Olympic Sailing: TV Could have been better

Print Page | Close Window

TV Could have been better

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Olympic Sailing
Forum Discription: The top end racing in our sport
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4520
Printed Date: 25 Jun 25 at 9:32am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: TV Could have been better

Posted By: nutonthetiller
Subject: TV Could have been better
Date Posted: 17 Aug 08 at 9:02pm

We have had the most TV coverage ever of Olympic sailing, but it could have been so much better.

The Chinese director obviously has no knowledge of sailing and keeps cutting away as soon as an interesting situation develops. If there is a developing incident at a mark, rest assured you wont see it.

Why oh why do we have Richard Simmonds commentating? He shows a low level of knowledge of dinghy sailing and is frequently corrected by Shirley. He also has a very annoying habit of starting and then not finishing sentences. BBC get rid of him, please!

Also what is the bit where he says "now over to Rob" on the water all about? We never hear Rob and certainly never see him.

Come on BBC you could do better! This is certainly an area we can improve on for 2012

Nut on the Tiller

Replies:

Posted By: mossman
Date Posted: 17 Aug 08 at 9:58pm

To be honest I am not sure the directors are any worse than the directors of any other sport. Obsession with close-ups and the crowd when there are some really interesting things going on seems to be the norm. Maybe it is intensional and shouting at the TV makes you feel more involved.

Cannot see what would be going through someones mind to think we would be more interested in seeing a man in a Danish Flag dress rather than seeing the Danish boat being righted before any other boats appear on the scene.

However, I am just happy to see that the whole races are being screened. It is a lot more than I expected.

Posted By: Lukepiewalker
Date Posted: 18 Aug 08 at 7:06am

Who says the director is Chinese? Apparently the filming is being done by Americans.
Richard Simmonds is also quick to tell us that he has been filling in viewers on BBC1 and that you can switch across to see the interview Rob is doing there...

-------------
Ex-Finn GBR533 "Pie Hard"
Ex-National 12 3253 "Seawitch"
Ex-National 12 2961 "Curved Air"
Ex-Mirror 59096 "Voodoo Chile"

Posted By: nutonthetiller
Date Posted: 18 Aug 08 at 8:26am

I just assumed that the directors were Chinese. If they are American than that explains it. Surprised in that case that the marks aren't blow up Coke cans though!

Talked about this at my club yesterday, the consensus was that Richard Simmonds must be know as Dick to most of his acquaintances!

Next time Dick says "over to Rob Walker" I will try flicking to BBC1, thanks for that. I have watched most mornings before work and have not realised that you have to do that. Seemed to me that Dick just wanted to go off for a cup of tea (rhyming slang).

Posted By: laser4000
Date Posted: 18 Aug 08 at 8:35am

I think the directors are rubbish...take the finish to the 470 medal race, they cut away from a cut-throat finish to view the Aus reaction, who already knew they had gold medals..so it wasn't going to be that hot..

and then neraly missed the incredibly close finish to determine the silver, bronze

Oh and why no replays? - Take the yngling medal race 1st windward mark..USA causing chaos and appeared to infringe AUS, never replayed..but more ('relatively dull') shots of boats going downhill

Posted By: nutonthetiller
Date Posted: 18 Aug 08 at 9:58am

Look at this

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/sailing/7398488.stm - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/sailing/7398488.stm

Glad I have missed Rob Walker wot a t**t!

Posted By: timeintheboat
Date Posted: 18 Aug 08 at 11:28am

How could it be done better?

- At the start - selectively mike up the RO so we know what is happening - or at least oblige them to talk to someone on the boat to explain what. Have a camera on the start boat(s) and looking down the line + aerial shot.
- upwind it is impossible to know where anyone is by looking at the boats and it is quire boring and it takes quite a long time. GPS is required and on the windward mark with distances to the mark with wind direction and strength. The GPS should make it easy to collate a top 10.
- focus on a boats from the side and behind with the expert describing what they are doing and why. Also look out for little races betwen two boats (a la F1).
- At the marks watch the boats approaching (they are good shots) + GPS graphics to confirm who is where. Keep on the leading n boats as they go around + aerial shots. Have a rules expert (the TV jury) to indicate in simple terms who can do what. On board cameras + expert analysis of waht they are doing.
- If there are any incidents - action replay and analysis.
- down wind focus on boats from the side and behind and on board with expert analysis. GPS graphics and score boards again with distances to the next mark. Comments from the TV jury member. With GPS could we not have some guage of speed since last mark?
- At the finish - watch the boats come in with another camera across the line (as in vritually every other sport) to confirm who crossed when.
- In the medal races cut to the winners etc when there is no line action.

