E-ROLL | 2024 U.S. OPEN EXPERIENCE

Behind the Scenes with EPIC’s Video Crew

Key members of the EPIC video team—Ben Wick, Scott Baldwin, and Sam Gruetzmacher—hop in front of the camera to talk about their experiences working at major golf tournaments for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and clients that support the golf and turf industries.

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Transcript

“We produce content about the golf maintenance industry, so we’ll work with mower manufacturers, chemical companies, and we’ll produce videos, photography, social media content, and then for tournament coverage, we do special projects. We’ll go to major PGA championships, US Opens, men’s and women’s events.”

“I can anticipate what challenges we’ll run into, whether it be the weather, equipment, how we’re going to be interviewing people.”

“For this one, it was Ben, Sam, and myself. We’re all experienced, we can trust each other to do any role that we need to.”

“We’ll work with our internal team here at Epic with project managers and our managing producer, Brittany helps coordinate with the course that we’re going to be going to, coordinates with the GCSAA for all of our credentials.”

“We’ll have a pre-production meeting, go over all the details, the types of stories that we’re going to be shooting and editing. When we are working these tournaments, we go out in the morning, early before the sun comes, up with the maintenance crew.”

“They’re out in the dark, we’re out in the dark. They finish before seven, sometimes just after seven, when the sun is coming out and looking its best. The course is gorgeous, it’s starting to twinkle. Then we transition, go back with the maintenance crew, try to get a couple of interviews if we can.”

“After that, we’re going to go probably to the media center, import our footage, start to get organized. Maybe start uploading to editors that are standing by.”

“This most recent one, I was acting as a producer and a photographer. So besides the normal camera prep, I’m thinking about identifying the key people that we need to talk to, the major superintendent, key staff. Figure out who we have to interview, and then kind of work backwards from there.”

“While we’re shooting the interview itself, I’m listening for the sound bites that I would be utilizing in my story. Then you’re thinking through what B-roll would look best and would complement that story.”Scott: We’re at a World class golf course. We’re working with world-class maintenance crews, and we’re excited to be there with them.

“Working at all these big events is just cool. It’s one of the most high-profile things that we get to do.”

“Walking onto the 18th green, the grandstand’s almost fully surrounding you while you’re capturing content is… It’s magical.”