'I decided on four key HDTV camera positions — one upstage and one downstage on the south esplanade, while on the east side a crane below seating level proved to be an asset. High above to the right of the east stand was the spectacular wide angle camera showing the castle overlooking the esplanade. Stereo sound feeds and extra surround sound coverage were provided by the sound supervisor who liaised with BBC Research staff from Kingswood. It was this close co-operation between engineers from BBC Research and BBC Operations staff that proved to be the 'making' of this project.

'Our early rehearsals with two cameras in place, one upstage and the other on the crane, revealed some of the basic problems associated with HDTV coverage. The 16x9 wide format allows far more freedom in the composition and framing of shots, but this in itself takes more time. In the fast acting, quick thinking, instant framing world of the television camera operator, it was easy to make mistakes, particularly towards the edge of the frame.

'I had learnt this at Wimbledon during our first planning meeting, where I stood in as camera operator on the Centre Court as we experimented with HDTV approaches to shooting. The umpire's chair was neither in nor out of the shot while the temptation to cut players' feet off became a bad habit.

'Conventional 4x3 coverage follows action in tight group shots and close-ups. The small screen tends to be a close up talking head medium. The wide shot is basically used to 'set the scene'. With HDTV coverage, the roles seem to be reversed.