With so much happening on the pitch, and so many cameras tracking the action, it takes real talent to show the viewers precisely what they need to see. Mistakes will not be forgiven
Whatever headers, volleys or fancy flicks we may marvel at on the pitch during the World Cup, the brilliance of the television production will, as ever, be taken for granted. Having worked in front of the camera for ITV Sport, I can tell you that not much I saw on the pitch came close to matching what happens in the control room or gallery, usually in a truck nearby. To me – in that I never quite figured out how they did it – this was all akin to closeup magic.
During the match, the director – and I was lucky enough to work with some of the best in the business – has as many decisions to make with every second that passes as any player on the pitch. For a start, there’s the ever-increasing number of camera shots to choose from, with cameras all around the ground – at the side of the pitch, high up, behind the goals, or offering a bird’s eye view from above – while others follow a single player, or are trained on each of the coaches. All of these shots are up there on different screens, to be chosen by the director. And each shot has to be dead right, wholly appropriate for that moment in the game. One false move when the shot doesn’t show what your average football fan wants to be seeing, and it’ll stick out like a bum note from a string quartet.
Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster, writer and Guardian columnist
