Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Behind the Scenes of September 5: How the Acclaimed Film Re-Creates ABC Sports' Historic Live Coverage of the Munich Massacre

13/12/2024

Behind the Scenes of September 5: How the Acclaimed Film Re-Creates ABC Sports' Historic Live Coverage of the Munich Massacre Original footage, vintage gear help tell the story from control-room and studio perspective By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.

Friday, December 13, 2024 - 3:05 pm

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

September 5, the new historical drama from Paramount Pictures, chronicles the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news coverage today. Set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, the Golden Globe-nominated film - which arrives in limited theaters today and expands nationwide on Jan. 17 - follows the ABC Sports production team, who quickly shifted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage.

In addition to offering an important perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by millions of people, September 5 provides one of the most realistic behind-the-scenes depictions of a live-TV control room ever put on film. SVG had the opportunity to chat with director Tim Fehlbaum, the cast, and co-producer Geoffrey Mason to delve into the film's development and production.

The film presents the events of Sept. 5, 1972, purely from the perspective of the ABC Sports production team, shining a light on what Fehlbaum calls a watershed moment in journalism and its influential legacy.

At the heart of the story are three Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famers - Geoff Mason (played by John Magaro), then a young and ambitious producer; his boss, legendary TV executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard); and his mentor, Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin) - along with their German interpreter Marianne Gebhardt (Leonie Benesch). The film juxtaposes the high-tech broadcast capabilities of the time against the many lives at stake and explores the moral decisions that needed to be made in real time.

The live broadcasts marked a turning point in media reporting, bringing a new dimension to how such incidents are seen and understood by the public, says Fehlbaum. When the attack begins, a team of American sports reporters are suddenly responsible for the subsequent 22 hours of live coverage, switching their responsibilities from sporting events to geopolitics. I was interested in the unprecedented situation that the media faced: this was the first time an event of this nature was covered by a live broadcast.

Watch SVG's extended interview with Geoffrey Mason recounting his experience in 1972 and his work on the film:

On Tuesday, Dec. 17, The SVG Summit will feature a session titled The Munich Massacre: When Sports Became News, featuring Magaro, Mason, and Sean McManus and moderated by Lesley Visser. CLICK HERE for more information.

The Mission: Re-Create a Turning Point in Media Reporting' Fehlbaum and his team spoke extensively with ABC Sports crew members who were on the ground in Munich, extracting details about their experience in that control room. As a result of the research, the director decided early on to narrate the film purely from the viewpoint of the control room.

We are constantly in the TV studio, almost like in a chamber play, the cameras the only eyes cast on the tragic events unfolding before us, he says. The spatial limitation of the narrative world to the ABC Sports TV studio means that we are confronted with the moral, ethical, professional, and, ultimately, psychological dilemmas of journalists who become aware of their responsibility only when switching from sports to crisis news.

When Israeli athletes were suddenly taken hostage, the ABC Sports broadcast team had to shift from sports reporting to live news coverage. Besides the horrors of witnessing and airing a terrorist attack live to millions of people, they also faced the possibility of inadvertently sharing law enforcement's plans and movements with the terrorists themselves - who were thought to be able to watch the coverage within the Olympic Village - and potentially derailing the rescue mission.

As a filmmaker, says Fehlbaum, I felt an affinity with the complexity of the situation. On the one hand, I was critical of tragic events being processed as sensations. But, on the other, I was fascinated by the ambitions and dilemmas of the journalists to tell the story accurately.

Script Development: A Story for the Big Screen Steven Spielberg's Munich recounts the aftermath of the event, but September 5's Munich-based producers - Thomas Wo bke and Philipp Trauer of film-production company BerghausWo bke - believed that there was more to this story and it was ripe to be told for the big screen. Writer/director Moritz Binder and Fehlbaum were enlisted to write the screenplay, along with co-writer Alex David.

The producers soon discovered an article written by Jimmy Schaeffler, a production runner on that day, who spoke highly of Mason. They met with Mason, a Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer, who described in vivid detail the experience of producing that 22 hours of live coverage.

Mason, who came on board as a co-producer of the film, was impressed by the depth of the research and the power of the script. After I read early versions, I was impressed by how deeply personal the experience was, not only to those of us involved in that production but in telling the story of what transpired. This is a story about the people in that control room and how we all reacted to what was happening in front of us. I am blessed to be one of the very few people still around to help tell that story.

The filmmakers also drew on biographies of Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famers Roone Arledge and Jim McKay and other ABC executives and crew. In addition, Schaeffler - the runner, who, disguised as an athlete, had smuggled film footage past the police cordons - offered first-hand insights, along
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2024/12/13/behind-the-scenes-of-september-...
See more stories from svg

More from Sports Video Group

20/12/2024

The CFP Battle Begins: ESPN Covers First Round With Various MegaCast Options, Compact Tech Plan, Team Insights on Conference Networks

The CFP Battle Begins: ESPN Covers First Round With Various MegaCast Options, Co...

20/12/2024

SVG Summit 2024: Tata Communications' Elio Parente on Tapping Into the Company's Media Cloud Infrastructure

SVG Summit 2024: Tata Communications' Elio Parente on Tapping Into the Compa...

