Jumping obstacles: EMG deploys expansive operation for Badminton Horse Trials By Michael Burns
Friday, May 5, 2023 - 13:15
Print This Story
Up and over at the Badminton Horse Trials
The Badminton Horse Trials is one of the world's toughest equestrian events, seen as the pinnacle of the horse trials calendar. Set across the expansive grounds of Badminton House in Gloucestershire, the event has been running since 1949 and was first televised in 1956. Things have changed a little on the broadcast front since then.
This year (4-8 May 2023), EMG deployed a large OB operation comprising around 40 staff, two OB trucks, 20 cameras and a drone on site over the four days. EMG works with Badminton TV to stream the event live, with a highlights show on BBC on Monday 8 May.
We start on Thursday by getting everything rigged for the dressage, and we cover that on the Friday and Saturday from 10 o'clock in the morning until about 4pm. Then on Saturday, it's a quick turnaround to get everything out into the cross country. We don't really finish rigging until Saturday night to be ready because it's so vast
It's the 14th time EMG has covered the event, with unit and technical manager Joe Flower comparing it in a geographical scale to a high-level golf tournament.
It's quite a large operation in terms of terms of personnel, says Flower. We have over 50 staff in total, comprising, engineers, graphics, a ten-strong edit team, as well as 20 camera operators plus jib assistants.
The course is different every year, so a month before the event Flower goes around the course with the course planners, accompanied by Chris Lewis Media (EMG's client for the coverage) and the BBC.
The infrastructure is the biggest problem on the job, says Flower. Sometimes the course runs where a cable would have been last year, so it's just tying it all together.
For the Badminton Horse Trials 2023, EMG deployed a large OB operation comprising around 40 staff, two OB trucks, 20 cameras and a drone on site over the four days
Ground control
The trials kick off with two days of dressage in an arena, but the cross-country event on Day 3 (Sunday) poses the biggest challenge, both for the competitors and the broadcast crew. The course of four miles sees the horses jumping a series of man-made and natural obstacles within a set time. Then on Day 4, it's back to the arena for a course of show jumping.
EMG's triple-expanding truck Nova 134 is the heart of the on-site production, supplying subscription-based internet TV channel Badminton TV, which streams live and catch-up footage via the Brightcove platform.
We have a VT truck, which does all the edit and the VT side of things, we have a tender support vehicle from which we run the Badminton TV commentary, and we also have a cabin to do the voiceover dub for the cross country, explains Flower.
EMG does a submix for the cross-country coverage. Our 20 cross-country cameras are split across two directors, in order to control it a bit more, Flower explains. Predominantly what they look for is being able to see the jump, but once they've done the jump, we want to be able to swing the camera shot so that it passes on to the next jump for continuity. So every camera needs to be positioned to be able to see the approach, the jump, and the away.
After the cross country everything shrinks down into a six camera OB for the show jumping, he adds.
In terms of camera comms everything goes through the CCU. There are headsets and radio kit for all of the crew, the audio crew, vision crew and riggers, everyone else is on a handheld radio, says Flower. We have comms to the Badminton show itself; it's so vast and everyone's on an-event wide channel, including electricians and the PA system. So, if anyone needs something or if cables are going the wrong way or whatever, everyone can be in touch with each other.
Live presentations take place at the end of the cross country and during the show jumping. We do the presentation from the arena, says Flower. It's a standard presentation. Just one single handheld RF camera that comes in and rigs on Saturday, ready for the Sunday, with main RF mics and a backup system. The mics go out on the Tannoy so we give feeds to people doing the PA system.
The trials kick off with two days of dressage in an arena, but the cross-country event on Day 3 (Sunday) poses the biggest challenge, both for the competitors and the broadcast crew. A muddy OB compound after the weekend rain
Big rig
According to Flower, the event demands a, three day constant rig , even while individual events are taking place. We start on Thursday by getting everything rigged for the dressage, and we cover that on the Friday and Saturday from 10 o'clock in the morning until about 4pm, Flower explains. Then on Saturday, it's a quick turnaround to get everything out into the cross country. We don't really finish rigging until Saturday night to be ready because it's so vast.
There are fourteen extra cameras that need to go out [on the cross-country course], he continues. We can't put out any camera heads on Thursday or Friday, as we can't leave them out, for security reasons. So we have to check all those cameras before they get rigged.
And there are a lot of cameras and lenses to check: We run twenty Sony HDC-3500 and HDC-4300 heads. Because of the distances involved, we use longer lenses, such as the Canon Digisuper 86. On the jibs, we use Canon HJ11 lenses to get nice wide shots, and we have some HJ14 lenses sprinkled around.
Every camera is manned bar one on the show jumping, which we have on lock off, adds Flower. There's also drone coverage round the lake, and then for four to five jumps across a long stretch. It looks great.
The drone is supplied by Steve P
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...
Jumping obstacles: EMG deploys expansive operation for Badminton Horse Trials By Michael Burns 
