What's the fascination with making PB TV/spectator friendly?

[Robbo]

Originally posted by duffistuta
Yeah, I dunno quite what happened there...

The point I was trying to make was that my mates have been in the exactly the same position as your rentals and behaved the same way as your rentals - but not gone any further than interest. And I bet good money that none of your hundreds of rentals went further either. Showing interest in stuff like that doesn't surprise me as I have said, it is following it up that counts, and as we all know, currently people don't.

You believe that if the correct infrastructure is in place and the awareness levels are increased, they will.

I do not.

Well on that point, we will never know because it would mean our site owners having to obtain a real business brain and that ain't gonna happen but you must concede Steve, that IF there were a number of people who wanted to take it further then the lack of recball facilities would not help matters?

When you concede this point, as you must, it then opens the door to my opinion having more credibilty than yours...when it really comes down to it.

 

[Dusty]

Well if people are stopping to watch pro practices and asking questions what answers are they getting?

if the right answers were pitched then why are there not a whole lot more people making the jump?

initial cost of setup? longterm investment? time committment issues? not wanting to get up on a sunday morning totally hung over and get shot umpteen times?

 

[Robbo]

Originally posted by dusty
Well if people are stopping to watch pro practices and asking questions what answers are they getting?

if the right answers were pitched then why are there not a whole lot more people making the jump?

initial cost of setup? longterm investment? time committment issues? not wanting to get up on a sunday morning totally hung over and get shot umpteen times?

Dusty , I think you better read some other threads that have been referenced here mate.

 

[HERMITT]

Its a debate that keeps happening just worded differently each time. My view has now changed due to a number of conversations and a significant shift in my own personal position.

To understand why paintball as a commodity has failed thus far on film and television there are three main points to consider.

1) The production values. So far paintball has been presented as a series of highlights and music montages. Often badly filmed and poorly edited, little attention has been paid to the main story/threads that must run through any kind of programme. Personal interest is what keeps people watching more than a few minutes

2)The format. There have been several formats tried and tested but each have failed on some point. Mainly it comes back to the personal interest. The format must allow people who are not intimately familiar with the team playing to personalise the events they are watching. Having a team run around for three minutes and then dissappear (standard 7man format) does not allow the viewer to empathise or identify the key players and situation.

3) When people watch the dvd's or television programmes and enjoy them there is no net to catch them. We have no follow up strategy to capture these people at their height of enthusiasm. They get all interested and then have nowhere to go.

I have recently finished dealing with two rather back water sports. Bowls (crow green and indoor) and 8ball pool. Both of which are seeing a massive drop in those taking part. Bowls attracts a massive audience and is one of the most successful (figures wise) sports in the UK, but they are desperate to appeal to younger players and see their future handcuffed to the youth game. To this end they are always more than happy to look at ways, through television that they can get their message across.

8 Ball pool is a sport that used to be televisied and then got dropped. It is now making a significant reappearance as it fights to attract new members to the sport.

Both of these sports recognise the overiding power that television has to attract new players to the game. It is easily the single most important factor in raising the profile of their sports. But television can and will only raise the sports profile. Without the net to catch the people as they run about trying to find out more (see one of Robbos articles) they will never have the opportunity to take their new interest further. Making tournaments better is great but it wont get anyone new playing, it may just keep those that are already involved a little more content. One overiding factor must be that whatever is televised properly must be reflected in the torunamnets that make up the grass roots levels.

Television is waiting, and is ready to change the face of the game as we know it. Paintball just needs to come and get it!

 

[Dusty]

Actually Pete, I have read the threads which have been referenced.

Rental players by and large however know nothing of the background workings of the UK paintball scene/industry, so at the time they have their entire knowledge base coming from whoever is answering their questions.

How then can they be converted to tourney ballers? I can see the TV argument but as some other people have said it is still a niche activity.

we need to come up with a marketable product which is worthy of TV. At the minute UK paintball is not.

I have a good video clip of the Orlando psp world cup from a few years ago, which was broadcast of wide world of sports network by Disney.

