FIRST Championship: Made for TV?

[KTorak]

I think at least Championships should be televised. You could definitely draw a good viewer base from the thread starters method. You could also make a series where you follow a few times through their whole season, then replay this in the fall in preparation for the upcoming season.

[ahecht]

As other people have mentioned, the real thing that is needed here is better coordination between the play-by-play announcers and the video directors. In a real televised sporting event, the play by play guy can see not only the final TV output, but several other camera shots as well. He then typically choses to describe something which is caught by one of those cameras (or, in the rare occasion that he mentions something not on one of his monitors, he'll very carefully describe exactly where it is happening so that the director can tell one of the camera guys to cover it). The director then choses which shots to cover based primarily on what the announcer is saying.

I've never seen this sort of coordination at a first event.

[David Brinza]

Originally Posted by ahecht

As other people have mentioned, the real thing that is needed here is better coordination between the play-by-play announcers and the video directors. In a real televised sporting event, the play by play guy can see not only the final TV output, but several other camera shots as well. He then typically choses to describe something which is caught by one of those cameras (or, in the rare occasion that he mentions something not on one of his monitors, he'll very carefully describe exactly where it is happening so that the director can tell one of the camera guys to cover it). The director then choses which shots to cover based primarily on what the announcer is saying.

I've never seen this sort of coordination at a first event.

Professional football telecasts have the multiple angles, graphical "telestrators", slow motion replays, and play-by-play analysts - all orchestrated by a director. This is not going to happen instantly with FIRST, but moving in that direction can really improve the public's interest in the game. Right now, the games sometimes appear chaotic and the strategic aspects are almost completely lost in the televised coverage. I'm looking forward to the GTR coverage by Discovery Channel Canada to see how they do (and to watch a really great regional)!!

[Koko Ed]

The only type of coverage that, in my opinion, that would do any FIRST event the proper justice that it deserves is what Cable channel 4 ran in Rochester for this year's FLR. Which is basically what you see on the screen at the event. Uninterrupted and commercial free.
Therefore there is no way nay major network would even think of touching this with a ten foot pole. They can't provide the amount of coverage to do the event justice and they wouldn't get the return on the event in ad revenue to satisfy them. Outside of public access or public television or one of the science channels FIRST won't work on the major networks or any of the sport channels (yes ESPN did the championship for a bit but they won't cover hundreds of matches commercial free no matter how good it is for the American public. They're one the reasons sports have become the bloated overexosed monster that Dean keeps railing against).

[ClaudiaL]

Aside from having the Championship televised live, I think it would be cool to have a type of documentary that could be televised on cable TV (e.g. on Discovery Channel). They could go to teams' schools and interview the kids and maybe even visit during build season to check up on the students' progress as well as maybe give behind-the-scenes looks about what it takes to make these competitions happen. They could do a few teams, like a rookie team and some more well established teams. I don't know, to me it seems that that would be the easiest way to affect more people. Before I participated in FIRST my parents and relatives had no big interest in watching the competitions, it was only after they saw how much of an effect FIRST has on students that they became really interested. I think it would be cool for America to see the entire build process as well as the Competitions. This would give people a better understanding of FIRST as well as a better understanding of the game before they watch any competitions. I know this thread was created to discuss live broadcasts, but here are my two cents anyway .

[David Brinza]

Originally Posted by ClaudiaL

Aside from having the Championship televised live, I think it would be cool to have a type of documentary that could be televised on cable TV (e.g. on Discovery Channel). They could go to teams' schools and interview the kids and maybe even visit during build season to check up on the students' progress as well as maybe give behind-the-scenes looks about what it takes to make these competitions happen. They could do a few teams, like a rookie team and some more well established teams. I don't know, to me it seems that that would be the easiest way to affect more people. Before I participated in FIRST my parents and relatives had no big interest in watching the competitions, it was only after they saw how much of an effect FIRST has on students that they became really interested. I think it would be cool for America to see the entire build process as well as the Competitions. This would give people a better understanding of FIRST as well as a better understanding of the game before they watch any competitions. I know this thread was created to discuss live broadcasts, but here are my two cents anyway .

