PhotoArchiveNews.com reader, Associated Press photographer Lefteris Pitarakis, sent me this note last night:
Hello Will, how are you
This is Lefteris Pitarakis, I’m a photographer with AP based here in London, we never met in person, I had been following your website for a long time…
We just published this video [above] that I shot and edited this week of our robotic cameras that we will use in the London Olympics in case there is of any interest to do a story.
Thank you very much
lp
Last week AP’s PR company also sent me a run down of AP’s Summer Games coverage plans which included the AP photo department’s activity, so, on the back of Lefteris communication I am running some of the highlights:
AP will staff the games with 91 text reporters and editors, 85 photographers and photo editors, 18 video journalists and three radio reporters, plus 21 technology staffers responsible for ensuring all of AP’s content reaches its customers. In addition, many staffers at AP’s London hub and New York headquarters will handle much of the material for digital and other distribution.
• Remote-controlled robotic cameras [watch film at top] at the swimming, weightlifting and diving venues will provide alternative angles, including under water, to supplement AP’s regular photo coverage. In addition to a selection of hand-placed remote cameras at a several other venues, such as those for gymnastics, track and field, AP photographers will use the latest Canon 1DX cameras and take advantage of new workflows and technology to move more photos faster than ever before.
• A white-label, customizable Summer Games microsite, complete with embeddable widgets, is already available on the websites of a growing number of AP member newspapers and broadcasters, such as Advance Internet’s NJ.com (https://summergames.ap.org/nj) and the Citizen Tribune in Tennessee (https://summergames.ap.org/citizentribune). Building on the success of similar AP sites developed for the 2010 Winter Games and the NCAA men’s basketball championships last March, the Summer Games microsite is expected to be featured on as many as 300 sites by the time the opening ceremony unfolds on July 27. MetroPCS and State Farm are the anchor advertisers on the AP microsite and member websites can also book ads into their branded versions of the pages. Responsive design ensures that the site will look as good on a tablet or smartphone as it does on a desktop.
• AP’s popular news app, AP Mobile, downloaded by more than 11 million users across all mobile platforms, has expanded its offerings to provide a complete Summer Games section, including medal counts, athlete profiles, results, stories, photos and video. Fidelity Investments is the anchor advertiser for AP’s coverage on the mobile app. You can download the app at www.getapmobile.com
• AP will capture Olympic news for the first time in high-definition video, now delivered to AP broadcast customers following a phased rollout begun eight months ago.