Have you ever wondered what goes into creating the incredible videos for BYU sports? Sportsline reporter, Kim Petersen, went behind the scenes of BYU Athletics to find out how the games are covered and why it’s worthwhile.
Believe it or not, BYU Athletics has been around since 1895 when Brigham Young Academy played their first rivalry game against the University of Utah. Today, BYU Athletics covers a total of 19 NCAA sports for BYU. BYU Athletics Employee, Thomas Heinz, said the job is both rigorous and rewarding.
“When I first started [working for BYU Athletics] I loved being behind the scenes. It’s just been fun and a blast and I love it,” Heinz said. He’s worked for the department for over four years and has covered everything from tennis to volleyball.
During the games, BYU Athletics is focused on filming. After the games, they have to quickly set up for post-game interviews, upload videos, and edit highlights. When they’re not at a game, they’re creating videos used in future games or for their social media platforms.
Yael Aragon, another member of the BYU Athletics team, focuses his time and attention on social media.
“I record the feed from the jumbo Tron directly, and while I am recording it I am sending it to Premiere Pro where I can cut any highlight that happens and pull any cool play, any dunk, and any three pointer. I’ll just grab the clip and export it to social media.”
From beginning to end, fans can see game highlights online in a matter of minutes.
The team’s Production Assistant, Matthew Coles, said that the one thing he loves about sports is that the action is already created and all you have to do is capture it.
“You just create a story with that action through choreography,” Coles explained, “Why do we go and watch sports? Because they’re unpredictable. That’s what makes it exciting. So it’s basically trying to create an intro video where you can get the crowd pumped up.”
This team does an excellent job of “pumping up” crowds for every BYU game. They also run the media during games, such as play-by-plays, the Dance Cam, and others. Next time you’re at a BYU game, take the time to appreciate all the hard work that goes into making the BYU magic happen.
