HBS Sets Personal Best At Berlin Marathon
HBS cameras were present for a third consecutive BMW Berlin Marathon this weekend, and while there was no record-breaking finish time there was still an exhilarating race – won by Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge in a time of 2:04:00 – for the production team to bring to worldwide viewers.
Now in the third year of partnership, HBS works on behalf of SCC Events at the event. It is a heavy workload for the team with early starts and long hours requiring levels of endurance and dedication akin to that of the competing runners.
The production of the world feed of the race is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the output. In the lead-up to the event news content is delivered for national and international broadcasters, additional content is produced for sponsorship partners of the BMW Berlin Marathon and after the race day a promotional film is compiled for the organisers of the event. Unilateral services are also catered for and HBS cooperates with the national broadcaster, ARD, by assisting with iso camera outputs. All in all, a comprehensive package and a reminder of HBS’ flexible approach to providing content – be it for traditional broadcasts, sponsorship/marketing purposes or digital. The latter becoming an especially important broadcast element in an age where the @berlinmarathonE Twitter account boasts over 13,000 followers and the #berlinmarathon hashtag was used over 8,000 times during the BMW Berlin Marathon weekend.
The coverage of the event was directed for HBS by Marcus Olschewski, with guide commentary added by Stuart Storey and Tim Hutchings. “After providing the host broadcast for three editions we are in a good routine with the requirements of the event and our operations on the day,” explained Project Director Stefan Wistuba.
“That doesn’t mean getting comfortable, we plan for the event meticulously and are constantly evaluating our approach to look for ways we can improve the viewing experience. It is all about maintaining the consistently high level of performance we have set for ourselves.”
Working with German providers best boys tv factory and Eurolinx, for production services and RF links, ensures an additional level of local knowledge in the preparation phase. The range of cameras used to cover the event makes certain the story of the race is told comprehensively from start to finish, with some innovative methods used to keep camera operators in the heart of the action – including motorcycles carrying RF camera operators and a steadicam operator using a Segway during the closing stage of the run. A total of 22 cameras are used, with aerial footage captured by a helicopter with mounted cineflex allowing the unfolding drama to be seen within the context of Berlin’s iconic cityscape.
Engaged in a multi-year deal with SCC Events to provide the host broadcast, HBS has been on hand to capture world-record breaking performances at the BMW Berlin Marathon in 2013 and 2014. While there was no benchmark time set on the circuit on this occasion, for HBS it can be considered that the year-on-year personal best has again been improved upon.
Please see the following link for the 2016 BMW Berlin Marathon registration promo video, produced by HBS : https://vimeo.com/142609278
