Los Angeles hosted the X Games 16 and ESPN as usual were covering the event. The X-Games is one the largest TV operations that ESPN produce and this year was the first time it was transmitted live in 3D on their new channel ESPN 3D. I was asked to supply 2 Polecam systems for the Games and one was required to shoot in 3D positioned at the top of the Big Air ramp and the other in 2D at the Motocross events.
I chose to use the Toshiba HD1 cameras for both rigs because of their excellent quality and compatability with Polecam's remote control unit. The cameras only output a 1080i signal and ESPN required a 720p output, so a couple of cross converters onboard the ESPN truck resolved this issue. On the 3D rig the 2 Toshibas were controlled by 2 Polecam developed RCPs and data was sent via a single length of telephone data cable. Video output from the cameras was HD-SDI and was converted to optic fiber to the production trucks by 2 'Rattlers' supplied by Fletchers of Chicago. The 3D optical allignment was made simple by Polecam's new 3D camera mount and setting up was done by the guys from Pace Technologies. We found the best inter-ocular distance between cameras for my position was 4cm. "The over the shoulder shots of the rider looking down the huge Big Air ramp and then dropping in looked impressive enough in 2D but were stomach tingling in 3D". The preparation for setting up all the 3D and 2D cameras, cables and integrating the production trucks took 3 days.
The second Polecam rig was positioned at another stadium covering Motocross events and was a much simpler 2D setup. Again a toshiba HD1 camera was used and the rig was operated by Boyd Anderson from Oregon. The ability to reposition the rig quickly and easily gave ESPN some uniquely positioned jib shots getting the camera close to the action but because of it's lightweight camera head did not add a safety risk to the motocross bikes and riders.
This was the 3rd time Polecam has been used at the X-Games by myself. The previous 2 years it was used to record 3D footage for the 'X-Games Movie 3D'. "ESPN must have liked the footage Polecam got in the last two X-Games as this year they wanted twice as many!"
