TNF in The Shop
Live Production, Sports
The Shop is an American television talk show starring LeBron James and Maverick Carter, who alongside guests have conversations and debates in a barbershop. The series premiered in 2018 and in 2022 was renewed for a fifth season on YouTube. During the 5th Season, Amazon’s Thursday Night Football worked in conjunction with Springhill (LeBron James’s production company) to launch “TNF in The Shop”, a live alternate feed surrounding Thursday Night Football. Challenge: How do you maintain the look and feel of a taped and post produced show shot on cinema cameras, while doing it live as part of a sports broadcast?
"The setting creates a very personal facade, an opportunity to speak on fame and kids and race openly. The viewer is in on the conversation, but isn't in the conversation. Opinions on hot-topic issues that LeBron's addressed before aren’t delivered like a sermon, which are more likely to fall flat. He’s chatting with people he respects. And you feel like part of that group."
- Haley O'Shaughnessy
Bringing it All Together
One of the central challenges in the "TNF in The Shop" project was bringing together various teams with different expertise and visions to create a cohesive live broadcast. This task was complex due to the distinct nature of the original show "The Shop" and the dynamic environment of Thursday Night Football (TNF). By effectively coordinating the efforts of various partners, we demonstrated our ability to navigate complex collaborations. This accomplishment showcases our expertise in bringing together diverse stakeholders, with our operational oversight, bringing together a cohesive and groundbreaking broadcast product.
Managing Tech, Managing People
The team faced the challenge of maintaining the original show's intimate and cinematic essence in a live sports setting. A key part of this was integrating cinema camera technology, typically reserved for non-live productions, into the live broadcast of TNF. This required innovative technical solutions to adapt these cameras for real-time use and ensure seamless integration with the live sports environment. Bringing together the world of cinema and live broadcast was a challenge that was met with resounding success by the talented creatives and technicians involved.
Integrating TNF
Our innovative approach to remote production and successful partnership with NEP's control room, we efficiently coordinated the efforts of multiple production groups dispersed across various locations, ensuring a cohesive and synchronized broadcast. This collaborative endeavor was made possible through our strategic partnership with NEP's state-of-the-art control room, which provided seamless integration of live feeds and enhanced production capabilities. The combination of remote production (REMI) and NEP's expertise elevated the broadcast to a new level, facilitating real-time decision making and delivering a consistent and visually captivating experience. The audience's overwhelmingly positive response reaffirmed the advantage of this dynamic collaboration, solidifying "TNF at The Shop" as an outstanding and pioneering live broadcast.
The Advantage
The successful execution of "TNF in The Shop" demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of using cinema cameras in live sports broadcasting and highlighted the potential of advanced remote production strategies. The project set a new benchmark in live broadcasting, merging distinct styles and technologies to create an engaging viewer experience.
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