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“A picture is worth one thousand words. ” It’s a good saying that has come to be cliché. For Ken Woo, while, those words have carried the world-renowned video camera owner and DP in order to a career that offers lasted more than 40 years. And, more generally than not knowing, his zoom lens framed the iconic shots of some regarding sports’ most memorable events within the last four many years.

“It’s actually knowing the match and knowing the athlete the fact that you’re having, ” he / she says. “It hasn’t often worked, but is considered simply being dialed straight into something happening, understanding every one of the alternatives that you have, in addition to just finding one. Is considered a roll with the dice. ”

Whether that was initially Greg LeMond’s dramatic come-from-behind sprint to grab typically the yellow jersey by way of seconds at the 1989 Excursion via France, Kerri Strug’s run towards gold with one leg from the 1996 Summertime Olympics throughout Atlanta, as well as Tiger Woods’ famous fist pump for his first career earn at The Experts in 1997, Woo experienced the knack of being on the right place at simply the right time.

“Kenny Woo is an artist, ” says veteran NBC single point and Sports Transmission Area of Famer 's Michaels. “You know any time somebody is extraordinary any time you can notice 12 seconds of movie in addition to say, ‘I find out who shot that. ’”

Prior to developing abilities that will gifted him one of the greatest novelty helmet eyes in sports background, the individual lovingly nicknamed “The Wooman” was growing up together with the dream of filming sportsmen on the grandest of development. Built with a makeshift television video camera made out regarding cardboard and a fancy for stills through the loves of famous Existence journal photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt, he spent his youthful several years immersed in the action of freezing time regarding his pics.

“When I seemed to be regarding 5 or a few years old, We would run around the yard shooting like I had seen inside sports, ” he / she affirms. “I had a good Kodak Instamatic camera of which I became for my own birthday, and we became a Polaroid that we obtained to play with. But I used to be a television-generation youngster; We literally grew upwards in front of the particular TELEVISION. ”

With each and every moving moment in front of the television set, the passion for often the craft burnt a minor lighter, but nothing fixed his heart on open fire more than the 1968 South america Metropolis Olympics. While most kids his time have been fascinated only inside athletic achievements of the individual, typically the young Woo was captivated by the personal existence that will made those runners who else they were. Possibly though this was at the first try the Games received substantial coverage in color tv set, Kenya’s Kip Keino (the eventual gold-medal winner from the 1, 500-meter category) found his attention during the off-the-track story developed by simply ABC.

“They showed an attribute, an up-close and personal, associated with him running unshod around Photography equipment, ” Woo recalls. “ 실시간스포츠 said, ‘Man, that would just be typically the coolest thing in the particular world so that you can do motion pictures like that. ’ My spouse and i always loved watching the particular Olympics, nevertheless that seemed to be actually the first time My partner and i noticed a personal account. That was really a great ‘aha’ moment for me personally. ”

Similar to many fresh adults, childhood wishes usually get put on often the back burner. If this was his own decision as well as one influenced by an individual else, sports tv set has been almost a nonfactor like Woo headed to the University of Georgia. Even so throughout his first semester as a pre-law scholar, the draw of the past had been too robust to keep him aside from his camera and also a good sports story.

“I realized that pre-law wasn’t this for everyone and even transferred over to transmitting, film, plus television set, ” he says. “I was a feature editing tool within the college paper, The Purple & Black, and would take pictures and write the feature stories.

“To help make cash while I was in classes, ” they proceeds, “I also performed for the AV section; I’d go to type and set up projectors and even video cameras intended for the school. Additionally , My spouse and i was a jazz disk jockey for WUOG-FM radio station. I had a move about three days a week through midnight until a few: 00 a. m. ”

By the time this individual graduated, Woo got achieved an artistic mentality and a get the job done ethic that would consider him to the far reaches up to of the planet. With the keen attention for a good shot, ease in front of a new microphone, concrete experience together with industry-grade tools, and writing expertise, his bag connected with stunts would expand after college graduation.

