FEED Winter 2024 Newsletter

not them and us, it’s all of us together. The sport is growing up a lot and hopefully we’ll continue to do so in future. We’re looking forward to starting on Season 11 in Brazil next month.” Data will also play a greater part in Formula E’s broadcast going forwards, adds Scott. “Our next jump is going to be into data and telemetry. We’re looking to use more of those data points to have our own – as we call it – virtual race engineer. They will calculate the same kinds of decisions that race teams are making so that we can show them on air. That includes the different strategies and how they might play out. Are they in danger of being overtaken? Have they got a warning? Have they used too much energy? That’s what we’re working on including in the next season.” BIGGER AND BETTER Improved and expanded augmented reality is also on the cards, explains Scott, in line with the creative strategy for Formula E’s broadcast, which is to make the stories as easy as possible for its viewers to understand.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL A zoomed-in shot of Nico Müller in a Mahindra M9 Electro for the ABT Cupra Formula E Team at the Monaco E-Prix

“With the feed, it’s all about trying to get new viewers, so we’re always taking into consideration that maybe half of the audience is completely new to the sport. This means we’re very big on not assuming knowledge and trying to support the viewer’s experience through the graphics – the way we do the colours and graphics to match the cars – so it’s easier to see who someone is. It’s simple; you don’t have to find it. It really helps with viewers’ understanding and gets them behind the racers,” Scott asserts. Even elements as simple as Aurora’s previous introduction of different coloured wipes to represent different drivers, using their team colours, are effective and relatively inexpensive ways to create more context and understanding for viewers of all intensities. Scott goes on to say: “We’ve been doing live AR graphics for years now, but that’s another area where we want to take things a bit further. I think that area of data and graphics is the next push in motor racing. There’s only so many cameras you can throw at it – we’re producers, we’ll always take another camera – but AR is the next step we can take to develop visualisations that stand out from the crowd. “We’ve always tried to be ahead of the game, trying new and interesting things to see if they VIRTUAL RACE ENGINEERS WILL CALCULATE THE KINDS OF DECISIONS THAT RACE TEAMS ARE MAKING

IN THE DARK ROOM Monitoring the many feeds from the London E-Prix gallery at the remote Westworks production facility

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