Now although enlightened souls like your good self may find its commentary basic and at times even patronising, it was still very watchable. How do i know? My girlfriend watched it. from beginning to end, and believe me she very strongly dissapproves of me going out on a sat or sun morning to get shot at. cuts in on our "quality time" apparently!

If you want to see it i will put it on a cd for you and you can have a look.

 

[Mario]

why's paintball on TV good for me?

 

[Tricky]

Originally posted by Just Curious
Jesus Richard!!

Is there no end to your 'Bum-Licking'??
Wearing a 'Nexus' Jersey and blowing sunshine up Robbos posterior is not gonna get you a place on his Team!

Sorry dad, didn't realise that if my opinion was the same as someone elses then I had to change it, do me a favour and e-mail me with what I think before I post next time.

Jesus

ps: love ya really reilly

 

[Robbo]

Originally posted by dusty
Actually Pete, I have read the threads which have been referenced.

Rental players by and large however know nothing of the background workings of the UK paintball scene/industry, so at the time they have their entire knowledge base coming from whoever is answering their questions.

How then can they be converted to tourney ballers? I can see the TV argument but as some other people have said it is still a niche activity.

we need to come up with a marketable product which is worthy of TV. At the minute UK paintball is not.

I have a good video clip of the Orlando psp world cup from a few years ago, which was broadcast of wide world of sports network by Disney.

Now although enlightened souls like your good self may find its commentary basic and at times even patronising, it was still very watchable. How do i know? My girlfriend watched it. from beginning to end, and believe me she very strongly dissapproves of me going out on a sat or sun morning to get shot at. cuts in on our "quality time" apparently!

If you want to see it i will put it on a cd for you and you can have a look.

Dusty, nothing you are saying here runs contra to anything I have advocated.
You have I think maybe overlooked something in that TV isn't our only option in attempting to increase our conversion factor.

If we are to achieve a higher level of interest in our sport then we need to do it base level when the rental walks thru the site gate. We got something like 800.000 people to work with here and there are many ways we can confront this customer base with tournament paintball, TV of course being one of them.

The UK scene cannot provide sufficient quality promo material if we are to use DVD's or whatever as part of that campaign.
With no disrespect intended, the PA league coverage on Sky would tend to put people off rather than attract because that production tended to serve only the people who played rather than paying much attention to people who might see it and have no knowledge of paintball, and so we have to look across the water to DVD's of the like you have mentioned if we are to promote our sport in this way.

But let's face it, we are pissing in the wind here because it's all well and good coming up with answers but if we ain't got the calibre of site owner to act upon these suggestions then it's all academic.

I am afraid our problems lie in several different root areas unquestionably caused by the lack of professionalism displayed by our site owners and to put right what is wrong requires drastic and widespread measures.

 

[Steve Hancock]

Originally posted by Robbo
...With no disrespect intended, the PA league coverage on Sky would tend to put people off rather than attract because that production tended to serve only the people who played rather than paying much attention to people who might see it and have no knowledge of paintball...

My experiences of showing this to people have been different. We have used this footage to illustrate what tourney paintball involves. We had a positive response, with a lot of people joining the team for the new season.

 

[LV 4 26]

TV

I think that one of the major problems with paintball on tv is although it is a team game there is no focal point to the game. Yes you might say that you need to shoot out all the opposition and hang the flag etc, but what does the viewer follow in the meantime unless they are a baller, the answer is nothing.

Now I am probably going to regret this but name me one other team sport which does not follow an object, be it a ball in one shape or form down a cousre to a "goal". I cant think of any.

Individual sports are different because you can focus on that individual javelin, shot put, discus, running, motor sport, darts, snooker and bowls etc.

Team sports will normaly consist of a ball in some shape or form football, rugby, tennis, cricket etc.

The thing is we are in a completly seperate category on our own, are we a race, do we score points on ability to win, score goals and hit distance or accuracy we are none of these things.

Here lies the problem that there is no focal point to follow, no finish line to see who is going to win, no target score or time to be beaten and no goal to be scored.