“My first job was with WSPA-TV found in Spartanburg, SOUTH CAROLINA, ” they says. “It was around an old converted store; my starting pay has been $168 a week. I got hired as a chauffeur. My spouse and i shot the native news along with the gospel displays that aired upon On the. From there, I gone to A1 mixer regarding local news and on-air switching, which meant slicing all the programming via 3 p. m. to 6 r. m. love Gilligan’s Island and Often the Flintstones. Then I acquired to hit the community from 6 p. mirielle. for that news every working day. I managed to get loads of practical experience, due to the fact definitely not only performed I get to find out how to use a digicam nonetheless I experienced to understand lighting, sound mixing, together with editing. ”

With some sort of steady information gig best out connected with the academic ranks, Woo satisfied his appetite intended for sports with the weekend bustle of shooting high school sports and basketball for the station’s sports department. Accustomed to the old approaches of firing, he commenced learning innovative technologies and mastering his or her preferred system of option with a bit involving hijinks.

“None of often the film guys who were generally there wanted to use different electrical media, ” he or she recalls. “When the RCA TK-76 came out, they said, ‘Do you recognize how to use this point? ’ I said, ‘Yes, ’ when My partner and i in fact didn’t. I got used video cameras in college but nothing while superior as that, therefore My partner and i stole the manually operated and even went home to know how to use this. I had the confidence to make often the shot, even so the key for you to being successful is mastering the camera and seeing what you can get out of it. That certainly is really how I obtained my start. ”

Throughout the same vein, Woo’s first storm into attribute work originate from a children’s show in Spartanburg. Following transitioning via his first job to be able to generation stints in Nashville, Kansas Area, and Washington, POWER, Woo got married and transplanted to Los Angeles at search of operate sports. With associations built with Dick Clark simon Production with the West Coast, they nailed his first career in network television along with CBS in 1982.

More than the years, his function has enhanced to this airwaves of NBC, and even his long résumé can be a washing list comprising twelve Olympics, Tour de England races, Super Bowls, NCAA Final Fours, The Masters events, NBA Championships, Flat iron Man World Championships, Double Crowns, and more. Throughout this journey of a good life long, though, there are rowdy patches.


“The best topsy-turvy year I had within my career was in 1992, the very last time where right now there were a pair of Olympics throughout one year, ” he or she notes. “It had been [the Winter Olympics in] Albertville, Portugal, in that case [the Summer time Olympics in] Barcelona. All of us probably traveled with regard to a number of or five months ahead of Albertville, slept in Albertville with regard to five weeks, together with came up home for a new couple of weeks in advance of we started off shooting functions intended for Barcelona, which moved through September of that year.

“I was also carrying out different projects, ” he goes on, “with Planet Shape Skating Championships, generating Typically the Masters film and Final Four features to get CBS. I think, that will yr, My spouse and i might have traveled close to 270 days. I used to be basically raising my kids by means of phone since right now there was no email or even FaceTime at this stage. ”

Like a diamond, Woo shone under the pressure of an busy schedule. During of which turbulent time period, he written about the Launching Ceremony connected with the 1992 Summer season Olympics in the only way he or she knew how.

“I think the most unbelievable second was [the flashlight lighting] in Barcelona, ” he affirms. “We did not get to rehearse that given that they didn’t want to give that away, and in truth, they had two several archers. A single was going to help lob it inside, in addition to the different one would definitely fire on a straight line, so that was initially completely located to the world, and it functioned. ”

Says NBC Head of Production Bucky Gunts. “Take the Opening Service and Kenny Woo, and you have your cash shot. ”

The moment would be a practice run regarding what was to arrive four decades later on the subject of National soil. For the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Woo was preferred again to get the funds chance through the Opening Ceremony, in which boxing legend Muhammed Ali lit the torch.

