Through years of experience and thousands of football matches, we have found the ideal combination to produce a perfect live stream. Just follow the steps below:
FILMING POSITION
The camera should be positioned exactly on the halfway line, at least 4.5 meters (15 feet) away from the edge of the field, and at a height of 6 meters (20 feet) or more above ground level. Make use of the facilities at the venue (e.g. the stands, a press box etc.)
The camcorder or mobile device used for filming must be mounted on a tripod to allow smooth panning and tilting.
2. CAMERA VIEW
The filming device needs to have a clear and unrestricted view of the playing field, with no pillars or other obstacles in front of it and with no possibility of people walking in front of its entire range of view.
For live streams with one single camera or mobile device, the shooting shall mainly follow the action involving the ball with a wide shot. The main recommendations are:
The view should cover between 1/2 and 1/3 of the entire field at any time.
Although it is good to try and keep the ball in the centre of the filming device's view, it’s advisable not to follow the action in a way that more sideline than field is being captured.
Avoid the so-called “dead space”, i.e. a large section of the field without any players or action. Anticipate the direction of the action and pan the filming device ahead of an attack. Try to always have the maximum number of players and action within the view.
Only zoom in when needed (when the action is on the opposite side of the field from the filming device or inside/close to the penalty areas), but keep the camera view wide, not narrow. Close-ups can be done but be careful to not miss any important play.
3. WEATHER CONDITIONS
The filming device needs to be facing away from the sun (i.e. the sun should be behind the device) and angled down at the field at roughly 45 degrees.
Always be ready for bad weather, prepare the necessary shelter or weather-proofing covers to protect the equipment from the weather (eg. avoid getting raindrops or snow onto the lens of the camera)
In case of strong winds, built-in microphones or any external microphones should be protected with an outdoor windscreen muff, to avoid undesirable noises in the live stream.
Tripod needs to be sufficiently stable to resist wind and other environmental conditions. If necessary, it is suggested to place sandbags or weights over the legs of the tripod (or on its central column). The tripod should be placed on a stable, vibration-free surface (such as a concrete pad).
