CPOA Video Communications Video Service Guidelines for Baseball & Softball Overview: Coaches expect players to make plays it is just as important to a college coach how it develops and ends as the actual play itself. They re not looking to be entertained, however they are looking for an orderly and concise production to evaluate an athlete s tactical/technical ability, desire, and knowledge of the sport. College coaches are concentrating on a high level of competition for evaluation. Be sure to include actual match situations whenever possible against superior talent if you want coaches to evaluate your video seriously. College is a business; collegiate recruiting is a business decision for coaches. To help receive the best opportunity, you must be actively involved in the development of your video. You are only going to have a coach s attention for a very short period of time, MAKE IT COUNT! File Storage/Transfer: We will work with any file storage service, WeTransfer, DropBox, MegaFile, etc., as long as no subscription is required. We have a DropBox account for use free of charge for more information contact us at collegeprospectsvideo@mycpoa.com YouTube is an excellent, free source in which to share video files. Upload your footage and send us the link(s). Please limit up to 1 GB per upload, with a limit of 2 (which is roughly 2 hours of footage). Flash Drives: If mailing footage to our office, use a of Flash Drive is a very smart, low cost option. Hudl Video: For those clients using Hudl footage, please be advised that Hudl does not allow videos to be downloaded from their site, all videos are embedded. Therefore, a Downloadable Link must be purchased. The cost is $9.00 and the link is active for 2 weeks only. This is an easy process done on the Hudl site, if you require assistance, please let us know. Pre-Edited Videos: If you are sending pre-edited video, be advised we will be previewing the production and removing any inappropriate material and or music. Again, take an active role in the development; the video must be full-screen and concentrating on your skill, desire and knowledge anything more is wasting a college coaches time.
CPOA Video Communications Recording Information Getting Ready to Record: Try to record during daylight hours with the sun to your back when possible. Use a Tripod whenever possible. Very Important: To improve the quality of your recording and to reproduce colors more accurately (not to bright or to dark), you must set your camera s White Balance. Refer to the camera s Instruction Manual for guidance. If you need help with this process, contact us at collegeprospectsvideo@mycpoa.com. Recording Action: Avoid weaving, bobbing or using the camera as a pointer. Do not repeat zoom in and out during the match. Use the zoom feature only when necessary. Record a nice head-to-toe shot leaving space at the top and the bottom, making the player the primary focus in the viewfinder. Always use the viewfinder; always make sure the player is visible in the viewfinder. Concentrate on the player and how he or she is performing. There is no such event as a Perfect match and college coaches do not expect to see one. The same would be true for recording Skills footage. Recording Footage with Cell Phones: AARRGGHH! (That s coaches speak). If you are going to record video footage, please set the screen to Full and not the Slender option. Coaches will be much happier with the results. Recording a Personal Introduction: Follow the steps for Getting Ready to Record, then do the following. Shoot indoors. There is too much ambient noise outdoors and often times the athlete cannot be heard. Record against a light-colored wall and stay away from windows. The camera will see the light behind the subject and record that not the athlete (they will be a dark silhouette). Most importantly, SPEAK UP! There s nothing wrong with using a sheet to read off of. Limit the message to 30 seconds. Athletes: Introduce yourself, give some athletic and academic stats and thank the coach for watching your video. Use these guidelines for recording HS, Club or Private coaches comments also. Your on-line video is crucial to the success of your recruitment to college. Collegiate recruiting is a 24/7 operation and the first place a coach is going to look for an evaluation video is on-line. We offer two sites (cpoa.com and our YouTube channel), and separate formats, flash and wmv (we re the only company that offers multiple formats for evaluating).
