SMT/IDS continues to expand its partnership with CrossFit by
providing broadcast and on-site solutions unique to the 2014 Reebok CrossFit
Games, which began Tuesday with the three-day Masters competition and concludes
with the main competition today through Sunday in Carson, Calif.
Since 2011, SMT/IDS has supported CrossFit, delivering the
first scoring services to the CrossFit Games and adding timing services in
2013. (n+1) designstudio, SMT’s creative division, has been CrossFit’s official
design firm since 2012, expanding services this year to include the CrossFit
Games show opener, to be featured on ESPN today and Saturday night and on ESPN2
Sunday night. The same coverage streamed on ESPN3 of the masters and team
competitions will be available on Games.CrossFit.com.
“For 2014, one of our major goals was to have an animated
show opening that matched the standard set by the objective of the CrossFit
Games – to find the fittest people on Earth,” said Joe Novello, coordinating
producer for the CrossFit Games. “Using universal imagery that simultaneously
applies to the core CrossFIt community as well as the newly interested, the
team at (n+1) designstudio created a bold, explosive and definite illustration
of the journey these amazing athletes make to reach the pinnacle of their
sport. In short, they dead-on nailed it.”
To watch the open, go to
vimeo.com/nplus1design/2014crossfitshowopen.
CrossFit’s webcasts utilizes SMT’s GOTO Board touchscreen.
The GOTO, operated by CrossFit’s webcast hosts, is powered by SMT’s graphics
publishing system, Data Matrix Switchboard (DMX), which absorbs and organizes
statistics and displays such information as:
Comparisons of age, weight, height and records of
participating athletes
Historic and live competition statistics, including current
leaders
Data enhancing competition highlights
Limitless statistics by categories, such as records for
individual sports competitions
Additionally, SMT’s GOTO Board allows hosts to post social
media updates during the webcast, including fan comments, pictures, trending
topics and instant polling that can come from any social channel, including
Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
SMT/IDS services for the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games include:
Enhanced scoring services: This flexible and robust system
allows for multiple scoring use cases and points configurations, necessary for
the ever-changing CrossFit competition.
Central clock controller: This system allows the handheld scoring
devices to receive an automatic start, eliminating the potential of human error
that can occur when scoring an event. This system will also allow for the
wireless handheld scoring devices to be synced with the time of day to provide
a time stamp, making post production work easier to associate data and video
from the CrossFit Games.
Redesigned graphics: New for 2014, (n+1) designstudio has
created a new look for the 3D graphics, and also added: show tease, show open,
replay effects, theme interstitials, new transition elements, athlete
interstitials, full screen background elements, new broadcast elements, and
revised CrossFit Shield.
Closed Circuit Television Feed: CrossFit’s closed circuit
television system has one channel of live video of the CrossFit Games, one
channel displaying a schedule of the day, and a third channel that shows the
current leaderboard for the men’s, women’s, teams and master’s competitions.
Ribbon Board Interface: A 3′ x 90′ LED ribbon board, built
on the CrossFit tennis stadium floor, will show lane assignments, event
descriptions and sponsor logos.
Rig Display Interface: New for 2014, a 3’ x 270′ LED
display, built on the north end of the CrossFit soccer field, will show
real-time scoring, lane assignments and sponsor logos.
“Our partnership with CrossFit and the CrossFit Games allows
SMT/IDS to showcase our complete suite of products and services, from our
comprehensive broadcast package, to in-stadium video boards and data
integration, timing and scoring systems and our GOTO Board for the studio,”
said Jessica Schacht, senior business development manager SMT/IDS. “With our
23-person team on-site at the CrossFit Games, we also ensure a smooth
production flow as we bring viewers closer to the stories behind these
incredible athletes.”