Sports

The Race To Perfection - Living The Dream

The Race To Perfection

The Brief:
SPS were approached by Sky Sports to provide full post-production on The Race To Perfection – a seven-part 60-min series outlining Formula 1’s history starting in 1950 through to the present day. The brief was to celebrate the incredible 70-year anniversary by revisiting historic moments and interviewing the sport’s greatest names.

The Solution:
We paired experienced editing, audio & grading talent with the director/producer to build a team that were able to carry out all the necessary preparation work (sorting through unseen archive footage) before the edit, communicate positively throughout and pivot proactively to overcome last-minute changes and unforeseen challenges.

Due to the pandemic, editing was paused during lockdown 1.0, remote workflows were setup, equipment was sent out and the original office-based work environment transitioned to work from home. With the help of Edit Support, our team were able to efficiently utilise the limited time available to complete online & offline editing, audio and grading through a combination of on-site and remote sign-offs.

Edited in Avid Media Composer, After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop, given a Baselight grade and a Pro Tools audio mix, the docuseries was delivered to Sky Sports F1, Sky Documentaries, On-Demand, NBC and FOM for transmission in September 2020.

The Feedback:
“Early on, I knew that the project was going to be big, so it was vitally important to have the key foundations in place. As soon as I discussed my requirements and potential schedule with SPS, they took on board everything I had to say and offered extra support. In a normal situation, working to tight schedules would have been extremely challenging, but when the pandemic hit SPS became a huge asset. Despite time pressures, I was always offered help and assistance if extra time was needed or schedules had to be juggled. SPS were a crucial part of this project becoming successful and I have nothing but the greatest respect for them and look forward to working with them again in the future.”

Andrew DeSouza – Director/Producer, Sky Sports

Editors
Ernesto Rogata, Hugh Lutley, Michael Vischer, Andrew Carpenter

Audio
Eli Perl

Colourist
Ernesto Rogata

Post Production Coordinator
Eve Ray

Format

5.1 HD

Tiger Woods: Back

The Brief:
SPS were commissioned by Sky Sports to provide offline/online, grading, and audio mixing on ‘Tiger Wood: Back’ – a 120-min Sky Original charting the rise, fall, and comeback of the golf icon for Sky’s brand-new documentary channel. The brief was to capture the rollercoaster of emotions experienced in Tiger Woods’ 2017-18 season, as he underwent life-threatening surgery on his back and scored his first PGA TOUR win in five years.

The Solution:
We chose a talented and enthusiastic editor with a passion for storytelling and creativity to work closely with the director/producer. He researched the subject in advance to the post-production process, gathered and sorted through vast archive material, managed hours of content, converted aspect ratios, designed motion graphics, and lay the music tracks throughout the documentary.

Together the team put in hundreds of hours across the lock-down period (with the project paused for two weeks) to overcome remote working issues, such as home equipment setups, edit suite access, unstable Wi-Fi connectivity & internet speeds. Utilising a combination of HP Remote Graphic Software and equipment sent out (monitors, keyboards, GFX tablets, and docks), our editor, colourist, and audio engineer were able to craft and finesse a genuinely entertaining, emotional and captivating story which transcends the world of golf.

The documentary was turned around in around 8 weeks, edited in Avid & After Effects, given a Baselight grade and a Pro Tools audio mix, and delivered for transmission on Sky Sports and On-Demand.

The Feedback:
“From the outset of the project, SPS delivered first-class service and support, taking the time to understand both my needs and those of the project’s stakeholders. Where there were problems, they found solutions and their post-production staff quickly became core contributors to both the creative and technical processes of making the film. What stands out the most, however, was SPS’s seamless pivot to a whole new way of working when the COVID 19 Pandemic hit. Their dedication to surmounting the technical and logistical challenges faced whilst helping to deliver a landmark product for our customers is exemplary of the values I’ve come to expect from Sky. In short, SPS should be recognised for their influential and irreplaceable contribution to the making of this film.”

Nick German – Director/Producer, Sky Sports