20/12/2024

SVG Summit 2024: LTN's Colin Moran on Enabling Customers to Maintain Higher Content Visibility

SVG Summit 2024: LTN's Colin Moran on Enabling Customers to Maintain Higher ...

20/12/2024

SVG Summit 2024: When Sports Became News A Look at the Munich Massacre Through the Golden Globe-Nominated Film September 5

SVG Summit 2024: When Sports Became News A Look at the Munich Massacre Through...

20/12/2024

Netflix Snags Exclusive U.S. FIFA Women's World Cup Rights for 2027, 2031

Netflix Snags Exclusive U.S. FIFA Women's World Cup Rights for 2027, 2031 By Ken Kerschbaumer Friday, December 20, 2024 - 10:08 am Print This Story | ...

20/12/2024

SVTA Announces First Industry Group, The Streaming Sports Council, To Capture Key Technical Challenges in Live Sports Streaming

SVTA Announces First Industry Group, The Streaming Sports Council, To Capture Ke...

20/12/2024

Usyk v Fury 2: How DAZN Will Produce a Cinematic World Feed and Authentic' Unilateral Coverage From Riyadh

Usyk v Fury 2: How DAZN will produce a cinematic world feed and authentic' ...

20/12/2024

World Aquatics 25m Championships: Record-Breaking Action and Cutting-Edge Broadcasts Shine in Budapest

World Aquatics 25m Championships: Record-breaking action and cutting-edge broadc...

20/12/2024

NBC Sports' EA Sports Madden NFL Cast Set to Merge Videogame and Live Broadcast Worlds

NBC Sports' EA Sports Madden NFL Cast Set to Merge Videogame and Live Broadc...

20/12/2024

Inside the EA Sports Madden NFL Cast With Producer Steve Greenberg and Director Geoff Butler

Inside the EA Sports Madden NFL Cast With Producer Steve Greenberg and Director ...

18/12/2024

Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Inducts 10 Industry Icons in Emotional Ceremony

Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Inducts 10 Industry Icons in Emotional Ceremony The Class of 2024: Hubie Brown, Charlie Carlucci, Jim Delaney, Phil Garvin, Ste...

17/12/2024

For Emirates NBA Cup Final, Big Sound Comes in a Small Package

For Emirates NBA Cup Final, Big Sound Comes in a Small Package New Q5X PlayerMic X lighter but more powerful than previous versions By Dan Daley, Audio Editor ...

16/12/2024

Sean McManus, Carol Stiff Join PPI Board of Managers Advisory Committee

Sean McManus, Carol Stiff Join PPI Board of Managers Advisory Committee By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director Monday, December 16, 2024 - 8:00 am Print T...

16/12/2024

Rob Menschel, Veteran Sports Camera Operator and Longtime Member of Vin Scully's Booth, Dies at 59

Rob Menschel, Veteran Sports Camera Operator and Longtime Member of Vin Scully&#...

13/12/2024

VIDEO: Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer Geoffrey Mason Goes Inside Production of September 5, Reflects on ABC Sports' Coverage of Munich Massacre

VIDEO: Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer Geoffrey Mason Goes Inside Production of September 5, Reflects on ABC Sports' Coverage of Munich Massacre By Jason...

13/12/2024

SVG Summit 2024: In Day 2 General Sessions Networks, Leagues, and Tech Providers Offer View From the Top

SVG Summit 2024: In Day 2 General Sessions Networks, Leagues, and Tech Providers...

13/12/2024

NEP's Mike Werteen on Rebranding NEP's American-Based Services, Facilities as One Brand

NEP's Mike Werteen on Rebranding NEP's American-Based Services, Faciliti...

13/12/2024

2024 SVG Summit Technology Exhibits Preview

2024 SVG Summit Technology Exhibits Preview By SVG Staff Friday, December 13, 2024 - 12:10 pm Print This Story | Subscribe Story Highlights The 2024 SV...

13/12/2024

VICE Media Launches VICE Sports Brand

VICE Media Launches VICE Sports Brand VICE TV will shift primetime programming to sports-first By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director Friday, December 13, 2...

13/12/2024

ESPN, TNT Sports Tag-Team on Emirates NBA Cup Production in Las Vegas

ESPN, TNT Sports Tag-Team on Emirates NBA Cup Production in Las Vegas The broadcasters will share resources, compound space at T-Mobile Arena By Kristian Hern ...

13/12/2024

SVG Sit-Down: DAZN's Zander Berlinski on the Quick International Success of NFL Game Pass

SVG Sit-Down: DAZN's Zander Berlinski on the Quick International Success of ...

13/12/2024

Behind the Scenes of September 5: How the Acclaimed Film Re-Creates ABC Sports' Historic Live Coverage of the Munich Massacre

Behind the Scenes of September 5: How the Acclaimed Film Re-Creates ABC Sports&#...

12/12/2024

SVG Esports Production Summit 2024: All Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY

SVG Esports Production Summit 2024: All Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG P...

12/12/2024

Anthem Sports Group Names Carlos Silva President

Anthem Sports Group Names Carlos Silva President Silva will oversee development of TNA Wrestling promotion, other properties By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Dir...

