NHL tv broadcast/camera angles

[TBLfan 25]

For a long time I've been complaining about hockey broadcasts, mainly the commentary has been talked about but I've always had an issue with most camera angles and overall presentation... I know I am not alone.

Part of it is the default camera angle, for example in new york the play often gets lost when a cotton candy vendor walks in front of the play. Obviously in some arenas not much can be done about stuff like this. But one of my biggest complaints is the cameraman in south florida. Everytime I watch a (at home) panthers game I see two things that drive me NUTS. One is that he/she is extremely jerky and the other being that they're zoomed in waaay too far. I know I'm not the only fan that likes to see as much ice as possible, not just the puck.

Another beef I have is switching camera angles at bad times. I don't need to see a zoomed in shot of Brind-amour blowing his camel-like nose on Staal's jersey... especially when the puck is in play.

I also can't stand large banners, ads or graphics covering half the screen. You simply lose the play.

This isn't really just a b*tch session as much as a lead into the question: Why is it that the NHL has these issues? It's such an unprofessional presentation for the league. You don't see a lot of this with football or baseball or even soccer. Even with a sport that's extremely similar to hockey in lacrosse.

And lastly, is it just me or is it gradually getting worse?

[RadioGaGa 162]

Another beef I have is switching camera angles at bad times. I don't need to see a zoomed in shot of Brind-amour blowing his camel-like nose on Staal's jersey... especially when the puck is in play.

I think part of that is in experienced Directors that aren't used to the speed of the game. Think of the sports that get a lot of coverage States side...baseball...football. Games that happen at a much slower speed. You can react and call changes easier than hockey.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

The one consistent in the Comcast broadcasts of the Caps games here, and it drives me nuts, is missing faceoffs. If there are 45 faceoffs in a game, probably 15 are actually on camera.

The most frustrating was when Ovechkin got the hat trick against the Thrashers. Camera was showing the bench, or hanlon or something, then you hear Joe Benanati calling the goal (ovey got the hat trick goal 6 seconds into overtime)

It's maddening, and it's been going on for years.

At the caps season ticket holders meet and greet, we got speaking to Joe benanati (really nice, friendly and engaging guy).

He said they were always trying to come up with new innovations, and were toying with the idea of having all 8 broadcast angles up on the screen for a period. It would clearly be better to those with a big screen TV, but would also allow the viewer to see the game from many perspectives.

I said back at home, for the soccer, Sky Digital plus has 5 or 6 dedicated channels available for their game of the week. You can skip through the different channels to see different angles. They also have a rival channel, where one supporter from each team are put into a booth, and do the commentary on the game.

It's usually very very poor, but I remember a merseyside derby (liverpool/everton) game, where both guys were really funny, and spent the entire game undermining each other through football and their choice of support, it was quality TV.

Also, they said the broadcasters are speaking to the competition committee because 18 seconds is all they have to break down a play before a faceoff, and if that was put back to 30, it would only add maybe 10 minutes to the length of a game, if even that, but the extra 12 seconds would really be beneficial for TV audiences to see replays, get plays broken down, see why a play broke down etc.

[TBLfan 25]

See I don't need all those angles, a rail cam... all I want is to see a large portion of ice and be able to follow the PLAY not the puck carrier or one of the stars of the team. I don't care if Sidney Crosby is skating to the bench when his linemate is making a move into the zone... I want to see the dump in, not Sidney crawl over the boards.

[GSHL99 0]

Some of it's just poor work, such as shooting guys coming off the ice while there's a goal being scored. Part of it is the nature of the game. Most of your sports camera people probably learned a lot more about shooting baseball and football than they did hockey. In those sports the viewer basically wants to "follow the ball." Whether it's a pitch or a pass, the play is always developing around the guy with the ball. In hockey it's difficult because a lot of the time the set up for the score is developing away from the guy that happens to have the puck at the time. Hockey fans know this, and they want to see the guy crashing the net whose going to get the pass and score the goal, or get drilled by a Dman. The speed of the game is also another factor. NHL broadcasts would certainly benefit from taking the time to shoot the games the way the fans want to see them.

[srv2miker 0]

The last Canucks PPV was garbage. I could go on and on, but the most horrific example was when Kevin Bieksa got in a fight but the director thought we'd rather watch the Luongo stand around.

[TBLfan 25]

Some of it's just poor work, such as shooting guys coming off the ice while there's a goal being scored. Part of it is the nature of the game. Most of your sports camera people probably learned a lot more about shooting baseball and football than they did hockey. In those sports the viewer basically wants to "follow the ball." Whether it's a pitch or a pass, the play is always developing around the guy with the ball. In hockey it's difficult because a lot of the time the set up for the score is developing away from the guy that happens to have the puck at the time. Hockey fans know this, and they want to see the guy crashing the net whose going to get the pass and score the goal, or get drilled by a Dman. The speed of the game is also another factor. NHL broadcasts would certainly benefit from taking the time to shoot the games the way the fans want to see them.

That's exactly what I've been thinking. But even if you look at it only football and baseball are like that where you want to follow the ball. Basketball they show the entire half of the court, even lacrosse... WHY NOT HOCKEY?!?! I wouldn't care if they had two cameras that were set to film from the redline to the end boards and they spliced the two together, it would be better than the presentation I've been seeing.

I guess I sound like all broadcasts are horrible.. they aren't. I'm actually lucky with the lightning because they're better than most teams with the overall presentation. I think we got a new cameraman because it isn't as good(doesn't follow the play as well) as previous years. Just as I see more and more camera-work from other teams I've been getting annoyed with how much you miss. I think the worst is in south Florida, the panthers guys are horrible.

[trevor13478 1]

i am really pleased with the work that the NESN guys do with the bruins games. I have only noticed problems a few times, mainly missing faceoffs...

[trevor13478 1]

i am really pleased with the work that the NESN guys do with the bruins games. I have only noticed problems a few times, mainly missing faceoffs...

[Chadd 916]

Also, they said the broadcasters are speaking to the competition committee because 18 seconds is all they have to break down a play before a faceoff, and if that was put back to 30, it would only add maybe 10 minutes to the length of a game, if even that, but the extra 12 seconds would really be beneficial for TV audiences to see replays, get plays broken down, see why a play broke down etc.

If they cut down on all of the promo crap they stuff into the down time, it wouldn't be a problem. Add the time back in and all you're going to get is more promos and lame conversation and maybe 2-3 more plays reviewed. Some broadcasts missed faceoffs under the slower setup and they still miss faceoffs under the new setup.

I hate the rail cam with a passion.

[TBLfan 25]

agreed on all points.

The lightning aren't soo bad with promos and missing game action but they make up for it with graphics during play that take up like 1/3 the screen a few times a game. So it's a either/or type of thing.

[Jason Harris 31]

Ditto on NESN being good.

One thing to consider is they've been broadcasting for years. If we assume many of the camera men and support staff segued from Channel 38 to NESN, they've been broadcasting B's games for nearly 40 years. I remember back in the 70's it was noticeable at times when they used the away team's feed, because the flow wasn't as good.

[Methane 0]

Last night was probably one of the worst broadcasts I've seen. Dallas and LA, I saw a couple shots from a camera obviously sitting on the floor pointed at nothing in particular, blackness, some cameraman pointing in some random direction, and TBLFan's favorite being zoomed WAY in on the puck and missing everything going on around it.