Mario Chavarria is the person in charge of the WBF’s films crew. As happens many times those responsible for a great job remain hidden for most of us and this is one of those cases.
1) Could you make a brief presentation of yourself?
I was born in Uruguay and lived in Buenos Aires until ’76, year in which my family was transferred to Rome, I was 16 years old and since then I work.
At 23, I started to learn television, working in a service company and I’m still in that for 34 years. I am married and have a daughter of 24.
2) How did you start making videos for the WBF?
I play Bridge since ’92 in Italy and then I met Gianarrigo Rona, the current WBF President WBF, who at that time was President of the Italian Federation. I proposed several times to realize videos during the Championships and finally he accepted the proposal.
- 3) When was the first time?
After some positive tests in Italy, Rona called me to make videos of the World Bridge Series 2006 held in Verona, then the collaboration was always more assiduous and since some years I start to work in all the WBF championships
4) In how many events did you participate?
Talking about Bridge, you have to add to all of the WBFs, several Europeans, 2 South Americans and many Italians; talking about television I lost thecount a long time ago.
5) How was this evolving?
Well, when I started I was alone and the videos were with nice atmosphere but with very few interviews and always without interviewer. In 2012, Simon Fellus (now Secretary of the WBF) joined me although he had no experience. He learned very fast and gave a good support to my job by interviewing him and choosing the music.
At that time we were doing very long videos with everything that had happened in the day, working during the game, on breaks and after dinner editing the video.
Then, we added an Editor Assistant Alessandro Gandoglia (in Lyon he will represent Italy Open in the World Bridge Team Championships).With him, we started to make many short videos per day.
IÂ remember that in Sanya, hardly leaving the piece in throughout the day. At that time we began to collaborate with some journalists and presenters: in the years Fernando Lema (ARG), Christina Lund Madsen (DAN), Vicky Chediak (NOR) and last only chronologically Carlotta Venier (ITA) and Arianna Testa (ITA).
Each one of them gave its contribution of personality and new energy. The group will grow in Lyon and we are going to be a well-balanced team.
6) In your opinion.What it transmits in the video that does not transmit the written word?
They say that a picture says more than a thousand words, it depends a lot on who writes and who makes the videos. In general, writing leaves plenty for the imagination, while the video of a championship is pure documentation. If there is drama or an explosion of happiness for sure it is watched, if not it is very difficult to make a good video.
But when there is emotion you must have the ability to transmit it, plus the video is growing because people always read less.
7) With whom more it is part of the team dedicated to this task?
In Lyon we are going to be four for the technical part and many journalists.
8) What is the function of each?
For the technical part Sandra Leal Graphic Design and Assistant Director, Fabio PoleggiInformatics and Video, Cristian Cuchian Video and Editing.
I direct, Assembly and Assistant of all, Fernando Lema Promotion, interaction with poeple and Journalist, Carlotta Venier Journalist and she will pick the music, Mark Horton will be the institutional face of the group, Jade Barrett will deal with the Juniors and Transnational.
9) What news do you have prepared for Lyon?
Lyon will be for us and for those who follow us, a novelty, we will transmit the Championships in live streaming on our Facebook and YouTube channels.
A true television marathon every day, from half an hour before up the beginning of the matches. We will try to show what happpens with several tele cameras and microphones maintaining the technical quality, with rhythm and elegance. We will have besides our journalists, the collaboration of many other experts who will join us during the event.
During the game we are going to broadcast the Match that will follow in the VugraphTheater, with three cameras on the table, the sound and the video of the commentators and the cards clearly.
When the hand does not have much interest we will comment the results of the other tables with the help of the pages of running scores and the 24 cameras of BBO installed by TraianChira.
In the pauses of the game, we are going to be out of the room interviewing players, we are going to comment the results, to analyze some hands with the collaboration of experts, we will give news about the Juniors and the Transnational, about the novelties of the regulation, about Institutional developments.
But above all we are going to be there and we will be the eyes and ears of those who are not present, looking for a hug, a view, a disappointed face, an emotion.
And finally I want to add that we are going to try to take the questions of the public, who can send us by the social network or by mail, to the players at the end of the Match or during the press conferences, we will try to open a dialogue between who is there and who is at home.
Esta entrada también está disponible en: Spanish