XTV are 'close to the action' for C4 cricket titles

Design and production facility XTV has completed the titles package for Channel Four's award-winning cricket coverage of England matches through Sunset+Vine.
Entitled 'Closer to the Action', the concept was created by XTV designer Morgan Sendall, and reflects C4's unique aim of taking viewers much closer to the cricket action. The sequence creates the illusion of a cross-section of cricket enthusiasts actually on the pitch right amongst the players, observing the action in extreme close-up during a Test Match.
Produced by XTV's Anne Davies and directed by Daryl Goodrich of Chrysalis Creative, the shoot involved filming the England cricket team on tour in New Zealand.
The main title sequence was graded at Todd-AO, and edited, graded and post produced in Henry by XTV's Mike Parry. It is set to the same dynamic music track that C4 have been using for the last 3 years, called "Mambo No.5" by Lou Bega.
The original creative approach involved a two-day location shoot at The Oval test match ground in London, with a local cricket team. However, as a result of red tape, unpredictable weather, lighting restrictions and a lack of named England players, it was decided that it would be equally cost effective to travel to New Zealand and film the real England team in action.
Travelling to NZ enabled the production team to take full advantage of the long summer days, thereby only needing to do a one-day shoot. This also allowed them to use a second film unit, thereby maximising the number and range of shots filmed. Shot on Super 16mm by cameraman Nic Sadler, one of the cameras was set up with a 300mm lens for all the close-up shots using a number of different speeds up to 150 frames per second. The second unit camera took care of the wide shots using a variety of lenses.
The titles package will have up to a three-year lifespan, so the shoot was devised in such a way that players can be edited into or out of the sequences as appropriate.
Commissioned by producer Gary Franses and C4's Head of Sport David Kerr, the package will be aired for the First Test against Sri Lanka on 16 May.
(SP)