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Game Time!

As a sports camera operator, Eileen Eidelberg films the action you see on TV

Courtesy of Eileen Eidelberg

Growing up, Eileen loved sports. Now she gets to film them for her job! 

Courtesy of Eileen Eidelberg

Eileen is pictured here at an event for women in sports filmmaking. “I want to inspire other women to get into the industry,” she says.

    You’re at home watching your favorite WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) team on TV. The score is tied with 10 seconds left. The other team has the ball . . . but a player steals it. She scores! The crowd cheers! You almost feel like you’re there. And you can thank people like Eileen Eidelberg for that.

    Eileen, 25, is a sports camera operator. She films live sports games. This includes everything from big plays to fan reactions to interviews with the team. Over the past three years, she’s shot the WNBA, MLB (Major League Baseball), NHL (National Hockey League), and more. We talked to her about her exciting job

Did you always want to film sports

    In high school, I knew I wanted to work in the media industry. I enjoyed working with cameras. But it wasn’t until college that I learned about sports cinematography. I wanted to know more! I began shooting local high school sports games and fell in love.


How do you prepare for games?

    I spend a lot of my free time watching different sports. I pay attention to the camera shots and storylines. Seeing what cameras capture during the game helps me know what to look for. I also make sure to stretch right before a game. My body needs to be ready to carry a 30-pound camera for several hours!

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What’s a typical day like for you?

    It all depends on the game. I always have to arrive several hours ahead of time to help set up. The camera crew makes sure every camera is in place. We check cables and test all audio. Once the game starts, we need everything to be running smoothly.


How is your work different from filming, say, a movie

    With live events, you only get one chance to get the perfect shot. If you miss it, you can’t stop the game or redo it. You have to keep going! When you do get a great shot, it feels amazing.


What would you consider agreat shot”? 

    A great shot captures more than just the game! It gets the big play plus the reaction of the player, their teammates, and the crowd.


What do you love about your job

    I love scrolling social media and seeing a clip of something I filmed. I feel so accomplished. I think, “Wow, I shot that!” 

ACTIVITY
Mini Skills Workout

What to doWrite your answers to the questions below on a separate sheet of paper

number one

Eileen learned about sports cinematography in college. What do you think cinematography is?

number two

Why does Eileen stretch before filming a game

number three

Find a sentence in which Eileen describes the feeling of seeing her work on social media

Text-to-Speech