Posts made in November 2024

Bulls Above The Boards

Recently, Gemstone Media’s University of South Florida crew produced for three screens simultaneously at the Bulls vs. Vanderbilt women’s basketball game: 

  1. Our signature ESPN digital presentation
  2. In-Bowl video for fans at the Yuengling Center
  3. A new, alternate ESPN broadcast called Bulls Above the Boards

Here’s a look behind the scenes of all three.

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The main show had a female-led production with most of the cameras operated by women, and both broadcasts showcased all-female talent.  Bulls Above The Boards featured cameras above the backboards (of course!) and a Megalodon camera shot among the enhancements.

“I’m very excited by the quality, creativity and professionalism our broadcast team continues to bring to our many productions for ESPN,” said USF Vice President for Athletics Michael Kelly.  “I’m proud that we continue to challenge ourselves to be a leader in the broadcast space, not only producing nearly 200 broadcasts a year but pushing the envelope on what is possible from a school-led production.”

Groundbreaking for Football’s Future

Groundbreaking, literally!  Watch below as dignitaries at the University of South Florida turned the soil on the campus’ new football stadium.  Gemstone Media and our embedded crew at USF covered the entire event.

“What an honor to provide live streaming support to the University of South Florida’s historic groundbreaking of the on-campus football stadium!” says George Birnbaum, Gemstone Media CEO and Founder.  “Our staff made this complex remote event–-which was a constant moving target of activity–-appear seamless, as we revealed to the world the beginning of a bold new era.”    

David Hall, Gemstone Media Operations Manager, adds, “What a fantastic event to be a part of:  perfect weather, a great crowd, and excitement everywhere. First-class event and first-class coverage. I’m very proud of the Gemstone Media team that live streamed the entire event to ESPN+. Great job, everyone!”    

Not only are we thrilled about the groundbreaking and coverage you see here, Gemstone Media looks forward to working in this new venue, as we are currently consulting on the in-stadium broadcast facilities.  This is a wonderful opportunity for us to design an optimal setup from the ground to air, including cable routing and connectivity, video and audio layout, and many more details that will enhance and define USF’s broadcasts for years to come.

Stay tuned, as we say, for more on that!

Read more about the stadium here.

Varsity 4 On The Field

Gemstone Media had a blast capturing the electrifying energy of the Varsity 4 high school football games of the week this season for News4Jax+. 

And below, a tip of the headset to the JU student workers who freelanced on our crew during the 2024 finale. 

Watch the Creekside at Ponte Vedra highlights here.