VIDEOTAPING FOR AUGUST TWO-A-DAYS

The key to having productive video sessions during August two-a-days and the regular season is being completely organized. Some questions you ought to ask are:

·     When a game ends, who is responsible for breaking down the film?

·     Who prepares tape for coaches and management for game preparation?

·     How do coaches/scouts prefer film "cut up" on players?

·     Want to be involved in scouting opponents and helping players with their individual match ups?

·     Are you familiar with conference or league policies on tape exchange?

It is unlikely that everyone is going to be proficient in all phases of handling video for the team unless someone on staff already has a professional background in communications and video production. It would be worthwhile if each coach knew at least how to load video onto the computer and save it. But for the most part, it would be best to have one individual who is in charge of video operations and can handle the majority, if not all phases, proficiently. For purpose of clarity, this person will be referred to as Director of Video Operations (DVO) throughout the article.  

Before each practice, the DVO should meet with the coaching staff and videographers to prioritize what should be videotaped. At Carson-Newman, we generally videotape all position groups continuously for the first week, then focus more on specific positions as formations and schemes are gradually introduced. The wide angle videographer handles mostly the skill position practices and matchups whereas the end zone videographers focus on offensive/defensive line drills and quarterback/running back exchanges.

For the most efficient operation, it is ideal to have three or more videographers who the DVO oversees. But if there is only room for two, then make the most of what you have. For two-man operations, go with a wide angle to cover skill position matchups, 7-on-7 drills, 11 on 11, etc. Place offensive and defensive line groups in the same end zone area so the videographer can minimize movements and focus on videotaping. If you go with a three man operation, then you can videotape either line group from both end zones. 

Extra care should be given to the cameras and any other equipment in the case of inclement weather. There should also be enough lighting. So, if practice occurs while it is getting dark, simply turn on the stadium lights. 

Meet with each coach to see what they are looking for. A defensive line coach may want more individual drills, so it may be necessary for one video coordinator to come down to ground level and videotape up close.  Perhaps the quarterback coach wants more detail on the exchanges with the center.  If so, close-up shots between the two from the side may be helpful.      

The file system should be organized in a way that is efficient and easy to find. One method may be to label your master folder according to Spring Practice, August, or Regular Season and then label according to individual game/practice. 

For example, a practice conducted on April 11, 2012 could be labeled 4-11-12 and saved to the Spring Practice 12 folder. From there, you could do individual cut-ups according to position groups and save them into a folder for each coach to put up in the conference room or their office. I recommend always creating a backup copy of each practice and game just in case the computer crashes while you are working or if you encounter bugs/viruses. After your work for the day is done, you can either delete the backup files or copy onto a DVD for future use. I’d recommend creating a folder titled  “Backup Copy” for simplification purposes.     

After the video is loaded and the cut ups are made, it would be up to the coaches to provide feedback to the DVO and the video staff as to what they would like to have covered next or how improvements can be made. Is the wide camera angle too far out? Maybe not enough lead time when players are coming out of the huddle? Is the camera shaky? Then, the DVO can make the necessary corrections.

VIDEOTAPING FOR THE REGULAR SEASON

If you have the routine down during August Two-A-Days, then practices and home games during the regular season should be pretty straight-forward. It is videotaping according to the wishes of the coaching staff. 

The biggest challenge is when traveling. Extra care should be afforded to making sure equipment is stored properly so it doesn’t get damaged, loss or mishandled. Do your equipment checks the day before you leave so any problems can be addressed. It would also be a good idea to know the situation you will deal with when visiting opposing stadiums. What is their press box like? Will you be shooting on top of the press box or in a small room? Do they have extra outlets? Always take two or three tapes per camera just in case one doesn’t work properly or the game goes into overtime.             

You would shoot the game as you would practice. That is, follow the action and keep the shooting tight so you don’t run out of tape. Record when they are in the huddle so you can cover the entire play and not run the risk of missing part of the play. It is basically a matter of starting and stopping and staying on top as the game progresses.

After the game is over, take extra care to make sure all your equipment is wrapped up and accounted for. If you have a laptop, edit the game while you are returning home so you can save yourself a few hours of extra work in the office.   

BE FAMILIAR WITH VIDEOTAPING POLICIES

Last, but not least, be familiar with conference or league policies with regard to photographing and videotaping athletic events. This could range from tape exchange with another team to videotaping opposing coaches while a practice or game is in progress. There have been some highly publicized incidents over the years regarding these issues and it is only going to be more prevalent as the use of videotaping grows. Even high schools have sophisticated video operations. Each league uses different digital video editing software. Learn the software used by most teams in your conference at the very least. Also, contact the league office to obtain a copy of the guidelines and rules pertaining to videotaping operations.