LIVE, FROM THE COAL BOWL . . .
Crew Productions oversees production, social media feeds from annual basketball tournament
Crew Productions oversees production, social media feeds from annual basketball tournament.
NEW WATERFORD – Thanks to the Coal Bowl Classic live stream produced by Crew Productions, the Canadian high school basketball tournament has global reach.
With teams from as far away Yorkton (Saskatchewan) and Leduc (Alberta) plus international students playing on high school teams, the live stream gives parents and family of away players a chance to cheer them on.
“They want to see how their kids are doing. They want to see them make the shot,” said Coal Bowl live stream director Ray J. MacLellan, who owns Crew Productions.
Since starting the live stream, viewers have gone up from 12 to about 2,300-2,500 a game without any promotion.
It’s also giving students like Adam MacLean the chance to get hands on experience producing a live audio video event.
“Sometimes I’ll be downstairs on camera or sometimes I’ll be (upstairs) on joystick . . . you do all the different jobs,” said MacLean.
“This is what I want to go into when I’m older.”
MacLellan has three students on his crew of five that produces the live stream and manages the social media feeds promoting it. This year they are using Twitter to connect directly with people watching in different cities, provinces and countries with players on the court.
“That’s better than live TV, for the parents to be able to watch their kids is one thing. But for them to be able to get a message to them is something else,” MacLellan said.
Along with MacLean in production are two Grade 11 students, Michael Boutilier and Tyler Demers, who are doing a work placement through BEC. The play-by-play announcers are also students.
Besides learning how to manage social media streams they also learn how to direct shots during a live feed, set up shots using a joy stick and stationary cameras and operate a camera on the floor.
“Working (the live stream) at Coal Bowl is such an eye-opener to the technical side of things,” said MacLellan.
“To how low the barriers to entry have been lowered, too . . . We now have rapid global connect (through social media). It’s so crazy.”
While Boutilier and Demers are only working during Coal Bowl, 15-year-old MacLean is at Crew Productions on average three times a week, volunteering his time for work experience. The Grade 10 student also volunteers with Eastlink Television, helping film Cape Breton Screaming Eagles hockey games.
“I love it. It’s the reason I keep coming back,” he said.
“Even as a kid I always loved cameras. And I’ve learned a lot over the last three years I’ve been here (at Crew Productions).”