 Directing style during action elements of a sporting event must be basically invisible.  Directors must place themselves in the position of the audience to show them what they need and want to see.

 Directing Continuous Sports  Quicker pace of camera changes ▪ Continuous action contest provides little or no time to interrupt for color analysis and replay. ▪ Few natural breaks for commercial insertion or for the audience to take a break in their viewing

 Directing Stop & Go  The need to maintain audience interest during timeout periods is the primary challenge. ▪ Pauses in action are frequent and sometimes very long (at least from the viewers’ standpoint). ▪ Replay devices have provided an excellent production value for such periods.

 If the sport provides a conflict ▪ (such as tennis or boxing)  Coverage may concentrate on the dominant player ▪ Not always be the winning player. ▪ Example - a loser who is suffering from injury or losing control of a match may be the story the director wants to cover.

 With team sports there is a built-in interest ▪ because of the complexity of the teams working together.  Individual sports also have their advantages. ▪ The director can increase the emotional level by concentrating on close-up production techniques

 Sport should be fun, and I want viewers to share in the enjoyment I get from the games. ▪ But I also owe it to those same viewers to be thoroughly prepared and to know what I am talking about.  Chris Berman, Commentator, ESPN

 Former athletes or coaches  Often chosen for the role of analyst since an in-depth knowledge of the sport is required.  The play-by-play person (Bill Schonley)  Describes who the athletes are & what they are doing

 The key to good interviewing is to find the things that aren't so obvious. ▪ Interviewers should strive to get responses that tell us something we don‘t know or something that adds a level of depth to the scene. ▪ Ken Colemen and Brad Schultz

 The key to obtaining great story coverage.  Asking the right questions when interviewing ▪ Don’t shy away from asking a player or a coach what his/her rational was behind a bad play. ▪ Talk about the big plays, but don’t forget to discuss what led up to them. Who were the playmakers?