Students in Niagara College’s Broadcasting – Radio Television and Film program were back behind the camera this summer for another world-class sporting event.
As White Oaks Resort and Spa in Niagara played host to the World Junior Squash Championships from July 20 to 31, a crew of NC students took to the court and behind-the-scenes to capture a full-scale production featuring some of the world’s best under-19 squash players as they battled for the World Championship title.
NC program coordinator and broadcasting pro, Dutch Vandenberg, said the two-week production was especially demanding.
“The crew did amazing and I am very proud of the product we created,” said Vandenberg.
The NC student crew.
The student crew included third-year TV students Brendan Beilman, Brock Mead, Gianluca Malvaso, Brandon Finikin, Kenzie Kehoe, and second-year TV student Christian Middleton.
The six students took on professional-level roles in directing, camera operation, audio, replay, robotics, streaming, and technical support to bring the championship action to audiences, streaming it live from around the world.
Beilman, who is from Edmonton, worked alongside Vandenberg as the lead hand and technical assistant for production, as well as lead audio.
Beilman said he loved the challenge of wearing multiple hats, bringing his NC experience from other productions like Ontario Parasport Games, Minto Cup, Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, and Canadian Boccia Championships.
“The experience you gain working on these types of productions is invaluable and I feel fortunate to have gotten to work on them while taking this program,” said Beilman, who recently worked on the World Cup in Toronto, an opportunity he received through the college.
Brock Mead of Hamilton and Gianluca Malvaso of Niagara Falls had a unique vantage point during the competition: working front and center at the feature glass court at White Oaks, where transparent walls offered a 360-degree view of the gameplay. Mead served as director and Malvaso as the main camera operator.
Directing a world championship was a career goal realized for Mead.
“Being able to broadcast two historic championship wins in both the men’s and women’s solo matches, and being able to make sure that everyone from those athletes’ home countries can watch them compete is so special,” said Mead.
Gianluca Malvaso operating the main camera.
As a camera operator, Malvaso said the unique field of play made the experience unlike any other sport he’s covered. In sports like basketball, volleyball and soccer, camera operators are typically positioned in the stands or high on scaffolding rather than right alongside the action.
“I had never been so close to the game action with a camera as I was over the course of these two weeks,” said Malvaso. “Having the camera at a lower angle was really, really cool.”
A lifelong lover of sport, both as an athlete and spectator, Malvaso was new to squash.
“I was amazed with it, from the speed of the game to the athleticism of all who were competing – especially being up close where I was with the camera,” said Malvaso.
A standout moment for Malvaso came during the single and doubles finals and semi-finals. As the stakes intensified, so too did the athletes’ visible emotions.
“There were a few times the athletes were right in front of me and I got to capture it,” said Malvaso. “In the Men’s Singles Final, when the player who won sealed the deal, he saw the camera, looked directly at it and held up his finger as a celebration, presumably as a symbol of finishing first and winning the tournament.”
Capturing the key moment earned Malvaso plenty of praise from the production team, who congratulated him on getting the shot.
Vandenberg says the livestreams, featuring the College’s logo, amassed impressive viewership numbers.
“There were lots of great storylines and views for this cool event,” said Vandenberg, noting that a clip shared by the prime minister of India garnered more than 40 million views.
The number of views is a source of pride for Malvaso.
“One, because our work as a team of students reached that many people… and two, because Dutch trusted us as the people to run this production.”
