Amazing Lighting!

I had the privilege this past Friday to attend one of the most incredible productions I have ever seen, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. A few weeks ago a friend of mine, Keith Shaw, posted on Facebook he really would like to go see them. So using my connections I quickly had us a group together and set the date. The closest they were coming to North Georgia was Greenville SC so we made plans to attend… and wow am I glad we did!

Pyrotechnics

Not only was the musical arrangements absolutely phenomenal, the production (lighting, audio, pyrotechnics, video and staging) was by far the best I have ever seen. Being one of the last ticket purchasers we were waaaay up in the upper level, actually the very last row with people in it… however these were my favorite seats! We had a birds eye view of all the amazing elements of the show including lasers, giant balls of fire and innovative moving trusses. Here are a few of the pictures, but click Here for several more.

Violinist in front of Flames

Basic Guidelines for Football Coach’s Film

Being a Video Coordinator for a Division 1 College Athletic Program I see the good, bad and ugly of Coach’s film on a daily basis. The department I lead continually strives for the best quality film we can provide, this past season doing it with very limited resources. A program can have top of the line equipment in the Video Room, such as XOS, DVSports, Professional Cameras etc. or they can be using a simple edit system pushing film to DVD (This year at GSU we utilized the latter system, which will come in a more detailed post later) but ultimately it boils down to the effectiveness of the camera operator actually on the field day in and day out.

In this post I will be covering some of the  most important factors from what I have observed to capturing great Coach’s Film in College Football.

Concentration- In my book this is the most important factor to capturing quality footage. I will admit it is tough to stay concentrated for two hours a day standing 40 feet above the practice field filming each and every play, but it is vital! The second you become distracted you will miss the beginning of a play, miss the ball carrier or worse case scenario think that you’re filming when you’re actually paused… yeah it’s happened. While it may not seem that vital while on the field to capture every millisecond of a play, the coaches back in the office spend countless hours analyzing every detail of it, from pre-snap formations to the tackle.

Framing- Framing is key, especially for team drills. In College Athletics we mainly use two cameras, a Sideline Wide and an Endzone Tight. The Sideline Wide shot keeps all 22 players in the shot for as long as possible, zooming in to the location of the end of the play to see as many jersey numbers as possible. The Endzone Tight angle is generally framed to include the tackle box, and then widens and follows the ball as the play progresses, always keeping the tackle box in the shot until the play finishes.

Movement- This is one of the biggest problems after the above two, smooth movement. Coaches analyze every movement of every player on the screen during the play, and it is impossible or at least very difficult to do so when the camera is moving wildly across the field attempting to follow the ball. It is vital that the operator uses slow zooms and steady pans/tilts to include the play while making it as smooth as possible.

Knowing Football- It is important that the camera operator have a good understanding of Football terms, positions and plays. Often times myself or a coach will tell someone to film the O-Line… which doesn’t work if they don’t know what the O-Line is! Granted it’s usually not that simple but you get the picture.

Passion and Dedication… with a little Talent- To make a great football camera operator you have to love Football, you have to love providing quality film for coaches, you have to be dedicated to constantly learning and honing your craft… and oh yeah having a little talent doesn’t hurt either. I constantly get “running a camera? Well anyone could do that!” from people who have never set foot on a forty foot metal lift perched above a practice field in puring rain attempting to follow an option play where the players on the field can’t see the ball… much less a tiny camera high above. Trust me, as easy as it may sound I assure you it’s not. The individuals I have working for me are incredible at what they do, they work at it and are dedicated to learning more… and the ones that are not usually aren’t around long enough to make a difference.

If you’re in Video for Athletics, comment or send me an email with what you think it takes for great Coach’s Film.

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Next time I’ll cover the way we operated the Video Department this season using Adobe Premier Pro, Jump Drives, borrowed meeting rooms, DVD’s and first time video staffers…. all while attempting to build the program from scratch for our first season.

The ways we operated would work great for smaller schools, especially the High School Teams, who are looking to start or better use Coach’s Film to make an impact on their program.

