multi-platform collaboration that will integrate iHeartMedia across TNA's premium live events, weekly televisi...
17/03/2026
The goal was to transform Hard Rock Stadium into a global leader in sports and e...
17/03/2026
Spectrum has announced the launch of its new Multiview feature in the Spectrum TV App, giving customers the ability to watch up to four NCAA men's or women&...
17/03/2026
Genius Sports deal also covers data technology, AI, fan engagement, and performance analysis....
17/03/2026
Net Insight is supporting the rollout of a new state-wide centralized operation with Rede Massa, which is an SBT affiliate, the Brazilian regional television ne...
17/03/2026
Featuring audio from practice sessions, qualifying races, and Grand Prix races, the film represents Apple's sports-media ambitions
At Sunday night's Ac...
17/03/2026
Live broadcast has always been one of the most demanding environments in media a...
17/03/2026
DirecTV is introducing several new viewing features, including a multi-screen March Madness Mix channel and an updated Sports Central mobile app hub, ahead of...
17/03/2026
Deltatre has announced a multi-year partnership with ATP Media, the media arm of the ATP Tour, covering broadcast graphics, data, and production across the 2026...
17/03/2026
The Detroit Pistons have announced a third consecutive season partnering with Sc...
17/03/2026
Fresh Finds Africa spotlights emerging artists and movements across the continent and its global diaspora, with listeners tuning in to discover new Afro-forward...
17/03/2026
Last month, more than 60,000 fans piled into Bangkok's Rajamangala National ...
17/03/2026
Vintage-inspired channel strip joins line-up
Black Rooster Audio's latest plug-in provides an all-in-one mixing tool inspired by classic analogue consol...
17/03/2026
Level and EQ voice, reverb and noise independently
The latest plug-in to join Accentize's collection is said to take a new approach to dialogue processi...
17/03/2026
UHF radio mic & IEM bandwidth at risk
Once again, the UHF bandwidth that is currently allocated to RF audio gear is at risk of being reassigned to high-spee...
17/03/2026
Last Friday, the first Plant Fire Department Training Week in Bavaria successf...
17/03/2026
New campaign from NAATI and SBS CulturalConnnect highlights how we all deserve ...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced the launch of a public beta for its new 3D asset streaming platform. Miris is building the infrastruc...
Directing masterclass: Gudren Wanek on setting new records for crew equality at the Women's EHF Euro 2022 By Heather McLean, Editor 