CPOA Video Communications What to Record Game Footage or Skills Video Most coaches prefer Game Footage, for a play-by-play analysis of the athletes ability. For some positions that is impossible, therefore a Highlight/Skills Video must be produced. From the following list, find your position and record appropriately. Record all the positions you play. If you have footage already recorded, use these guidelines to include the appropriate plays on your video. For recording: Catchers: Game Footage: 2-3 half innings of play, placing the camera to the back/right of the mound, showing the ball from the pitcher and where is it caught. Extras to look for: throws to bases (1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd ); blocked balls in the dirt; pop ups and bunts, include throw to base(s). Skill Video: Place camera to the back/right of the mound; 3-5 repetitions of pitches (fastball, change, curve, rise, etc). 3-5 repetitions of blocked balls in the dirt; pop-ups caught; bunts (include throws to bases). Reposition camera behind second base for 3-5 repetitions of throws to 2 nd base, then 1 st and 3 rd. Pitchers: Game Footage: 2-3 half innings of play, placing the camera to the back./right of the mound, to see wind-up/stretch and following the ball to the catchers glove. Extras to look for: Pick-off move to 1 st base; fielding position, including throws to base(s). Skill Video: 3-5 repetitions each placing the camera to the back/right of the mound, to see wind-up/stretch and following the ball to the catchers glove. Show all your pitches. 3-5 repetitions of throws to 1 st base (pick-off move). Field your position; include throws to all bases. Infield: Game Footage: Depending on stadium configuration and fans, this could be difficult, but not impossible. Try and find as clear a shot as possible and stay focused (you and the camera). What to look for: Grounders hit directly at, plus to the right and left. Charging slow hit grounders. Show all throws to bases. Pop-ups, including double play attempts. 1B and 3B; Bunt plays. 2B & SS: Throws from the catcher for attempted steals. 1B:Receiving pick-off throws from pitcher. Skills Video: Place camera behind the mound. For 3B, SS, 2B, 1B: 3-5 repetitions each of grounders hit directly at you, to the right and to the left. Charging slow hit balls. Show all throws. 3-5 repetitions of infield and shallow outfield pop-ups. Optional: Double play Drills. 2B & SS: 3-5 repetitions of receiving throws from catcher for steal attempts. 1B & 3B: 3-5 Bunt plays. 1B: 3-5 Pick-off throws from pitcher.
CPOA Video Communications What to Record/Processing Game Footage or Skills Video continued Outfield: Game Footage: Depending on stadium configuration and fans, this could be difficult, but not impossible. Try and find as clear a shot as possible and stay focused(you and the camera). Fly balls and charging grounders; showing speed and range is very important. Throws to cut-off man, 2B, 3B and home plate. Skills Video: Place camera behind the mound. Speed and range are very important 3-5 repetitions of each short and long fly balls. Grounders that need to be charged. 3-5 repetitions each of throws to cut-off man; 2B, 3B and home plate. Batting/Bunting: Game Footage: Depending on stadium configuration and fans, this could be difficult, but not impossible. Record stance and swing mechanics. Record the entire at bat, even if it is a BB (coaches want to see batters take pitches). Follow from batters box to base. Skill Video: Place camera roughly around the on deck circle. Record stance and entire swing mechanics, do not try and follow the hit ball. We re looking for 10 good contact swings. Reposition camera to behind batter. Again, record stance and swing; 10 good contact swings, hitting away and opposite field. Bunting: Place camera to the right of the mound. 3-5 repetitions of bunting; spray those around. Do not place camera to right of mound and swing away; detrimental to camera and videographer. Base running: Speed; coaches love it and if you ve got it, show it. Please be advised: The video lengths are considered up to. In other words, for Gold Packages, the upload ready video is up to five minutes. For Platinum Clients, the video is up to 10 minutes, etc. Many clients do not send enough footage to process 10/20 minute videos, which is fine. Remember, it is quality over quantity. Also, we accept a maximum of 35 highlights for a video production; there isn t a college coach in this solar system that would evaluate a 100+ highlight video. Game Footage: If you want to use an inning from one game and an inning from another to reach the allotted time that is fine. Just inform us of what you are doing. If you just would like to use 3 half innings there is nothing wrong with that. Highlights: MIX THEM UP! Show your versatility, the all-around game the more versatile you are, the more valuable you become to a coach. Getting it Together: Highlights: Begin viewing at the start of the game. Once a play is found, look at the clock on the player and write the time along with a brief description of the play (Very Important), on the Video Editing Worksheet. Game Footage: Once that section(s) is/are found, notate the time (5:00 mark or 10:00 mark of the game), on the Video Editing Worksheet. Remember, you can use multiple sections from different games.
The CPOA Video Editing Worksheet Highlight Number Disc# or Link URL Time Start Play Description 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40