-Blake Adams

I have the priviledge of working for one of the greatest men I’ve ever met, Bill Curry. He has been sharing his characteristics of a Champion with the team the last few weeks during morning meetings, and I am going to do a quick re-cap here. He also spoke at the Little Rock Arkansas Touchdown Club yesterday, once that video is online I’ll post a link here. It’s really good stuff.

Characteristics of a Champion
1- A Champion Shows Up- No excuses, a champion shows up and works hard everyday
2- Singleness of Purpose- A champion competes with one thing in mind
3- Unselfish- A champion doesn’t care who gets the credit
4- Tough- Being honest when others are not
5-  Smart/Prepared- Willing to do what the competition is not
6- Never Quit- A champion never quits, never.

The team is led to believe they are being interviewed for a major sports show, little do they know that it is none other than Durwood “Doubletalk” Fincher who is a master of making no sense. Watch as the team tries to answer his “serious” questions.

This was a lot of fun to film, however a major struggle not to laugh during the two hours. Editing was also hard as I had over an hour and a half of quality film. Leave some comments, spread it around, and watch for a possible “Part 2″ in the coming weeks.

Wow, it’s been half a month since my last post. You can tell you’re too busy when you can’t take ten minutes to write a post! So because of that I’m now going to block out time on my calendar, hopefully daily, to write a new blog post. I enjoy it way to much to let this thing slide by the way-side.

Anyway, my friend Alex Haynes is a photographer in North East Georgia and she was great enough to do a short photo shoot with me on Saturday before I hosted the ONEWAY Video Awards (more about that later). Here are a few of her pictures, you can check out more in my Facebook Album Here

This week’s Motivational Friday comes from a colleuge who spoke with the team last week. It was a great motivator in using every minute of your life for something positive.

God’s Minute-

I’ve only just a minute,
Only sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon me, can’t refuse it,
Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it,
But it’s up to me to use it.
I must suffer if I loose it,
Give an account if I abuse it.
Just a tiny little minute,
But eternity is in it.

-Dr. Benjamin Mays

Are you making the most of every minute you’ve been given?

Avoid Falling

High above the practice field perched precariously on top of a forty foot steel beam the last thing you would think about doing is Falling Off. However, the lift manufactures find it necessary to warn against this. Nick Bray, one of our video interns, found this very amusing… and I can’t blame him, two hours a day in a lift above the practice field you find A LOT of things amusing!

Wow, it’s bad that I look down and my previous post was also a Motivational Friday! I will do better next week.

This weeks Motivational Friday comes from one of my Co-Workers who serves as our Strength and Conditioning Coach at Georgia State. I’m putting this quote/saying into the Winter Workout Manual I’m helping him to create for the Football Team (a pretty neat thing!)

Impossible is Nothing (Sorry, I don’t know the source)

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given rather than explore the power they have to change it

Impossible is not a fact.

It’s an opinion.

Impossible is not a declaration.

It’s a dare.

Impossible is potential.

Impossible is temporary.

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING!

–Update–
It has been noted this is a John Maxwell Quote based off of a Muhammad Ali Quote.

A new series of posts, more for myself, I’m going to be starting is “Motivational Friday’s”. I’m going to post something; a quote, poem, story or just something I think of, that has been motivational or inspiring to me over the last week. Hopefully it will also give you something to think about as you end your week and look to the next.

So, here is this weeks Motivational Friday. It’s a poem by C.W. Longnecker entitled “The Victor”

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t
If you like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win the prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

Two weeks ago we re-launched our 333 Progressive Services at The Torch Worship Center. This year due to work I’m not able to work as “Hands On” with the service but our Media Director, Brandi Wood, has taken and ran with the service (I was impressed!) It was great to be able to stand in the Sound Booth and see the service from that angle. The first time I haven’t been in the Control Room for one of the 333’s. So here are two of the songs from the Service as well as a brief highlight clip of Pastor Scott and Eric. The first video followed the One Video I put up last week.

“One”

“Nothing is Impossible”

Highlights of Pastor Scott and Eric