Best Videoed Fencing

[flyingfencer]

Question One:
What fencing events have you seen that have had the best video coverage, videography that best captures fencing? In some fencing videos I've seen some great overhead shots that seemed to capture the blade and foot work very well, but alot of the shots from the side of the strip seemed too far away and missed alot of the blade work.

Question Two:
What is the best fencing video that you've seen; regardless of the camera work?

[kalivor]

Answer to question #1: The Italian coverage of the 2004 Olympics. It was fantastic ... if all fencing video looked like that, we wouldn't have idiotic rule changes from the FIE to make the sport more TV-friendly.

The FIE should drop the rule-change angle, and sponsor an exchange program between ESPN and whatever Italian station that was.

Answer to question #2: Golubitsky's "Golden Bouts" video. The fencing is great, and the camera-work is pretty good. Though it's tempting to say some of the Italian Olympic coverage again, because the camera-work was so well done, and it's more exciting when you don't know who's going to win ...

[JEC]

My video preference (along with the weapon I fence) is Men's Epee.

The 2004 Italian coverage was excellent in many aspects because it was shot with at least different 5 camera angles. The commentary in italian is fabulous. I have several events thanks to my friends in the other continent. I witnessed them live at 320x240. If there is anybody that can do video coverage is them.

As it pertains to videos with a single camera, in my opinion, the 2002 Men's Epee DVD (semifinals and gold medal individual bouts; gold team event) that I produced is the best footage I seen. A critical aspect is that you can see the blades throughout the motion. In particular, the individual gold medal bout between F. Jeannet and P. Kolobkov is outstanding fencing. The european coverage in VHS of the 2000 Olympics is not as good as 2004. I have seen the 2003 Men's Epee DVD by Fencing Pictures that Craig has in the Fencing Store. This is a single camera with slow motion replays, but the blades are not as clear as 2002. The advantage is that there is a commentary track (which was accurate for the most part, a couple mistakes), but the tone of the commentary is flat as compared to the italian commentary of the 2004 olympics. The Individual 2004 Men's Epee competition is the first time that I seen Kolobkov overmatched (in semifinals).

Anybody interested contact me via email, as I will bring some DVDs to Richmond.