U.S. viewers who are able to watch CBC coverage of WC2001, may be surprised
at some of the camera shots they see. On the Canadian track mailing list,
Yvon Deschenes posted part of a Canadian Press article that noted:
>There will be an overhead wire camera following athletes down the track as
>well as a camera mounted on rails to follow their every stride.
>But the overhead camera is a relatively new concept, used only sparingly at
>the last world championships in Seville, Spain, and never attempted at the
>Olympics.
>
>Martin Webster of BBC Sports in Great Britain said the overhead camera gives
>viewers a unique perspective.
This sounds like the same system CBC used in coverage of the Victoria
Commonwealth Games, which worked very well, too, in field event coverage.
They were able, for example, to position the camera directly above the
throwing circles for discus and hammer or above the center of the vault
bar. It's amazing to watch how quickly and precisely they can move the
camera from position to position or follow runners around the track or down
the straight. It hangs from lighting standards at the four corners and must
require very sophisticated computer programs to operate the winches at
those positions so accurately. Also, the camera is gyro-balanced, to keep a
constant meridian during movement.
Great fun! Watch for it.
