Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Inductee Don Cornelli on What It Takes to Be a Successful Handheld Camera Op

Sports Video Group and the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame held a small virtual reception last December where previous Hall of Famers and the voting committee had a chance to welcome the newbies and celebrate via Zoom. At the center of the ceremony was a series of interviews with the members of the class of 2020, and today, we have Don Cornelli, only the fourth camera operator to join this prestigious club. In conjunction with the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, please donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund to help those in our industry that are in need.

During this chat, Don discusses the technical skills needed to be a successful handheld camera operator, how he captured Plaxico Burress’ game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII and Kris Jenkins’ game-winning shot in the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship, gaining the trust of a director, and what life is like on a sideline during a game. Working on NFL broadcasts for three decades, Cornelli has also covered a large number of other sports, including NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA, PGA, NASCAR, the Olympics, and the World Cup. Known for his handheld-camera work, he endeavors to get viewers as close as possible to the action and is a mainstay on the sidelines of some of the NFL’s biggest games.