NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum: Fox Sports Goes All Out With 1080p HDR Workflows at Historic Venue The broadcaster aims to highlight the building's famous architecture, sold-out crowd By Kristian Hern ndez, Associate Editor
Friday, February 4, 2022 - 1:33 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Throughout the 99-year-history of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the venerated venue has hosted a profusion of professional teams, collegiate programs, and international sports competitions. On Sunday, the National Historic Landmark will be home to another spectacle: the Busch Light Clash. Fox Sports will be behind the wheel for this broadcast and will use this preamble to the NASCAR season to showcase the building as well as to test new equipment.
Stroke of Luck: Rams' Return to the City Gives the Venue a Facelift The broadcaster's journey to producing this event began in September 2021. During the final months of last year, Fox Sports began working closely with the necessary personnel at NASCAR on mapping out their strategy. Led by Field Technical Producer George Grill, the preparation process was significantly affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The L.A. Coliseum is allowing Fox Sports to use a Skycam in the lower bowl for NASCAR's Busch Light Clash. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Fox Sports)
It has come a long way [over the past five months], he says. We had five onsite visits and a lot of phone calls and Zoom meetings to discuss logistics.
From the broadcaster's point of view, the main challenge in putting on this event was working in an edifice that is nearly a century old. Although thousands of events have taken place at the Coliseum, it has never hosted a NASCAR race before. This means that stationary camera positions were constructed to shoot humans playing traditional sports or lower-speed motorcycle races, not stock cars accelerating at blazing speeds.
In addition, the aging building presented another operational hurdle: an infrastructure with outdated wiring. Luckily, when the National Football League announced that the then St. Louis Rams would return to the City of Angels in 2016, the venue was refurbished and received an updated technological foundation.
An exterior Strada Crane will provide aerial views over the Peristyle. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Fox Sports)
The whole building got rewired, which was a great thing because our connectivity is up to par, says Matt Battaglia, director, remote engineering, Fox Sports. Slash positions are the same, but we moved our main camera positions up two levels from where you'd usually have them for a football game [at the Coliseum].
Although these camera angles could be considered a detriment to the broadcaster's typical NASCAR coverage, the production team is capturing this look to put the track into a tight frame. The decision not only is a stylistic choice but also brings the viewer closer to the track.
We'll have robos around the track, notes Grill, but most of our cameras are high looking down at the track. We want to keep that close and tight shot that the venue is providing us.
Production Toys: Skycam, Strada Crane, Drone Drive 1080p HDR Show The setting is also forcing the production crew to get creative with the plan of attack. For example, the Coliseum's original footprint doesn't allow team garages or a typical pit road to be located inside the lower bowl. For the former, a temporary structure will be erected in the parking lot of the adjacent Banc of California Stadium, home to Major League Soccer's LAFC. The procession of cars to the tunnel will be captured with RF robos as they head toward the entrance tunnel to the track.
Game Creek Video Cleatus is at the center of the production compound. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Fox Sports)
On the more notable side of the camera complement, Fox Sports will deploy a handful of tech pillars that will be used at subsequent races throughout the season. Beverly Hills Aerials, located less than 10 miles from the Coliseum, will supply live drone shots near the track and the surrounding area. A Strada Crane will provide swooping shots that look over the famed Peristyle. One of the more prominent technologies will be the use of a Skycam. An application normally not seen because of the expansiveness of NASCAR usual venues, the Coliseum's confined shape is working to the broadcast team's benefit.
From left: NASCAR Race Hub's Adam Alexander, Shannon Spake, Larry McReynolds, Jamie McMurray, and Bobby Labonte on the main set. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Fox Sports)
Outside in the compound, the onsite crew is working inside a new and improved truck for this preseason race. Game Creek Video Cleatus mobile unit, which is typically saved for the Daytona 500, will be on hand with added improvements made in the offseason at Fox Sports' Los Angeles headquarters. At the conclusion of Sunday's race, Cleatus will stay on the West Coast and facilitate operations for the Auto Club 400 on Sunday, Feb. 27 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA - which is 51 miles east of the Coliseum. For the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20, the network will roll in Game Creek Video Encore in Cleatus's place.
The main studio set is foldable and is positioned to have the Peristyle as a dramatic backdrop. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Fox Sports)
Since we're building out our 1080p HDR workflows for 4K shows throughout the season], Battaglia explains, we now don't have to change a truck [for the Clash]. We're still providing 720p shows for the majority of fans watching from home.
Although an updated wiring system has solved a huge headache, another lucky break came courtesy of the Rams. Since the team hosted the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium, crewing wasn't an issue with a wealth of talent already in the area. In add
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum: Fox Sports Goes All Out With 1080p HDR Workflows at Historic Venue The broadcaster aims to highlight the building's famous architecture, sold-out crowd By Kristian Hern ndez, Associate Editor 
