R&G Productions, AMPVISUAL TV team for Ballon d’Or awards coverage

The 2013 Ballon d’Or award ceremony organized by FIFA and held at the congress centre in Zurich saw Cristiano Ronaldo receive the award – which is given on an annual basis to the player who is considered to have peformed the best in the previous year – in front of a global television audience spanning 180 countries.

R&G Productions, producer Jérôme Revon’s company, helmed the production of the event that was broadcast on Monday 13 January. Jérôme Revon – who is a specialist in sporting, political and ceremonial events – opted to work with teams from AMPVISUAL TV for the technical facilities.

“Our Millenium 11 OB truck travelled to Zurich for the Ballon d’Or,” explained Patrick Bridoux, who was in charge of the production of the event for AMPVISUAL TV. “Thirteen Sony cameras (including four with long-focus lenses) were used, as well as three LSM live slow-motion systems for the replays.”

To provide amplitude and to allow for camera moves a super Techno 30 crane and a Junior dolly track system were placed by the stage. From 5pm onwards, the arrival of the various football stars was recorded.

Two of EVS’ IP Director suites were deployed for live editing and immediate broadcasting of the evening’s highlights. A total of 32 people from AMPVISUAL TV (artistic staff and a technical crew including camera operators who are used to working with Revon) travelled to Switzerland for the occasion. Part of the crew began to set-up the equipment as early as Saturday afternoon while the dress rehearsals got underway on Sunday at 3pm.

Fréderic Dorieux, DP for numerous French television shows, including the renowned daily show on Canal+ called ‘Le Grand Journal’ was responsible for the stage lighting.

In France, l’Equipe 21, the free sports channel broadcast on DTT, acquired the rights to air the event. On this occasion the channel, whose audience numbers are generally not exceptional despite it being a free specialty channel offering wide coverage, scored a record high audience of 1.9 million viewers at 8pm.