Shooting Golf
what goes on inside the PGA Tour through a combination of live action and tournament recap and player profiles shot in a creative fashion. After many years of shooting “Inside” for PGA Tour Entertainment and developing my style of golf videography, I am now DP’ing national commercial spots for the brand and marketing division of the PGA Tour. A collaboration between PGA Tour headquarters, PGA Tour Entertainment and their advertising agency, this partnership produces the PGA Tour brand commercial campaigns aired during live golf telecasts on CBS, NBC and Golf Channel. I am honored that they have chosen to work with me on their commercial campaign. Shooting these golf related commercials for the Tour has led to shooting three national spots for ECCO Golf Shoes featuring Ernie Els, Graeme McDowell and Fred Couples. I also just completed three public service announcements with Missy Franklin for the USA Swimming Foundation. The Sony F55 fits perfectly for me whether I am shooting sports, PSA’s or nationally aired commercials. Golf television really expanded in the age of Tiger Woods. Through my association and work with the PGA Tour I was a beneficiary of the game’s new popularity. 137
Shooting sports, especially golf, is a specialty. Unlike shooting a feature film or television show there is no re-take of the action. What happens on the field of play happens once and then it’s gone. There is no ‘take one’ or ‘take two’ because focus was soft or the sound wasn’t pristine. As a sports feature/highlight DP, you get one chance at a great shot and then it’s on to the next swing, play or at bat. But unlike baseball, football or hockey, a golf-feature DP has to be in the right spot at the right time. There are many intricacies associated with this approach. As a golf DP I need to know the players, their swing-timing, the shape of their shot – whether its a draw or a fade, their pre-shot routine, how they mark their ball on the green and any other idiosyncrasies. I need to be on the correct side of the green or tee box when players are putting or teeing off to insure proper framing of the player, ball and the hole. And like tennis, I need to be there before the shot/swing happens because the etiquette of the game demands quiet on the course. I cannot change lenses in the middle of the action or be setting up my tripod or slider as the players are getting ready to hit their shots. At times I am a little further away from the players than I would like to be, however, shooting with the Sony F55 and the Canon 30-300mm PL mount lens allows me to shoot from a distance. I go into the menu and select 2K center scan and the image is just as clean and crisp as full frame.
2013 Presidents Cup Brand shoot and Official Film, PGA Tour Entertainment
As one of the first features and profiles shooters in the sports arena to use the Sony F55 after it’s release in 2012, I consulted with the CBS Golf Broadcast team about their purchase of the F55 for all of CBS on-course beauty shots and off-course olf stories. I also worked with NBC product and production managers on utilizing the Sony F55 for the Olympic Unit and NBC Sports Network for