The thread Discovery Channel Canada profiles Team 188 is about a series of short segments (5 min) on Team 188 (Blizzard, Woburn) last year. Post #15 in that thread has a video link to one of these segments with some very nice background on FIRST as well as their performance in the GTR. These kinds of segments would be perfect to insert between live match coverage to introduce the public to the "behind-the-scenes" world of FIRST and the benefit of FIRST.

[George A.]

Originally Posted by ahecht

As other people have mentioned, the real thing that is needed here is better coordination between the play-by-play announcers and the video directors. In a real televised sporting event, the play by play guy can see not only the final TV output, but several other camera shots as well. He then typically choses to describe something which is caught by one of those cameras (or, in the rare occasion that he mentions something not on one of his monitors, he'll very carefully describe exactly where it is happening so that the director can tell one of the camera guys to cover it). The director then choses which shots to cover based primarily on what the announcer is saying.

I've never seen this sort of coordination at a first event.

I can see where you're coming from, but speaking from an announcer's standpoint, I don't think it's ever going to happen. Namely because of the way that FIRST differs from sports. In professional sports (whether it be football, baseball hockey...etc) the cameras are fixed on the ball and they move with it.

In foot ball it starts with a wide shot of the two lines, then cuts to the quaterback, follows the ball through the air, and cuts to the wide out that catches it.

In baseball, it starts behind the pitcher, then cuts to the camera that has the angle where the ball will land, and then cuts to a wide view of the action on the field.

The reason the play-by-play syncs so well with the cameras is that there's only one scoring object to follow, and only a certain number of players interacting with it. Whereas in FIRST, there are (at least in this years game) 6 robots, all trying to score at once, so trying to orchestrate a pattern that both the announcer and the camera man can follow is HIGHLY difficult, if not near impossible.

But to get back on topic, I'd love to see coverage like they have at the Olympics. Maybe where they have commentators describe what's going on at the event in full...and only show highlights of key/really exciting matches.

Just my two cents though

[KTorak]

Regardless, FIRST needs to get out more. There are so many parents and relatives who have no idea what it REALLY takes. We amazed the parents of so many rookie team members this year with what the build season takes and what it takes during competition.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by KTorak

Regardless, FIRST needs to get out more. There are so many parents and relatives who have no idea what it REALLY takes. We amazed the parents of so many rookie team members this year with what the build season takes and what it takes during competition.

TV coverage of a regional or the championship won't help.
A reality show is more likely to cover that.

[dangerousdave]

Originally Posted by ClaudiaL

Aside from having the Championship televised live, I think it would be cool to have a type of documentary that could be televised on cable TV (e.g. on Discovery Channel). They could go to teams' schools and interview the kids and maybe even visit during build season to check up on the students' progress as well as maybe give behind-the-scenes looks about what it takes to make these competitions happen. They could do a few teams, like a rookie team and some more well established teams. I don't know, to me it seems that that would be the easiest way to affect more people.

Good idea ClaudiaL. In fact, exactly what you described actually happened in the spring of 2004. Discovery Science Channel followed 3 FRC teams around during their robot build and at the GA Dome in April, 2004. I believe the one hour show (with commercials) was broadcast in the fall of 2004.

These teams were rookies 1396, second year 1002 (home town hero) and well established team 56. The show gave a good idea of what each team went through during the build and during the Championship's. A very nice story on team 1396 was that their robot never arrived at the GA Dome from NY and other teams pitched in to help build them a new robot in less than 1 day. They were able to compete by herding balls and blocking other teams during competition. It also showed team 1396 winning the judges award and also featured interviews with Dean K.

The show also showed First Scholarship winners. This was a very good promotional video for First that some current students may not know about.

Team 56 members Anthony Ramnauth, 1002 Ryan Stewart and 1396 Anna Theodoropoulos were featured. Anna's expressions and reaction when her team received the judges award was priceless.

Hopefully something like this video can be produced in the future.

Dave