Instant replays and advertisements were a new thing during WCU’s 2011 football season.
First game of the season the students marveled at the shiny new scoreboard that showed play backs and even shots of themselves cheering in the crowd.
But what really goes into getting the perfect shot of the touch down or tackle that turned the whole game around? Most students at WCU don’t even know is it their fellow students calling the shots and running the giant machine.
Last year was a season of trial and error for anyone working on the scoreboard, including the challenge of only having two cameras to work with. Another adjustment the students had to face was there were not one, but two productions occuring during the game.
Catamount Scoreboard ran by Purple Vision students Photo by Meredith Oakley
Gabe Nucci teaches a class with a live stream, similar to a sports show, while Mark Mattheis teaches the class, Purple Vision, that runs the scoreboard. Each game is a learning experience for the students and there is always room for improvement and always something to work towards for the next game.
Mark Mattheis understands the importance of not only the experience students need but the understanding of the television field as well.
“Even though we are working with football, which is a sport, the same production skills are used for any multi-camera live event. The experience of working with a crew and understanding the importance of every position helps to guide students in directions for their career. That is why we are here” said Mattheis.
Getting real world experience is what a lot of students in college lack , Purple Vision is not only experiencing what goes on during a live production sports game, but the students also know how to produce, direct and run a live show.
