posted 04-13-2005 09:44 AM                       

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Steve Andrich, vice president of cinematography at NFL Films, will present compelling evidence about the power of 16 mm film on HDTV screens at the Kodak booth at NAB...The conversation will be augmented with film clips from the past few decades.

"These incredible films get under the surface of the action and capture emotions on faces and in body language," says Robert Mayson, general manager and vice president of image capture for Kodak's Entertainment Imaging division. "It's just like being on the field. Steve Andrich has been on the frontline for years. He can eloquently explain how NFL Films has created this fantastic library based on its weekly shows."

NFL Films operates a 200,000-square foot facility in New York, housing state-of-the-art television and motion picture studios. The NFL Films archive is the largest sports film library in the world with over 100 million feet of 16 mm film.

Andrich began working for NFL Films as a freelance cinematographer in 1987. In addition to filming pro football games 22 weeks a year, Andrich is a second-unit cameraman and cinematographer. His second unit credits include Junction Boys, The Waterboy, Jerry Maguire and Steal Big, Steal Little. His cinematography credits include the telefilm My Father's Gun, Adam Sandler's music video The Lonesome Kicker, Barbara Streisand's tour documentary, and much more.

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The combination of 16mm and Super 16 footage was rushed to a waiting private jet for processing at NFL Film headquarters, in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. By the following afternoon the entire batch of film had been developed and printed, ready for editing. The footage was then used to produce official highlight films for the Super Bowl contenders and several special programs aired on broadcast and cable television. It is also the official archives for the National Football League.
The NFL Films archives contain hundreds of thousands of feet of film going back to the early part of the twentieth century. During the regular season NFL Films assigns at least two cinematographers to document each game. One is at field level and the other in a fixed position high in the stands at midfield. The number of cinematographers present is determined by the importance of the game. As the season progresses, several cameras will be used on important games, placed in strategic locations around the action. However, for the biggest game of the year, Steve Andrich, vice president/cinematography, NFL Films, wants every nuance captured on film.

"We assign each cameraman to cover specific parts of the game from selected points of view, but mostly we leave it to them to use their expertise and their experience to come back with exciting shots that capture the essence of the game," Andrich says.

NFL Films has developed a recognizable visual style. "Most people recognize us for the slow motion and the up-close, tight shots," says Andrich. "It's been described as 'athletic ballet'. It's the kind of thing you don't see unless you see it in slow motion."

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