Ian Mannix
Digital News Editor
Sports commentary is as much as part of the game as the play itself these days, but stand by sports fans, the arcane world of sport presenting has found itself a professional pathway.
Deakin University has built the Play by Play immersive sports commentary booth, using games technology, theatre, and film and television skills to create a place where budding commentators can learn and practice with a range of sports.
School of Communication and Creative Arts senior lecturer, and ‘Play by Play’ co-developer, Dr Simon Wilmot, said sport organisations in Australia faced unprecedented demand for live sport coverage.
This created a need for more professional sport commentators, and he said Deakin’s Play by Play was designed to give trainees the experience they needed in a safe learning environment.
“Aside from being a lot of fun, this technology is designed to fill a skills shortage that is fast becoming apparent in the sport broadcast sector,” Dr Wilmot said.
But this is a story best told with video. As they say on air: “Cosmos Assistant Editor Ian Mannix is up next…”