Soccer Game Camera Position? at DVinfo.net

Dominic Valle · January 15th, 2004, 02:09 AM

Where on a soccer field is the best place to position my tripod and GL-1? Middle, End, 1/3 down the field? Kids Game.

Thanks,
Dominic
Northridge, CA

Alex Taylor · January 15th, 2004, 02:26 AM

I suppose it depends what part of the action you want to cover.. I'd be inclined to move around a lot, but if you want the continuous game I would say go in the middle.

Brian Huey · January 15th, 2004, 02:47 AM

The higher the better, but that will probably be limited.

I'd say 1/2 way between and end line and the middle of the field. Then move down the the other end for some of it. That way you can get some good footage fairly close up by goal and cut out the stuff that is far away. If you're in the middle alot is going to be pretty far away. Course depending on the kids age it could be a little field then around the middle would probably work best for the whole thing.

Just don't go hand held! Some well meaning soccer moms did that for some of my games back in the day before image stabilization, heh.

Cheers,
Brian

Shawn Mielke · January 15th, 2004, 04:34 AM

No chance of getting a second cam into the mix?
Being in the middle is going to put a lot far away, but being stationary anywhere else is going to put a whole lot more even further away!
:-)

Tor Salomonsen · January 15th, 2004, 04:51 AM

A top match on TV will have probably 8 - 12 cameras. There is a reason for that of course and you obiously know it.

What you have to do (I think) is to decide what you want to make. Is it to "cover" one particular match in realtime or one particular team or even a single player?

Whatever you do you need close shots of midfield action as well as action near the goals cut inbetween grand shots of play, spectators and the stadium as such. There is no one point from where you can get all this, so you have to move around. If you're showing a team or a player, you can mix shots from several matches.

Make sure you don't cross the line because then you'll have one team playing against itself.

Shawn Mielke · January 15th, 2004, 05:50 AM

Wait a minute, that's a GL1, with a 20x zoom.
I say stick to middle, you should be able to cover everything just fine, but stay on a tripod (yes, with the stabilizer on :-] ).

Mark Jefferson · January 15th, 2004, 08:57 AM

I do lots of soccer games. I like to move up & down the field alot. Some coaches don't want you near their team, so it's best to clear it with them first, as well as the refs. Try to use various angles; low (ground level), High (in the stands), shoulder height. Also, try to get lots of close-ups. Get lots of b-roll, this is great for change-of-pace. Hope this helps.

Dominic Valle · January 15th, 2004, 12:45 PM

Should I use my W-58 wide angle? Or dont even think about it?

Was wondering if this will bring a wider perspective so more action can be seeing.

Thanks for the replies.

GL-1 / Bogen tripod/fluid head

Dominic

Nicholi Brossia · January 15th, 2004, 01:33 PM

I used to play soccer and watch a lot, but have only ever shot football. Since many soccer games are played at remarked football fields, this advice should work. When it comes to your location, considering this is a one camera shoot, high is good. Usually we put the main camera on the roof of the pressbox. This is a great way to get right above the mid-field. If there's no pressbox, and its just a regular field with bleachers, just get as high as you can without putting yourself in danger (its best to "mark your territory" so fans don't sit too close and don't knock your camera, or especially you, off balance).
The naked (no lens attachments) 20x lens will work great for your needs. I've had to use a VX2000 (12x optical zoom) for the past couple football games and it has worked great. My wide shots could easily cover the width of the field, and even up to about half the length. The 12x zoom could get great tight shots of the player at the 50 yard line and a full-body shot at the endzones. The GL2's 20x should be wonderful for getting shots all the way into each goal (even though soccer moves way to fast to really use shots that tight, unless its a player warming up).
As far as the WD-58, try it out while the players are warming up... depending on how far above the field you get, it could become a necessity. Like you said, you'll need a wider shot to see all the action, but keep zoomed in enough that the action remains full screen.

Rob Simon · January 16th, 2004, 01:34 PM

I agree with Mark. I move around a lot (all on the same side of the field of course) and I get lots of shots of interest such as the referee blowing his whistle and crowd reactions. Keep the camera rolling and make sure to get close-ups of the players (I often do this when they are on the field but the ball isn't in play yet). It will be boring if all your shots are wide shots. Of course, if your footage will be used by the coach for teaching, wider shots would be more important.

