Broadcast Sport speaks to the production team behind the small sided rugby competition
“I don’t think that level of collaboration happens very often in production.”
Sunset+Vine managing director was onsite for the showpiece Hong Kong SVNS tournament this year, producing for Sunset+Vine as part of a team integrated with World Rugby’s production - which handled social content and digital highlights, as well as providing the live production’s director. A core team of a dozen flew out for Sunset+Vine, which worked with local crew and World Rugby on the live production and broadcast highlights - the latter of which were cut back in the UK.
That director, Steve Jamieson, agreed with Tippett, “In the truck the World Rugby director and the S+V producer are continually talking as the Seven’s broadcast script will be continually changing. The director keeps the pictures and storytelling moving along while the producer is continually working ahead and readjusting the script timings, it’s hectic but works well and always in a calm manner.”
With 64 games played over three days, including the need for a fluid schedule as extra time means certain fixtures are longer than others, this collaboration is certainly tested. Tippett explained, “Maybe in the second half, we’re having a discussion about how much time we’ve got after this game finishes, before the next game starts. They might come through and say, ‘we’ve got an activation on the pitch. Can we have a bit more time?’ Alternatively, we might say we’ve got a bit of storytelling that we think is really important, can we have a little bit more time after this game? Then we can discuss what will work best.”
The Hong Kong event, which took place in March, had the unique challenge of being in a new stadium where a major broadcast hadn’t taken place before. Tippett noted, “We moved from an old stadium without enough space to handle everything that goes along with a with a sevens tournament, not just from a broadcast perspective but from an operational perspective too, to a brand new place with loads of space but no one really knows how it works or where those spaces are.”
While the production is keen to keep the traditional sevens fans happy and engaged, new audiences are a key target for both World Rugby and Sunset+Vine. Jamieson said, “We aim to give the Seven’s experts a broadcast they can follow and see the story of the game through shot selection, replays and a comprehensive graphics package, with all the information they are wanting, but the audience we want to target are the non-rugby experts, and give them a broadcast that is easy to follow but always entertaining through expressive cuts of players celebrating and what’s happening around the stadium with the fans, the rugby and the fans combine for one big party, which we want to get to those watching on TV.”
This makes social media an important tool for distribution, with hundreds of pieces of content created for ach event. Jamieson said, “It focuses on content beyond just on-pitch. It’s about player personalities to help build stars, authentic engagement, educating fans, humour, amazing athleticism and fun. We want fans to be amused, amazed and entertained. It’s fan-first, entertainment-led.”
Tippett agrees, and has also tried to help towards this end in the live broadcast. “I think social is really important for telling people what’s going on in the competition, and why they should tune in. It supports the broadcast, but it’s its own coverage as well, if that makes sense. The other thing we’ve tried to work really hard on with World Rugby and AE Live is graphics, and now there’s a lot of different graphics tools that we have that help us signpost.”
The SVNS season finishes up in Los Angeles, USA, this weekend, with Sunset+Vine and World Rugby to produce the coverage once again. It will be available on TNT Sports in the UK, starting from 6pm on 3 May.
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