Football Summit 2019: Match Directing Masterclass confirmed

The art of match directing, and how the role is evolving, will be discussed at SVG Europe’s Football Summit 2019 in Paris on 28 February.

In a special Masterclass session, sponsored by Slomo.tv, SVG Europe will shine a line on the craft of football match directing, exploring the grammar of directing, the storytelling choices made, the pressures faced and the tools used.

The conversation will also consider the skills required to be a great director and the preparation required for each match, and touch on some potentially disruptive innovations such as remote production and VAR.

The masterclass participants will be Sky Sports director Sarah Cheadle, who has almost 20 years experience of working on the Premier League and is one of Europe’s top football directors, and Grant Philips who has directed matches at just about every football tournament and competition on the planet.

Philips, who is also executive producer for Sunset+Vine Scotland, has been at the helm of matches at the World Cup, Confederations Cup, Copa America, Champions League, Europa League, Premier League, Scottish Premiership, FA Cup, Scottish Cup, the Women’s FA Cup Final and various internationals.

The session will be chaired by one of the industry’s hottest young directing talents, BT Sport’s Gemma Knight.

SVG Europe editor Will Strauss, the session’s producer, said: “The Match Directing Masterclass will give delegates the chance to learn something whether they’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, whether they are a director or not. I think there will be a lot of very interested people from other parts of the sports television supply chain that will get a great deal from the insight that these hugely experienced directors can offer.”

The SVG Europe Football Summit 2019 will also feature a session on production and technical innovation at UEFA, a preview of the Women’s World Cup and an Augmented Reality showcase.

As with all SVG Europe events, there will be plenty of networking opportunities throughout the day. Delegates will also get the chance to take part in a guided tour of the Stade de France.

The Football Summit, sponsored by EVS, will take place at the Stade de France in Paris on Thursday 28 February 2019. For more information, and to register, visit https://www.svgeurope.org/football-summit-2019