My favorite spot is midway between the center line and one goal where I can capture the action on most of the field. If one team is better than the other you might pick the end of the field the ball will spend more time on.

I even get some shots from behind the end line. You can get some interesting shots of the ball coming right at you.

Kelvin Kelm · January 16th, 2004, 03:44 PM

This fall I taped my kid's games and edited them down to around 5 minutes of highlights set to music. For younger kids playing on a small field, I liked shooting from the endline or on the side about 5 yards from the endline always using a tripod. With the 20X zoom of the GL1 you can easily cover the entire field. Obviously, this angle works best if you are only trying to cover one team.

For the older kids playing on a regular sized field, I found that about 1/2 way between the endline and midfield worked best. The endline was too far away from the action at the other end of the field.

For coaching purposes, midfield would work best.

Also, get as many closeups of the players as you can when there is a break in the action. It adds more character to the end product.

Dominic Valle · January 19th, 2004, 10:56 AM

Thanks guys you make Info Net a great place for info!!!

Now here is a small clip of the game

Ulead Studio 7 (Captured)

TMPGnec to Compress to Mpeg1

Seems to have a synch problem at the begining for me.

No filters. Stabilization off on GL-1 as I heard this is better with tripod.

www.bpustore.com/thunderclip

Rob Belics · January 19th, 2004, 01:29 PM

FYI, there will be a film out this fall called "The Game of Their Lives" which is about a soccer game against the British in the 50s. It's by the same people who did "Hoosiers" and "Rudy".

Generally it was shot from the side of the net and the sidelines on one half of the field. Rather obvious though. But you might pick up some ideas if you see it.

See if you can pick me out! :)

January 15th, 2004, 02:09 AM	#1
Dominic Valle New Boot Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: SoCal Posts: 6	Soccer Game Camera Position? Where on a soccer field is the best place to position my tripod and GL-1? Middle, End, 1/3 down the field? Kids Game. Thanks, Dominic Northridge, CA

January 15th, 2004, 02:26 AM	#2
Alex Taylor Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 390	I suppose it depends what part of the action you want to cover.. I'd be inclined to move around a lot, but if you want the continuous game I would say go in the middle. __________________ alextaylor.org

January 15th, 2004, 04:34 AM	#4
Shawn Mielke Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Santa Rosa, California Posts: 745	No chance of getting a second cam into the mix? Being in the middle is going to put a lot far away, but being stationary anywhere else is going to put a whole lot more even further away! :-) __________________ Breakthrough In Grey Room

January 15th, 2004, 05:50 AM	#6
Shawn Mielke Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Santa Rosa, California Posts: 745	Wait a minute, that's a GL1, with a 20x zoom. I say stick to middle, you should be able to cover everything just fine, but stay on a tripod (yes, with the stabilizer on :-] ). __________________ Breakthrough In Grey Room

January 15th, 2004, 01:33 PM	#9
Nicholi Brossia Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 389	I used to play soccer and watch a lot, but have only ever shot football. Since many soccer games are played at remarked football fields, this advice should work. When it comes to your location, considering this is a one camera shoot, high is good. Usually we put the main camera on the roof of the pressbox. This is a great way to get right above the mid-field. If there's no pressbox, and its just a regular field with bleachers, just get as high as you can without putting yourself in danger (its best to "mark your territory" so fans don't sit too close and don't knock your camera, or especially you, off balance). The naked (no lens attachments) 20x lens will work great for your needs. I've had to use a VX2000 (12x optical zoom) for the past couple football games and it has worked great. My wide shots could easily cover the width of the field, and even up to about half the length. The 12x zoom could get great tight shots of the player at the 50 yard line and a full-body shot at the endzones. The GL2's 20x should be wonderful for getting shots all the way into each goal (even though soccer moves way to fast to really use shots that tight, unless its a player warming up). As far as the WD-58, try it out while the players are warming up... depending on how far above the field you get, it could become a necessity. Like you said, you'll need a wider shot to see all the action, but keep zoomed in enough that the action remains full screen. __________________ Nicholi Brossia