12/12/2024

EMG/Gravity Media Opens Nashville Office; Taps Nathan Spencer as MD of U.S. and Chris Marting as U.S. Commercial Director

EMG/Gravity Media Opens Nashville Office; Taps Nathan Spencer as MD of U.S. and ...

12/12/2024

ESPN Teases Look for Dunk the Halls' NBA Animated Altcast With New Player Animations

ESPN Teases Look for Dunk the Halls' NBA Animated Altcast With New Player A...

12/12/2024

OS Studios' Ethan Spencer on Using Broadcast to Drive FOMO for Esports Events

OS Studios' Ethan Spencer on Using Broadcast to Drive FOMO for Esports Event...

12/12/2024

SVG NEXT: AI, XR, and Beyond 2024: All Sessions Now Available To Watch on SVG PLAY

SVG NEXT: AI, XR, and Beyond 2024: All Sessions Now Available To Watch on SVG PL...

12/12/2024

All Sessions from the SVG Esports Production Summit Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY

All Sessions from the SVG Esports Production Summit Now Available to Watch on SV...

11/12/2024

Premier Rugby Sevens Finds Record-Breaking Success at 2024 PR7s All-Star Tourney in Portland

Premier Rugby Sevens Finds Record-Breaking Success at 2024 PR7s All-Star Tourney...

11/12/2024

Spin Shot: How Infront Productions is Producing Coverage of the Women's European Handball Federation Euro 2024

Spin shot: How Infront Productions is producing coverage of the Women's Euro...

11/12/2024

OpTic Gaming's Corey Dunn on How an Esports Team Has Become a Production Powerhouse

OpTic Gaming's Corey Dunn on How an Esports Team Has Become a Production Pow...

11/12/2024

It's Official: FIFA 2030 World Cup To Be Hosted by Morocco, Portugal, Spain; Saudi Arabia Lands 2034 Edition

It's Official: FIFA 2030 World Cup To Be Hosted by Morocco, Portugal, Spain;...

11/12/2024

PWHL Reimagines Its Live Broadcast Graphics As New Team Identities, Logos Debut For Season 2

PWHL Reimagines Its Live Broadcast Graphics As New Team Identities, Logos Debut ...

11/12/2024

2024 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Mark Lazarus, a Paragon of Sports-Media Excellence

2024 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Mark Lazarus, a Paragon of Sports-Media E...

10/12/2024

SVG All-Stars: Pam Chvotkin, Remote Operations Management Freelancer

SVG All-Stars: Pam Chvotkin, Remote Operations Management Freelancer The D.C. native brings her skills to major broadcasts all over the country By Brandon Cost...

10/12/2024

SVG Summit 2024: Day 1 Morning Workshops Include SVGW, Live Production, Content Management, and Monetizing Video Production

SVG Summit 2024: Day 1 Morning Workshops Include SVGW, Live Production, Content ...

10/12/2024

ESL FACEIT Group's Guillermo Parga on How DreamHack Dallas Has Become an Esports Destination

ESL FACEIT Group's Guillermo Parga on How DreamHack Dallas Has Become an Esp...

10/12/2024

EditShare Names Brad Turner CEO, Succeeding Ramu Potarazu

EditShare Names Brad Turner CEO, Succeeding Ramu Potarazu Potarazu will continue as a member of the company's board By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director...

10/12/2024

Fred Gerling, Father of the Expando Chassis, Dies at 79

Fred Gerling, Father of the Expando Chassis, Dies at 79 His commitment to next-generation design helped transform truck operations By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editori...

10/12/2024

MLB Network Lights Up the Hot Stove With Live Coverage of the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings

MLB Network Lights Up the Hot Stove With Live Coverage of the 2024 MLB Winter Me...

10/12/2024

TNT Sports' NBA 2K25 DataCasts Blur Line Between Video Game and Live Broadcast During Emirates NBA Cup

TNT Sports' NBA 2K25 DataCasts Blur Line Between Video Game and Live Broadca...

10/12/2024

2024 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Andrea Kremer, the Journalist Who Spoke Truth to Power

2024 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Andrea Kremer, the Journalist Who Spoke T...

09/12/2024

SVG Summit 2024: Content Management Workshop Brings MAM and Storage Leaders Together For Morning Discussion

SVG Summit 2024: Content Management Workshop Brings MAM and Storage Leaders Toge...

09/12/2024

The Simpsons Funday Football: Sony's Beyond Sports CEO Sander Shouten Analyzes How Tracking Tech Enables Real-Time Animated Altcasts

The Simpsons Funday Football: Sony's Beyond Sports CEO Sander Shouten Analyz...

09/12/2024

The Simpsons Funday Football: ESPN Records Unique Twist on Monday Night Football Theme for Animated Alternative Broadcast

The Simpsons Funday Football: ESPN Records Unique Twist on Monday Night Football...

09/12/2024

The Simpsons Funday Football: ESPN Creative Studio's Michael Spike' Szykowny Pulls Back the Curtain on Creative Process

The Simpsons Funday Football: ESPN Creative Studio's Michael Spike' Szy...