New mobile broadcast equipment expands live coverage of IU events, club sports
Students at The Media School now have a new way to elevate live event coverage. A recently introduced mobile broadcast system, known as a flypack, is giving students hands-on experience with industry-standard technology while expanding the reach of IU events. The portable setup makes it easier to produce high-quality, on-location broadcasts for sports like IU Hockey and other club competitions, bringing audiences closer to the action than ever before.
The initiative was spearheaded by Media School technical specialist and adjunct instructor Connor Andrei, BA’14, whose production class, MSCH-B 360 Producing Live Sports Broadcasts, has played a key role in getting the project off the ground. Due to supply chain delays, Andrei and his students took a hands-on approach assembling the portable video production system, or flypack, piece by piece.
“The students have been with me for the majority of the build,” Andrei said. “They’ve also been hard at work making the cables that make everything work together. These are skills that most students do not leave any program at any university with, so it’s incredibly exciting that this small group of students has gotten this opportunity.”
For many of the students, the class offers an entirely new kind of learning experience. Jason Watkins, a student in Andrei’s class, said the process has helped him develop both technical and teamwork skills that go beyond a traditional classroom environment.
“Instead of learning from a book, we get real experience working with the equipment,” Watkins said. “It’s messy and unpredictable, and that’s what makes it valuable. That’s the kind of learning you can’t get sitting behind a desk.”
That experience was put to the test during the class’s first live production when they partnered with IUSTV to live stream the Homecoming Pep Rally in Dunn Meadow on Oct. 17. Despite technical challenges, the team successfully broadcasted the event, even extending coverage to include a live performance by local band Opal.
“We had a lot of creative problem solving and troubleshooting to do,” Andrei said. “But the show went to air, and it was a good first time out for the students and the equipment.”
Past live streams of the IU hockey games can be found on the team’s YouTube channel.