January 15th, 2004, 02:47 AM	#3
Brian Huey Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Seattle , WA Posts: 184	The higher the better, but that will probably be limited. I'd say 1/2 way between and end line and the middle of the field. Then move down the the other end for some of it. That way you can get some good footage fairly close up by goal and cut out the stuff that is far away. If you're in the middle alot is going to be pretty far away. Course depending on the kids age it could be a little field then around the middle would probably work best for the whole thing. Just don't go hand held! Some well meaning soccer moms did that for some of my games back in the day before image stabilization, heh. Cheers, Brian

January 15th, 2004, 04:51 AM	#5
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	A top match on TV will have probably 8 - 12 cameras. There is a reason for that of course and you obiously know it. What you have to do (I think) is to decide what you want to make. Is it to "cover" one particular match in realtime or one particular team or even a single player? Whatever you do you need close shots of midfield action as well as action near the goals cut inbetween grand shots of play, spectators and the stadium as such. There is no one point from where you can get all this, so you have to move around. If you're showing a team or a player, you can mix shots from several matches. Make sure you don't cross the line because then you'll have one team playing against itself.

January 15th, 2004, 08:57 AM	#7
Mark Jefferson Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Collinsville, Illinois Posts: 86	I do lots of soccer games. I like to move up & down the field alot. Some coaches don't want you near their team, so it's best to clear it with them first, as well as the refs. Try to use various angles; low (ground level), High (in the stands), shoulder height. Also, try to get lots of close-ups. Get lots of b-roll, this is great for change-of-pace. Hope this helps.

January 15th, 2004, 12:45 PM	#8
Dominic Valle New Boot Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: SoCal Posts: 6	Should I use my W-58 wide angle? Or dont even think about it? Was wondering if this will bring a wider perspective so more action can be seeing. Thanks for the replies. GL-1 / Bogen tripod/fluid head Dominic

January 16th, 2004, 01:34 PM	#10
Rob Simon Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 37	I agree with Mark. I move around a lot (all on the same side of the field of course) and I get lots of shots of interest such as the referee blowing his whistle and crowd reactions. Keep the camera rolling and make sure to get close-ups of the players (I often do this when they are on the field but the ball isn't in play yet). It will be boring if all your shots are wide shots. Of course, if your footage will be used by the coach for teaching, wider shots would be more important. My favorite spot is midway between the center line and one goal where I can capture the action on most of the field. If one team is better than the other you might pick the end of the field the ball will spend more time on. I even get some shots from behind the end line. You can get some interesting shots of the ball coming right at you. __________________ "Shoot them all. Let FCE sort 'em out"

January 16th, 2004, 03:44 PM	#11
Kelvin Kelm Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Katy, Texas Posts: 49	This fall I taped my kid's games and edited them down to around 5 minutes of highlights set to music. For younger kids playing on a small field, I liked shooting from the endline or on the side about 5 yards from the endline always using a tripod. With the 20X zoom of the GL1 you can easily cover the entire field. Obviously, this angle works best if you are only trying to cover one team. For the older kids playing on a regular sized field, I found that about 1/2 way between the endline and midfield worked best. The endline was too far away from the action at the other end of the field. For coaching purposes, midfield would work best. Also, get as many closeups of the players as you can when there is a break in the action. It adds more character to the end product.

January 19th, 2004, 10:56 AM	#12
Dominic Valle New Boot Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: SoCal Posts: 6	Thanks guys you make Info Net a great place for info!!! Now here is a small clip of the game Ulead Studio 7 (Captured) TMPGnec to Compress to Mpeg1 Seems to have a synch problem at the begining for me. No filters. Stabilization off on GL-1 as I heard this is better with tripod. www.bpustore.com/thunderclip

January 19th, 2004, 01:29 PM	#13
Rob Belics Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 581	FYI, there will be a film out this fall called "The Game of Their Lives" which is about a soccer game against the British in the 50s. It's by the same people who did "Hoosiers" and "Rudy". Generally it was shot from the side of the net and the sidelines on one half of the field. Rather obvious though. But you might pick up some ideas if you see it. See if you can pick me out! :)