This Video Showing An NBA Cameraman Flawlessly Covering All The Action From The Floor Is INSANELY Impressive
I'm willing to concede that I may be one of the few people who had never seen anything like this, but I find that video insanely impressive. We've all seen the camera guys during games, but I can't ever remember seeing this type of video up close where you can see whatever the hell they're doing. I get it, this is why these guys are pros and are working NBA playoff games, but that doesn't take away from how awesome it is.
I feel like as fans who just watch this hit on TV, we take stuff like this for granted. The casual fan either doesn't realize or even have any idea of what goes on behind the scenes from a production standpoint to put on these broadcasts. I know I'm certainly not thinking of the cameraman work when a game is going on. If anything, I just get upset when a producer moves the feed to some sort of weird camera angle. Remember the TNT drone?
If I could go on a quick tangent about this shit, enough of this kind of stuff. These are the playoffs. You know what I want to see? The game in a normal view. This is even more true in the event my favorite team is playing. I don't need a baseline view, I don't need a top of the backboard view, and I certainly don't need any sort of drone view. I'm convinced that if you're watching your favorite team and the camera switches to anything other than the standard view, something bad immediately happens. Maybe it's a turnover, maybe it's a big momentum shot that goes against your team. I don't have the numbers to back that up, but in my heart I know it's true. So if there are any TNT producers reading this blog, cut the shit. You don't have to be cute. Nobody gives a shit about the "cool" angles. These games are stressful enough, just let us watch it in a normal view.
Rant over.
OK back to that video. The tracking on those shots and the baskets is crazy to see. How they perfected the zoom also? That was beautiful. You can tell that fella has maybe done this a time or two in his day. Put aside all the technical stuff that makes this so impressive, how about the fact that these dudes have to sit for 2.5 hours cross-legged on the floor and have a camera that I imagine is not light on their shoulders for the entire time? My weak ass shoulders hurt just watching it. To be able to power through and not miss a beat is equally as impressive as the technical skill in my opinion.
Watching this reminded me of a time when back in college I helped "volunteer" during ESPN game nights. Whenever there was a big game on ESPN that took place in Tempe/Phoenix, ESPN would outsource a bunch of college kids to do some grunt work. They cut you a check for like $75, hooked you up with a buffet or sorts for dinner, and gave you an ESPN vest which basically allowed you to go wherever you want within the arena. On the field/court, in the locker rooms, as long as you were able to fake like you were supposed to be there, nobody questioned it.
I remember during my time at ASU I was fortunate enough to work
- ASU vs UCLA (Harden years)
- Cardinals vs Saints on MNF
- Diamondbacks vs Dodgers on Sunday Night Baseball
My jobs weren't anything crazy which was perfect for me. I remember for the baseball game my job was to hold some sort of parabolic mic at first base so the broadcast could get some audio clips and then run the stat sheet to the broadcast booth. This was during the Jon Miller/Joe Morgan era, so that alone was awesome. At the time Manny Ramirez had just been traded to the Dodgers so I just spent the whole time telling him how much I missed him since I was positioned right next to their dugout. He laughed.
For both the college basketball and MNF game, I had a much more involved job that actually ties into that cameraman video.
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You know how during basketball games when there's a timeout you usually see the camera zoom in on a guy as they walk to the huddle? Well, it was my job to make sure I was coiling the cord to the camera when the dude got up and ran onto the floor. Having never done that before in my life, I was terrified. That shit is NOT as easy as it looks, especially when you're in a time crunch. I'm pretty sure when they asked what everyone wanted to do all I heard was if you did that job you'd be able to sit on the floor, and that was good enough for me. I remember blatantly lying saying I had done it before, and the next thing I knew I was on the wood. It wouldn't shock me if that cameraman hated my guts because I was very, very bad at it. Probably because my forearms are not strong and the longer it took the more I started to panic, but whatever. When ASU upset UCLA and we all rushed the court, I was the first guy on the floor. I'll never forget the moment James Harden and I had together as we were both instantly mobbed by the crowd. What a moment.
So maybe my history is why I find that video at the top of this blog to be so impressive, but I dunno. I don't know how you could suggest it isn't. Sure it's just a guy doing his job, but that doesn't mean it isn't cool as hell. Seeing the best do what they do is awesome, especially when it's a look I don't think I've ever seen before.