Background
From “the Daily Telegraph” (03 Feb 2015)
“… Sky wins battle for broadcast rights to The Open as one of sport’s most iconic events set to disappear from free-to-air TV after 61 years…”
Malcolm Walker
I was commiserating with Cecil about the loss of The Open and I thought you might like to see his observations:
"…Yes, very sad about “The Open” moving to the opposition but there you are , money, money, money no question about loyalty to the Beeb for all the years of coverage and technical developments.
I .. remember those historic first few programmes from St.Andrews which were covered by MCR 11 using all of its three Image Orthicon super sensitive cameras from a site adjacent to Auchterlonie’s Golf shop by the eighteenth and the sensation created by cameramen like Arthur Reid, Peter Basset and possibly even new boy, Bruce Allen when they showed they could follow a ball in flight from drive to landing – well sometimes ! Great trail blazing days indeed…"
Albert Barber
I’m not very interested in Golf but have enormous respect for the expertise of the coverage. It was the BBC OBs and production teams that the new company inherit and like the racing and football the years of work done by teams at the BBC seem to me to be just given away. Without all their work in the past the quality of sports coverage would not, I’m sure, be the same.
Pat Heigham
From a Sound man!
A cameraman I regularly worked with, told me that the trick was to wind the viewfinder brightness right down, so the white ball was virtually the only thing visible.
Peter Cook
That’s ok unless the ball is black, which happens when shot against the light! Of course if the light is side on then you get a choice of black or white.
Remember that viewfinders used always to be monochrome. Remember even if the light is behind the camera that you need a good racks operator who might be watching 2 or 3 cameras with balls simultaneously in the air.
Nick Rodger
As the Cameraman who did the 18th green for the BBC on almost every golf tournament we covered from 1996 until 2012 at Lytham St. Annes, when I finally snapped and just couldn’t cope with The BBC and SIS treating its loyal staff and freelancers like refugees in a transit camp, let me assure you that any camera operator can make any tweaks to their viewfinder, and how their camera is set up, and especially which colour they monitor, but the deal-breaker on whether that camera operator can follow any 1.68 inch diameter, peak white ball into a sky of brightness between darkest grey or greater than peak white (back-lit white clouds), at a distance of up to 500 plus yards is simply how good your racks operator is, and are they paying attention to your camera.
However good a cameraman you are, however much the conditions are in your favour, if your racks operator doesn’t stop your camera down before the ball hits the skyline, no chance. It was much easier when racks operators had two cameras to control, before the bean counters decided one operator could rack four cameras at a time.
Geoff Fletcher
However, it’s not only economics that has forced racks guys to look after four cameras instead of only one or two, available space for racks within OB scanners is also a limiting factor. Generally speaking, on NEP-Visions sports coverage, the two most used cameras (eg. 1 and 2 on football) would be racked by one guy, while the others would handle up to four cameras each. So, on a big game you would need space for at least five racks operators which takes up a lot of room.
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Steve Jellyman
Like Nick, I also operated a camera on the 18th green, from 1987 until I said ‘goodnight’ 4 years ago!
Originally I worked as freelance for TWI, then on the live OB’s for ‘European Tour Productions’ and US ABC on the Open.
The working atmosphere was excellent and we had a lot of fun. There was always a close relationship between Production and Crews especially between camera persons and the director. Importantly everybody respected each other’s talents.
I rarely worked on the golf for the BBC; only on the ‘Matchplay’ at Wentworth for 3 years, and of course on mutually shared rostrums on the Open.
Firstly there was always a problem with the fee; they paid less than everyone else. A difficult situation to start with. Accommodation with ETP was always good; we stayed at the best hotels, in whichever country we were. A different story with the BBC! University dormitories, etc! etc!
The director and producer invariably never knew who was on each camera, and never made any attempt to find out, nor even introduce themselves! The ‘oily rag’ syndrome comes to light! More relevant to the camera coverage though was the total indifference to the experience and expertise of individual camera persons. Many times I was appalled that so many had never even worked on golf, let alone even ‘followed a ball’! This was certainly the case on the Open. And of course it showed! The BBC are now shocked that they have lost the contract for the Open. They should not have done. Sadly we will now all have to pay to watch. Whose fault is that? They only have themselves to blame.
See The Joy Of Location Accommodation
Tony Crake
No doubt the camera coverage for GOLF became more polished over the years.
BUT also the Sound Output… I became part of it from the Beginning of the 1980s when the new CMCCR was built.. Sound Coverage was sort of minimal up to then, with very old microphones pressed into service that had a low residual value. Tee shots were just a "one legged click" with no surrounding ‘atmos’ . Some of the Par 5 fairways were covered by a radio mike or maybe not. The Green Mic. was probably stuck on top of the camera atop a tall rostrum, great for distant applause but no ball effects or players’ chat… The American Golf appeared to have no effects at all.. their commentators talked over everything anyway!
Then Barry Hawes arrived with big ideas and pretty soon started to change things.. Out went all those rusty old 4035 "Apple and Biscuit" things! A Sennheiser 416 on the tee!
I can remember the first time we tried it … truly fantastic!.. the Director Ricky Tilling ducked, "Christ! Barrie what was that ?"
Then the Green Mics(now stereo) became Green Mics right down on the edge of the putting surface. Radio Mike on each fairway that wasn’t a short hole. It became quite a HUGE sound rig as the LDK5 Cameras arrived and with the greater range and flexibility of the Triax system covered more and more holes.
Within a few years it was apparent that the American sound coverage also improved (they must have been listening) and our Commentators would actually refer to our FX coverage as imparting some additional information on the quality of a stroke!
Seems very funny to think that this has all come to an end !!
Albert Barber
Depressed and angry at something that was free for the viewer but is now to make even more money in the hands of the sports bodies and companies concerned and not to mention Digger himself!
Peter Cook
Not to mention the risk of missing crucial putts because of ad breaks!
As one of the team which invested substantially in honing techniques both logistical and technical, I find it depressing to see golf follow cricket, horse racing and motor racing to a broadcaster that I do not and will not watch.
