What Goes In A Video Analysts Kit Bag

Having video analysis software is not the only tool you need as a video analyst. There are some items that are essential and others than are a good optional extra. Below you will see 3 items for each category; Essential, Recommended, and Optional Extra. This should give you a good place to start when preparing your own war chest. Any suggestions of others please post a comment.

Essentials

Software: The most important part! Make sure it is user-friendly, there is good technical support and that you will receive training in the product. There is no point having a tool and not knowing how to use it. It can be difficult to compare like with like as each company will have different specs, don’t be afraid to speak to the company’s and existing users.

Camera: There is little difference between the makes these days. Ideally you want a camera with a wide angle lens so you can get closer to the action. And you will need to make sure the battery lasts an entire game (have a spare!). The 3 main formats of camera are Hard Drive, Mini DV and DVD. By far the most widespread is the Hard Drive camera as these offer the most flexibility. These can start at €250

Laptop: You should always check the spec of the software before buying a laptop but presuming you have done that; You will need high memory above 120GB, a firewire port for live analysis and DVD burner. If you already have a laptop there is a good chance whatever software you go for will work on it. The software tends not to take up many resources, it will be the video files that do that. Just make sure if the software goes onto a PC or an Apple Mac.

Recommended

Projector: Every Video Analyst will have a projector in their kit. You can’t rely on hotels and clubhouses to have TV’s or projectors to use. Remember you don’t need to spend a fortune but you need something reliable. Projectors are notoriously temperamental so if you are borrowing one make sure to test it before beginning your presentation. The price of projectors are falling all the time. There are even some great pocket projectors on the market for a more convenient to option.

External Memory: Video can take up a lot of space and it is good practice to have two copies of your files – Just In Case! – External hard drives are really cheap nowadays, they are small and portable and have large memory. I prefer the small portable devices rather than the big desktop version. Although the memory is slightly less on the portable version, it more than makes up for it with the ease to carry it around.

DVD Burning Software: Different from the software you might use to analyse matches – DVD software is a must for creating movies, setting them to music and sharing it with your players. Most commercial packages don’t directly burn Video DVD’s but we are begining to see more and more teams using online solutions to sharing their analysis with players or remote athletes. Eventually you would see all this analysis pushed to a mobile phone.

Optional Extras

Speakers: Sometimes sound can add a great affect to your movie. Make sure you have portable speakers in your kit. Even crowd noises can add atmosphere to your video. You can also look out for projectors that have built in speakers. This will mean you don’t have seperate items to carry and make sure you never forget them. If you show motivational movies having a good set of speakers is vital.

Laser Pointer: Maybe more useful to the manager & coaches than to the video analysts but this can save managers using corner flags or other things lying around. It will save you time and make your presentation look more professional. These can be bought on the internet and can cost as little as a few €/£ – Also consider a powerpoint clicker if you use powerpoint presentations alot.

Tripod: This will keep the picture steady throughout. Certainly when you go to re-watch the footage you will appreciate a tripod. Bear in mind, however, that sometimes filming conditions don’t facilitate a tripod. Especially important if you are analysing technique in any way. There is nothing worse (or useless) than shaky footage. Tripods will cost very little and significantly improve you video footage.