Six of the directors for the HBS-produced World Cup matches include Jon Watts and Jamie Oakford from the UK, François Charles Bideaux and François Lanaud from France, and Wolfgang Straub and Knut Fleischman from Germany.
All six were employed as directors of World Cup matches in Germany 2006, and five of them were selected as match directors for Euro 2008. “For 2010 we monitored the performance of the six directors in regards to the style, size and level of matches they were covering before selection,” said Dan Miodownik, HBS director for the 2010 World Cup production department.
A seventh director, Jean-Jacques Amsellem, is also joining the HBS team. “JJA’s credentials made him an ideal candidate,” Miodownik said. “He directed the final of the World Cup in 1998, and he directs big matches in France on a regular basis. We also felt that France had enough strength in depth in regards to the rest of the personnel so as not to dilute the quality of the production teams.”
Each director has the responsibility to hire 50 production personnel (separate from the technical crew), including cameramen, EVS operators and gallery crew. François Charles Bideaux will direct the World Cup final.
