Rio 2016: 360° Broadcast
Application and production-control systems for one of the earliest large-scale Olympic 360° and VR broadcast experiences.
Client / organizationImmersive Media
RoleApplication engineer
ContextRio 2016 Olympic coverage
OutcomeA viewer and operator experience designed for global scale, live timelines, and changing production needs.
What the system had to solve
- Make live 360° feeds understandable to viewers while giving producers precise control under broadcast pressure.
- Composite multiple video sources and adapt their framing without breaking the live pipeline.
- Ship against immovable event timelines and a global audience.
How I approached it
- Designed viewer-facing navigation for feeds, viewpoints, and viewing modes.
- Built internal interfaces that helped operators control what viewers received and when.
- Implemented transparency shaders and cropping controls for live feed composition.
What changed
- The platform supported immersive Olympic coverage for audiences in the United States and United Kingdom.
- Production teams could frame and composite sources inside the live broadcast tool.
- The application layer remained flexible as production requirements evolved toward the event.
Outcome language is drawn from Nick’s project record. Where a number is not independently published, the wording identifies it as a portfolio-reported result.
What the project taught me
Prioritize operator clarity and controlled flexibility because live broadcast pressure leaves little room for interpretation.
An immovable deadline is not only a scheduling constraint; it changes what the architecture must make safe and obvious.
Useful for live systems, event technology, operational interfaces, and products whose failure window is measured in seconds.
What this work demonstrates
- Broadcast interfaces
- 360° video
- Rendering
- Live operations