
Stamford Spotlight, Part 3: As Social Media Explodes, NBC Olympics Highlights Factory Churns Out Even More Content The number of Avid edit stations is tripled; new shot-selectors are added By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Friday, February 23, 2018 - 3:37 pm
Print This Story
With social media increasingly ubiquitous in the lives of Olympics fans, NBC's Highlights Factory [HLF] operation has become more integral to the Peacock's success, delivering hundreds of highlights to various social and web platforms throughout the Games. As a result, NBC continues to beef up the HLF operation in Stamford, CT, tripling the number of Avid edit workstations from Sochi, retaining the same number of intern loggers, and adding a new group of experienced shot-selectors to help identify key moments and clips.
We are still producing highlights of all the big moments [during competition], but what we've added this year is a focus on the ancillary viral content that will really drive interest, says Eric Hamilton, director, digital video production, NBC Olympics. That defines our approach this year. Sometimes those are truly important things, and sometimes they're just fun.
NBC Olympics has once again set up a dedicated area in Stamford for its Highlights Factory operation.
For example, a shot of a walkie-talkie rolling down a downhill slope as officials tried to catch it was spotted by one of the 23 interns at the HLF office, who raised a flag to notify a shot-selector (each logger is equipped with a different nation's flag), and the clip was distributed across NBC Olympics' social-media channels. The clip has become a viral sensation, generating millions of views. CLICK HERE for more on NBC's social-media efforts for PyeongChang.
Of course, the HLF team isn't all about runaway walkie-talkies; Hamilton and company still make a lot of sausage, as he puts it. The operation generates more than 130 highlight packages per day, using 12 preditors at Avid Media Composer workstations at any given moment.
Since we are a digital [operation], we are able to pretty nimbly change things around, so the next Olympics always has something different, says Hamilton. Since we have more Avid workstations this year, we can cut everything live as it happens, which is different from the way we used to do it.
Eric Hamilton (far right) and his team at the Highlights Factory production area in Stamford.
HLF also has access to Haivison-encoded camera feeds delivered to Stamford, showing behind-the-scenes content outside of the competitions themselves. For example, when Czech Ester Ledecka pulled off one of the biggest alpine-skiing upsets in history by winning the gold in the Women's Super G, HLF was able to capture the reaction of Anna Veith, who had been almost assured of winning gold prior to Ledecka's shocking run.
We take those cameras, and we're looking at them all the time, says Hamilton. It could be a shot from the workout room at figure-skating practice or an iso of [Veith] as she watches her gold medal disappear. It can be pretty powerful stuff.
The HLF operation has come a long way since its early beginnings in Saturday Night Live's Studio 8H at 30 Rock for the Beijing, Vancouver, and London Games. For one, the Avid MAM system at the heart of the HLF operation has continued to evolve, growing exponentially - in both size and sophistication - with each Olympics. In addition, the number of camera angles the HLF team has access to continues to grow, opening up the boundaries of storytelling for digital outlets.
There are always new camera angles, and we have the luxury of being able to use those to create something alongside the normal broadcast highlight, says Hamilton. We get to produce these alternate versions that show things from a different perspective. That is a big factor in how we amped up the Highlights Factory capabilities this time.
This is Part 3 of SVG's three-part series on NBC Olympics' at-home operation in Stamford, CT. Be sure to check out Part 1, a look at the overall setup in Stamford; and Part 2, a look inside the 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos operation.
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
(L-R) Stephanie Suganami, Tatanka Means, John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, and Juliette Lewis attend the premiere of Opus at Eccles Theatre in Park City. (Photo by...
13/03/2025
Spotify took center stage at the London Book Fair this week, reaffirming our commitment to the audiobook market and showcasing our impact on the publishing indu...
13/03/2025
At Spotify, we work every day to lift up new voices, giving creators the opportunity to live off their art. Through Spotify Audiobooks, our in-house publishing ...
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
Roku Debuts NWSL Zone' Within Roku Sports to Spotlight Live Games, Content Feature marks Rokus first women's league-branded zone within service By Bra...
13/03/2025
Pixels, Images, Video, AI - and Us: A Perspective on AI from NDI Inventor Andrew...
13/03/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Lighting Design Group's Steve Brill, Dennis Size ...
13/03/2025
IOC, Comcast NBCU Ink $3B Media-Rights Extension for Olympic Games Through 2036;...
13/03/2025
NCAA March Madness Live Returns with Expanded Availability of MultiView Vertical...
13/03/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Cosm's Devin Poolman on What It Takes To Deliver the Immersive...
13/03/2025
Sky Business, Sky's B2B division, providing connectivity and content to busi...
13/03/2025
Rohde & Schwarz launches R&S NRP140TWG(N) thermal power sensor: A new benchmark ...
13/03/2025
We asked the questions, analysed the answers and now we're excited to share the results of the fifth edition of the ICG Marketing Survey.
Our 2025 survey p...
13/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 13, 2025 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a breakthrough in video streaming innovation with the launch of new origin capabilitie...
13/03/2025
Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025
Haivision's video wall systems, ISR technology, and DoDIN APL-certified video distri...
13/03/2025
Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...