ESPN has tonight’s NBA Draft blanketed; Jay Williams shares draft night memories
ESPN presents exclusive coverage of 2016 NBA Draft presented by State Farm (tonight, 7 ET) from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Throughout the telecast, ESPN’s production will utilize the Avid Edit System to help capture the emotions of the night inside the arena in unique way.
“We brought in an Avid Edit System, something we have previously used at the NFL Draft, to incorporate all different kinds of camera formats including Arri Amira, Phantom, and the regular studio feed into multiple elements of the show,” said content producer Jeremy Anderson.
“Also, we had large amount of compositing done with GFX systems working at Barclays and in Bristol under the direction of art director Lucas Nickerson. Overall, we believe the whole system will elevate the look of elements at site.”
With this year’s Avid Edit System, ESPN will utilize multiple camera angles to capture the raw emotion of the prospects leading up to and during the night.
A preview of what the Avid Edit System is capable of can be seen here in the NBA Draft promo above.
(Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)
ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams was the second overall pick in 2002. Tonight, the former Duke and Chicago Bulls star will be alongside the top prospects providing behind-the-scenes access for fans everywhere. During ESPN’s coverage of the 2016 NBA Draft tonight, Williams hopes his role gives fans a better understanding of how these athletes feel and what they experience on draft night.
“When you’re watching the draft from home, you obviously have your own individual investment into your team and what type of player your team needs to draft,” Williams said. “I want to ask all the real questions that your boys would ask. That’s what our fans want to hear. Our generation is moving more towards that because people are saying how they truly feel, whether it’s on Snapchat, Instagram or Twitter. I want to get that true, authentic, barbershop-like talk that your friends would have with you. Me being 34, I hope I can bring that out of the players.”
Looking back to his own draft day, Williams said: “I was nervous as hell. I was worried about tripping on my way to the podium, thinking Lord don’t let me trip on national television when I shake [then-NBA commissioner] David Stern’s hand, would I be the No. 1 or the No. 2 pick in the draft, would there be trades that happened a minute before the draft that could change my path, was I ready to be the face of a franchise at 20, 21 years old.
“For me, I’m just trying to stay poised and not solely rely on my experience, but make it unique to every one of them and what they’re going through, about their upbringing, about how happy they are that they can do things for their family now. Whatever their story is, I want to make sure that I display that to the world in the best possible manner.”
– By Anna Negron
