Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium Upgrades Include Three Panasonic P2 Camcorders

The Kansas City Chiefs’s newly-renovated Arrowhead Stadium has added three Panasonic AJ-HPX3000 native 1080p P2 HD camcorders to the production department’s equipment roster. Rob Alberino, Chiefs’ VP of media and marketing, drove the purchase of the HPX3000s, which he’d worked with extensively in his previous stint VP of Broadcasting for the Philadelphia Eagles’ Eagles Television Network.

“I’d been so comfortable working with the P2 HD camcorders and knew from experience what we could accomplish with the P2 workflow,” says Alberino.  “I arrived in Kansas City with a Panasonic mindset, and it was easy to persuade my colleagues that the HPX3000 represented the highest standards among HD cameras. It produces an outrageously beautiful image, and P2 HD is a flexible, strong platform.”

Rob Alberino, Chiefs’ VP of media and marketing, with the P2 camcorder

The P2 HD camcorders have been immediately deployed to shoot “Hy-Vee Chiefs Insider,” a 30-minute magazine-style television show that is seen each week during the season on 10 Midwest stations, including CBS affiliate KCTV 5 in Kansas City, MO. The HPX3000s are also used to shoot video material for the team web site, www.kcchiefs.com.

“We have five videographers working with the three camcorders and handling a heavy shoot load of player and coach interviews, and documentary-style features about the players on and off the field,” he says. “There was a negligible learning curve, and the guys were able to operate and have a great comfort level with the HPX3000 immediately.”

The Chiefs shoot material in 1080/60i, and edit on eight Final Cut Pro work stations that feed a central server.

“On the road, we appreciate the flexibility to log our footage on the team charter, snap the media into our computer, and have material categorized or selected by the time the plane touches down,” Alberino says. “P2 is already a big part of growing the web site; the format allows us to move quickly to produce topical, polished news-style features.”

“Shooting in AVC-Intra 100 is the HPX3000’s most compelling feature. The codec is gorgeous,” says Alberino. “We’re planning a second television show for next season, and are constantly expanding video web content. Our confidence in the P2 workflow and its versatility is setting us up for success in the future.”