Mastering the art: Stop & Go Production’s OB5 truck makes home debut at FIBA 3×3 event

When the FIBA 3×3 World Tour rolled into Paris for the first time in October, the international basketball federation turned to Toulouse-based Stop & Go Production to provide OB services for the fast-paced tournament.

Held in the Carreau du Temple in the centre of the city, the Paris Masters saw 14 teams from across the globe compete over two days of intense action, before Vienna became the first-ever Austrian team to win a FIBA 3×3 World Tour event.

In this event of firsts, the Paris Masters also marked the first outing at a sports event in France for Stop & Go’s new custom-built OB5 truck.

“It’s expensive now to build an OB van, and clients are changing. They are more cost-conscious, so the best approach is to have some big names installed but connect with new technology like Blackmagic, which is reliable but more cost-effective, and the signal at the end of the event is the same.”

The new truck features a hybrid 4K IP and SDI-based production workflow, made possible by a wide range of high-spec kit. Central to the OB’s gallery control workflow is an ATEM Constellation 8K live production switcher with an ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel for hardware control. In addition, eight 4K cameras, one EVS XT-VIA production server and a Soundcraft Vi 1000 console have all been installed.

As Olivier Gouze, production and technical director for Stop & Go Production, explains: “I mixed the best of all the technology. The truck’s brain is Riedel MicroN UHD – I needed a big brain for this event. We managed all the devices with Lawo VSM, and for the recording, we used Blackmagic’s HyperDeck.”

He continues: “We decided to mix all this equipment, firstly because of the price. It’s expensive now to build an OB van, and clients are changing. They are more cost-conscious, so the best approach is to have some big names installed but connect with new technology like Blackmagic, which is reliable but more cost-effective, and the signal at the end of the event is the same. For the FIBA Masters, it fully meets our needs.”

For the Paris Masters, Stop & Go worked closely with FIBA, alongside sister company Oxygene, which focused on show production. Stop & Go developed a nine-camera setup to capture all the action on the court.

“3X3 is played on a half court,” explains Gouze. “The main camera, number one, captures 80% of the show. The second main camera is under the basket, and it’s also a replay camera. Camera three is a close-up shot; Camera 4 is an 86in lens to shoot the basket; and Camera 5 is on a crane. We also have three technical cameras. Camera 6 is a mini camera under the hoop, and 7 and 8 are remote PTZs. One is on the top of the court and one behind the glass.”

The live program mix from the switcher ran into an encoder and streamed to FIBA’s YouTube Channel in 1080p. France Télévisions also broadcast the event. “We could also use additional SDI outputs on the ATEM to feed big screens in the venue, whether that was a dedicated camera angle or a slow-motion replay,” adds Gouze.

Slow-motion replays and highlights were a crucial part of the production, something that proved a challenge for such a fast-paced sport played in such a compact space.

Gouze recalls: “We needed to make all the highlights using the EVS system. We didn’t have much time because it’s such a fast sport, and we needed to be very reactive. In the truck, we had two EVS operators handling this. We started work at midday and finished at 11pm. It was a nonstop show.”

However, this challenge was clearly met as Stop & Go will continue its relationship with FIBA, and the contract for 2023 is already agreed. Additions for next year look set to include a high-speed camera to capture the action even more intensely. “It was only our fifth shoot with this truck, but it all went according to plan, and FIBA was very happy with the results,” concludes Gouze.

The FIBA 3×3 World Tour Paris Masters took place 7-8 October 2022 at the Carreau du Temple.