Job Description: Interning for 2018 Winter Olympics

                 

If you could get paid to sit down and watch television would you do it? If you could be a part of sports history would you want to be?  If you could help produce yet participate behind the scenes within a national event would want to? I sure did. This past February I was lucky enough to take the semester off in order to intern for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Stamford, Connecticut. 

When accepted by NBC Sports Group, I was assigned to the position of “production logger”.   NBC’s description of a logger is as followed:

Loggers

• Responsible for logging events as they happen as well as logging tapes from various feature   shoots

 • Candidates must be proficient with computers and have knowledge of Olympic-related sports

 • Position requires accuracy, excellent typing skills and patience

Like a watch dog, I surveilled every fine detail when watching live sport footages, tagging key words each time an action occurred. It’s a meticulous process for logging interns, since tagging often occurs during every second of a live stream sporting event. We organize and make the video easily accessible to be later condensed and edited by tagging key words at the start of an action. For instance, “Adam Rippon starts his routine, lands triple axel, and falls”. Shot selecting interns use the tags created by loggers to use certain footage.  Easy access to the footage is vital due to the fast-paced environment of the live programming.  For example, ESPN may request a highlight reel package in a matter of minutes.  Logging interns watch and organize while shot selectors cut and create the highlight. The purpose of Logging can simply be understood by breaking it up in these small questions:

•   How?

•   When?

•   Where?

•   Why?

How To Log

In order to log what is occurring, I sign into a live streaming domain provided by NBC Sports Group. I am given a code to search where my live camera footage can be found. Once the video is found and live footage is seen on the screen I immediately begin to record the event and tag key words at the start of a new action. Next, when an action happens, we press “control (;)” and type short key words to describe that section. Then we press “control (;)” again to start a new tag line where we can type key words. For example, I would log in to Men’s Snowboarding at exactly 10PM EST and wait until the completion beginning. Until then I press record. Next, I would say the name of the player and at times write key words such as “start”. Usually if its ice skating or snowboarding common key words would include “fall” to illustrate if an athlete fell, “family” if they show the athlete's family on a camera shot, “sportsmanship” if friendly comradely was shown, “flags” when flag shots were seen, and lastly ”start/end” to show the start and end of an event. A list of logging jargon and common used key words is given to help an intern better understand what is expected.

When To Log

Usually a supervisor will email your appropriated time slot to come in and log. I was scheduled during the earliest start time of a working night. This meant I normally would log from P.M. to 3A.M. EST at the latest. When you’re a logger, it is important to arrive 15 minutes before start time and stay at least 15-30 minutes after.  One key part of the job is to be flexible. Anything can happen. Malfunctions within cameras can occur, weather conditions can hinder an event causing it to be canceled and events can be delayed by a prior event going into overtime. It is important to log precisely at start time and be mentally present. To miss logging time is to miss footage being captured.

Where to Log

Logging takes place in a computer lab right behind the master control room. The close proximity of the computer lab to the master control room allows easy access for an executive to come in and personally ask for a clip if an event occurs within a game. It’s a fast-paced environment where loggers filter in and out of the lab day and night. 

Why Logging Exists

Loggers are at the base level of the pyramid, organizing and describing everything within the second for the shot selectors. The shot selectors will then easily be able to find footage through the keywords used by the loggers. With this, the shot selectors are able to quickly make highlight packages that are sent to conglomerates that call in and ask for them. Without loggers, the shot selectors would not be able to create a package or video reels because the time frame is too short. Packages require a quick turnaround. Logging is like book keeping. Every log is saved into a library which can be used years from now. For instance, when the next Winter Olympics occur, a supervisor may have an interest in searching Sean White’s footage from the 2018 Olympics.

So now that you may have a better understanding, would you log and be a part of history?

Flesch Reading Ease: 65.6

Flesch- Kincaid Grade Level 8

Passive Sentences: 0%