We have to accept that non-sailors won't watch whole races - so this is for those that do the sport. It should then be possible to put a non-sailor summary together with some sailing action shots - not just of some guy(s)/gals saing in waving a flag.

Have I missed something? If not can I have the job for Weymouth?

-------------
Like some other things - sailing is more enjoyable when you do it with someone else

Posted By: getafix
Date Posted: 18 Aug 08 at 12:55pm

There is certainly room for improvement, but let's not get too carried away, this is only the 2nd time (I can recall) when we've been able to hit the 'red button' and see the racing anyway, normally the 1st week of the Olympics is 70% swimming, 10% gymnastics, 10% rowing and then some other stuff - now you can actually choose from a wide variety of sports which has been good.

Think the boat tracking could be much improved for 2012, this would allow a much better inset graphic (or graphics) showing fleet positions and relative overall positions during each race - it's technology that already exists in the broadcast world so it just needs 'tweaking' for the Olympics.

Also - why not put the 'on the water' reporter in a boat with a cabin, then they'd be able to make themselves heard without the bedlam that very obviously caused 'rob on the water' to go missing so much - difficult to keep all that gear dry and functioning in a RIB???

Can't help but think that Olympic courses also provide dull coverage, with beat-run-beat-run there's not much for the TV camera's to work with and even those of us who understand sailing are left wondering who's doing well or not,,,, people might counter that reaching may become a bit of a procession, but at least you'd have an idea of where everyone is in the race if they did a short reach at the top or bottom of the course each round.

-------------
Feeling sorry for vegans since it became the latest fad to claim you are one

Posted By: Laser 173312
Date Posted: 18 Aug 08 at 1:39pm

Agree with most of this tread.

But IMHO the only way there will be better coverage in 2012 is if the broadcaster (I assume the BBC) actually does some preperation and shows the test events. Because sailing is so rarely on TV the companies have no knowledge of how to cover it. So they need to practice it and get some people with sailing knowledge behind the cameras and in the directors seat.

To be fair however they do seem to be using the tracking a bit more now.

Posted By: Lukepiewalker
Date Posted: 18 Aug 08 at 6:42pm

All the GPS data you requested is there. For some reason they didn't have much of the on screen graphics until the medal races, when they were used quite effectively in some races, not so much in the 49ers...

-------------
Ex-Finn GBR533 "Pie Hard"
Ex-National 12 3253 "Seawitch"
Ex-National 12 2961 "Curved Air"
Ex-Mirror 59096 "Voodoo Chile"

Posted By: ptcruiser
Date Posted: 18 Aug 08 at 9:25pm

The coverage may not be good...but at least its on.

Posted By: laser4000
Date Posted: 18 Aug 08 at 9:49pm

I have to say I'm pretty peeved with the BBC's evening highlights footage - sunday Ben get's his third gold and the sarah's their second (&pip's 1st!) - what do we get in the higlights probgramme - about 3 minutes of footage in total...and then the spend 3 minutes on the bloked that beat our guy in the pommel horse.

Ditto tonight Nick / Joe comeback to get silver against incredible odds - 45 seconds or so.. Twiddly tweddle with an (albeit unlucky) leather medal - a good 3-4 miniutes.
Some BBC talking head fannying around in tianmen square with a cut-out of phelps at least 2 minutes...

What a load of tosh - or is it 'commond denominator tv?'

Posted By: downwindatspeed
Date Posted: 19 Aug 08 at 1:19am

Enjoying the coverage on the BBC - how often can we see this much live sailing. The presentation is strong and for the first time ever non sailing members of my family have become engaged in the coverage.
The 49er race was just compelling, the best sailing I have watched. Looking forward to more early mornings and more medals.

Posted By: mossman
Date Posted: 19 Aug 08 at 7:55am

I guess the key question is what the sailing via red button viewing figures have been (hopefully with people having the wit to ignore the extended live coverage of windmills).

If they have been poor then we may end up with less coverage come 2012. If they have been OK, we can probably expect more of the same. I guess it is only if they have been good that we can expect the investment in time and money for the types of improvements suggested in this thread.