“He acquired an eye that will made him one associated with those rare folks who understood how his / her shot fit into the history that this producer and director were looking for, ” says other Sports activities Broadcasting Hall regarding Fame inductee Jerry Gepner. “You would merely observe in awe as there is [only] a tiny class of cameramen like of which. ”

Four days and nights later, Woo was behind this lens for a new 10-second video that reflects this essence connected with Olympic competition and has grow to be nearly synonymous with Circumstance. T. gymnastics.

“You definitely possess to plan ahead when you’re out there, ” says Woo. “It’s outrageous on the floor, yet I realized how significant it had been to be inside that position for the reason that I have two or several different locations when we’re doing the burial container. We knew that was intending to be the [important] moment if [Strug] struck that and they earned, that had been going to be the best shot. She stuck the landing, chop down to her knees, and even begun crawling towards myself when calling my label. ”

That’s the thing regarding Woo that helps make him the very best on what exactly he will: his relatable personality plus the ability to be able to get to know often the person hidden behind typically the veil associated with sport. That gave Woo an inside of track to the very best available content and facts for the Olympic vignettes that will he became known for, such as the Strug’s one-legged landing.

“That was your real advantage because We had known Kerri due to the fact your woman was 12 years aged, ” he tells. “I have to spend period with them into their household countries, their natural environment, together with, literally, in their homes. When I’m on often the floor in addition to they’re appearing besieged by all the particular other multimedia, I’m a familiar face since I became to understand them about a good private level, consumed foods with these, and was with them in the course of education. ”

Says Management Producer/President, NBC Olympics Creation, Molly Solomon, “He required ENG photography to a innovative level. The trust plus bond he forged with athletes gave fans unparalleled access. When that unique moment happened, he seemed to be now there, and so were we. ”

In 2019, Woo has a trophy event full of equipment that will visual storytellers can only dream about. The accolades include 27 Emmys (three Primetime Emmys for the Beginning Ceremonies in the Sodium Lake Area, Torino, and Beijing Olympics and 3 for optimum Short Feature), a new Peabody Award for their focus on ESPN’s 30 for 25 series, and typically the prestigious Olympic Golden Engagement ring for Best Human Desire Story. The mental trophy case is full involving reminiscences from his moves too, but, most crucial, he has gained this utmost respect from his peers in the industry.

“He had been brilliant plus fearless, ” says Gepner. “I caint tell anyone the number of moments this director would state, ‘Get me the shot, ’ and didn’t need to inform him what in order to do because Ken stomach up with a far better shot compared to the director seemed to be thinking of. ”

However he continues to work in the field that he or she fell in love having as a child, Woo’s job has come total circle regarding multiple motives.

“Athletes which have been on their particular way up set up to everyone and get, ‘God, I saw that will account you did upon [U. S. gymnast] Kim Zmeskal, ’ or, ‘Hey, I remember this, and it was and so motivating. ’ You give them an excellent feeling, ” he says. “With all of these incredible events about the world, you are usually hanging with some of this most unbelievable players possibly created. That’s not really employment; that’s a dream. ”

For viewers at home, his heritage is safeguarded as the person who discovered the balance between artistic poise and the seriousness from the scenario.

“I just wanted these to feel like they were there, ” says Woo. “There are usually times to be inventive and even times when an individual just want to take this and be presently there. You would not want everyone to have to translate it because you’re basically feeling what I’m demonstrating. If you were position there, this is what you might see. That’s the kind of feel I was looking with regard to. ”

Although he enhanced often the viewing pleasure regarding people seeing history, the art has given huge satisfaction, full satisfaction, and delight into the little boy who else sat on his living-room ground to watch often the late 1960s Olympics.

“In mil novecentos e noventa e seis, We went to Kenya to do an Olympic feature, and I got to meet Kip Keino, ” he recalls. “I defined to the dog the way his story influenced us to become a new cameraman, specially carrying out capabilities for the Olympics, and just how It was something I wanted to do. He had taken everyone back to all of the places they got filmed and showed us all the spots, plus it was seriously something particular. ”