ESPN on Feb. 18 "will produce live 2D and 3D coverage of a boxing event using only one crew and set of equipment -- the first time this has been attempted for a live sporting event in the U.S. and possibly the world," according to a cover story by George Winslow of BROADCASTING & CABLE. The boxing telecast, which includes a middleweight bout between Fernando Guerrero and Derrick Findley, will be shot with 3D equipment. ESPN Coordinating Producer Phil Orlins said that "two cameras on 3D camera rigs will capture the left and right images for the stereoscopic feed viewers will see on ESPN 3D." The "left-eye feed from one camera on the 3D rig will provide the 2D, high-definition feed for ESPN2." Winslow writes the "landmark production highlights a number of important developments in both technology and the techniques for doing stereoscopic productions." Orlins said that over the last year, ESPN's 3D production teams "have dramatically reduced the weight of the sideline cameras used for football; managed to overcome problems in using slowmotion cameras; developed new rigs to better follow the action; and most recently, figured out a way to add 3D cameras to the Skycam that follows the action down a football field." ESPN is "expanding ESPN 3D to a 24/7 network" on Monday. No timetable "has been set for the network's next one-crew 2D/3D production, but ESPN ... is exploring the idea of doing a basketball game" (BROADCASTING & CABLE, 2/7 issue).
