On-Board Camera at Pembrey ?

[Martin Harrold]

Hi:

On-Board Camera at Pembrey ?

We have a technical offer from 247.tv for them to fit a live transmission kit into a 2CV race car to send the signal from a suitable camera to the production desk. The car number and driver name could be in shot.

In this day of live streaming, it seems a good opportunity to trial an extension of the content going out from our two races at Pembrey. It is a marketing investment and the cost, around £350, would come out of the Club marketing budget.

This offer is all last-minute rush, rush, and the Board has not yet discussed the idea. It would mean the front running 10 or so cars putting their names into a draw. I know that some people are afraid of the camera curse.

I don't think that any car would gain an advantage by having the live camera in a sprint. The 24 Hour could be a different matter.

If anyone has a particular desire to be included in or to be excluded from the draw, please post a note here soonest please. It would be helpful to get this sorted during today.

With some responses, the Board can consider the proposal.

Thx.

[Luca Proietti]

Both Sandro and I are happy to be the camera car.

[nick nice toes]

As am I
Nick

[Katy Storey]

We are happy to have a camera in the car (Lauren and I) if you like for the mid-pack action

[Martin Harrold]

Quick Update:

The live video transmission system requires a signal from a Go-Pro camera. We can loan a Go-Pro 3 but the TV guys have not yet confirmed whether that is technically satisfactory.

Thanks to you all for your offers to carry the camera, if it happens. Only for the reason that there would be different drivers in the two races, Luca and Sandro in the Baycon car are looking like being selected. It's all very experimental at this stage.

[Luca Proietti]

Hi Martin, that is very exciting. We do have a go pro. However it might be better using theres, and if they could come help us so we know what they want us to do that would be amazing.

Thanks

[Martin Harrold]

Hi, Luca:

I think that they assume many race cars now have cameras fitted. They supply the clever bit that gets the live signal from the canera to the production suite.

I'd guess that they have lots of experience in setting up cars and drivers to operate the system.

As I said, it is all an experiment on our part.

[Luca Proietti]

Hi Martin,

Ok perfect.

Just let them know that we will not have a clue how it works and they will need to help set it up. Thank you

[Martin Harrold]

Hi, Luca:

Please bring you Go-Pro with you to Pembrey. There is some tech query about getting some special connector into the camera and they vary in small ways. So having a few to chose from may help.

Thx.

[Luca Proietti]

Hi Martin,

It is a GoPro hero 5 if this helps.

The camera will be In and recording for the races and qualifying so it works then that Will be very cool

[Martin Harrold]

Sadly, the live on-board camera on the Proetti car was working fine but the link to the transmitter unit fsied and we could not find another anywhere at the circuit. We'll try again at Silverstone.

Thanks to all those who helped.

[simon turner]

Can someone please let us know if the club was still charged £350 for the failed attempt at an onboard live stream. I don't believe this represents good value at all especially if any car chosen could possibly not complete the race. Anyone with their own in car video can put this on you tube themselves for the world to see and the club to promote if it wished to at no cost. With advanced warning can we all not have some more say in these decisions where club funds are expended or maybe an agreed promotion budget at the AGM which can not be exceeded without a majority agreement.
As the event cost around £800 this would be around £35 per car and based on the limited coverage I have actually managed to watch so far of the first race I can not say that it represented any sort of fair value to all the competitors. Maybe if you were in the leading group or the last group you would be happy but there must be plenty of us who had almost no coverage. The second race, which I have not seen at at all yet, may be better because I complained directly and asked that equal coverage should be given to each car as we were all effectively paying the same and I know that some of those who watched from home were very disappointed by the coverage and its fixation on the leaders even extending to their slowing down lap while most of us were still racing.

Simon

[Martin Harrold]

Hi, Simon:

On-Board Camera at Pembrey ?

I'm writing here with my personal views as the current 'project leader' on live stream coverage.

As a Club we were one of the pioneers of live streaming of Club races, with coverage of the CITROEN 24 Hour Race starting some years ago. The general concept has now been widely adopted across the sport.

As a long established Championship with cars of character, we are very storied and there is a lot of informal interest. I heard recently that there were 40,000 views of the Pembrey coverage. If we are to grow in a very competitive environment, then that public exposure could help encourage new cars to the grid.

As a very long standing Williams F1 fan I fully understand your point about coverage of cars further down the field. But in all sports it's the leaders who generate most interest and get most coverage. That's just the way things are. And to maximise viewer interest, the on-board should be in a car which is likely to run towards the front of the field.

Although it has no direct influence on the directors' choice of camera images played out, each driver has to do their bit to promote their presence in the race. There was a note in the most recent Club eNewsletter asking each team to prepare and send their own Commentators Notes to both the circuit and the live-stream commentators. I'm told that very few did that.

As for the cost of the live on-board camera, the production company did everything to get it installed and working as agreed. Its failure to work was nothing at all to do with them. We have a good relationship with 247.tv as they produce our 24 Hour coverage and they may be persuaded to carry it over to Silverstone.

Live stream coverage has lots of hidden costs, and in some areas we benefit from 'bulk buying' by BARC, who with BARC.tv also make it easy for the public to view the coverage.

On behalf of the Board I made the decision not to buy into coverage of the races at Donington last Autumn, and we got several complaints about that. Racers can be very hard to please!

Feel free to call me to discuss any ideas you may have which might help improve the coverage.

[Martin Harrold]

Hi, all:

On-Board Camera at SILVERSTONE

After the tech issues at Pembrey, working with 247.tv, we are giving the idea of a live on-board camera another try at Silverstone this weekend.

Nick Crispin, of DD Motorsport, has offered to carry the camera and kit in 89. He's happy to face down the 'camera curse'.