Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall is usually about basketball. On October 3, however, the focus shifted from the scoreboard to the camera. IU Basketball gathered at the iconic Bloomington, Indiana, venue for Media Day. The shoot gave players a chance to step in front of the lens and create fresh content for the season ahead.
This time, the court became a creative studio.
A Different Day at Assembly Hall
Few places are as closely connected to Indiana basketball as Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
It is where fans gather to watch the Hoosiers compete. But Media Day offered a different use for the familiar space.
Each scene helped create a collection of visuals that could represent the team throughout the season.
For the cameras, that meant finding ways to make every shot stand out.
Building the Hoosiers’ Look
Media Day is about more than taking a team photo.
It helps establish how a program will look across digital content, promotions, social media, and other creative projects.
That makes the setting important.
Different poses, angles, backgrounds, and visual effects can give photographers and media teams more options. They can also bring more personality to individual player shots.
For IU Basketball, lasers became one of those creative tools.
Creating for the Camera
Laser technician Justin Weiss worked with four 10-watt KVANT lasers during the shoot.
the setup was designed around what the camera could capture.
Laser beams created lines, shapes, and backgrounds around the players. Meanwhile, photographers could experiment with framing and perspective to find the right shot.
The result was a different way to photograph the Hoosiers inside their home venue.
A New Season Takes Shape
Media Day is one piece of that process.
It gives players time in front of the camera. It gives creative teams new material to work with. Also, it begins shaping how fans will see the team throughout the year.
On October 3, Assembly Hall wasn’t preparing for tipoff.
It was helping create the look of the season ahead.
