Did you ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes of a televised bowl game? The Meineke Car Care Bowl will require approximately 75 people to get it on the air – live – at 1:00 December 27 at Bank of America Stadium and preparations are already underway. Of late, organizational details are being finalized such as transportation needs, accommodations and ID credentials. But the “nuts and bolts” of the technical set-up can’t be put in place until 2-3 days prior to kick-off.
Experienced professionals required on-site include a director, announcers, technicians (ex: camera, audio, replay, video), statisticians, cable-pullers and many more. 15-20,000 feet of cable is needed along with a satellite truck, 8-10 cameras and 8 slow motion techs. Once the competing teams are announced in early December, implementation begins in earnest. Announcers are assigned and statisticians and video personnel begin compiling data, clips, sound bites and the like. By December 24 or 25, the team in the booth will be announced and a full production staff will be in Charlotte.
The best way to describe game day is frenetic. A live telecast begins with weeks of advance preparation but once you go “on-the-air” anything can happen and the production people must be ready and flexible in case of the unexpected. Lastly, as the broadcast is moments from being aired, a final check to the master control room with ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut is done ensuring that the signals are good to go and the feed can be distributed nationwide. “Live from Charlotte, North Carolina – welcome to the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl,” that’s what you’ll see and hear but we know there’s a lot more to it than that!