Once again Turner will use a helicopter-mounted HD camera for coverage of a major NBA event. Pictured is the setup used at last year’s NBA Western Regional Finals in Los Angeles.
Turner Network Television (TNT) and Turner Sports will use HD cameras exclusively for its coverage of the 2005 NBA All-Star Game and the surrounding NBA All-Star events Feb. 18-20, in Denver.
TNT will rely on 35 cameras – the most the network has ever used to cover the event - for its 1080i HD presentation. Other production elements will include a helicopter HD cam, Magic Cam, Cablecam and TotalMotion. A new All-Star-specific host set also will be unveiled for TNT’s Emmy Award-winning studio show.
According to Turner Sports Senior Vice president and Coordinating Director Lenny Daniels, the NBA ALL-Star event is “a great platform” to showcase advanced production technology in an “electrifying and creative way.”
Some of the unique cameras to be used for TNT’s All-Star coverage include:
- An HD camera system located on a helicopter for aerial beauty shots of Colorado – the network first used this during last year’s NBA All-Star coverage;
- Magic Cam, a virtual camera that lets TNT pull frames of live game action, logos and players, and transform those images into 3-D to be projected on various downtown Denver landmarks;
- Cablecam, which will provide a full-court, aerial view of all the action.
Additionally, TNT will use TotalMotion, a technique that can pull frames of live action and paste them together in one shot to paint a visual map of a player’s (or the ball’s) path toward the basket.
TNT’s new All-Star host set for its Inside the NBA studio team features state-of-the-art technology from XL Video that allows LEDs to be placed into various shapes. The backdrop will use video screens in the shape of the Rocky Mountain peaks to represent Colorado. In addition, the LED technology will be used on top of the circular lighting grid above the set. The monitors will be used for an assortment of video, including highlights, features and graphics.
This year’s NBA All-Star coverage is the 20th for Turner Sports.
