A picture of a paddle racket and ball on the floor.

Behind the Scenes with the New York Times.

We recently wrapped production on a pilot for the team behind The Athletic, part of the New York Times group — a fast-moving, interview-led concept that brought sport and storytelling together in a fresh and engaging format.

Shot outside of Manchester on location in Cheshire, the one-day shoot featured a high-profile sports personality, live-action gameplay, and a series of intimate interview moments — all captured across more than six camera angles. With a tight window to film and limited access to talent, we built a lean but high-performing crew: producer, two camera operators, and a sound recordist, all backed by full production support.

We used a roaming gimbal rig for smooth, cinematic movement during walking interviews, alongside static and long lens setups for wider coverage. Professional sound was delivered via a mix of lav mics and boom options, with multiple setups dialled in to shift quickly between scenes without compromising quality.

From pre-production planning and location layout to on-site coordination and delivery, the project was a showcase of agile, high-end production. Huge thanks to our Head of Production, Morgan Cartlidge, for leading the team — and to the NYT Studios crew for bringing us in.

We’ll share more when the time is right. For now, we’re proud to have played a part in bringing this exciting new series to life.

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