Graphics minnow takes on sports giants

By PETER GRIFFIN

As audiences of millions tune in to watch international sporting events more of them are seeing graphics from Kiwi software companies.

Virtual Spectator and Animation Research have already won their fair share of graphics contracts in everything from golf to rallying.

Now Kiwi International Digital Systems (KIDS) is picking up work with broadcasters keen to sustain audiences' attention with the help of alluring graphics.

KIDS - a four-staff and six-year-old Auckland company - is already working on its coverage for the next Tour de France cycle race after delivering graphics in July for US broadcaster Outdoor Life Network.

Founder Graham Veitch said the Tour de France contract this year saw KIDS provide more in-depth graphics than most other companies working on the event.

"The Americans need lots of on-screen info because a lot of the sports are shown on TV screens in bars where there is no audio," he said.

KIDS also fitted Australian cyclist Stuart O'Grady with monitoring equipment so his heart rate could be monitored during the races.

"Coming into Paris on the Tour de France his heart race was around 82 beats per minute," said Veitch. "After a few laps of the Champs Elysees it was around 170."

The Tour de France contract grew out of graphics work KIDS did during the last America's Cup races.

The company now does all the graphics for Sky's rugby coverage. It has also had one-off contracts such as TV3's graphics for the last general election and the Fight for Life.

With its smorgasbord of sports, the Olympics would be a prime target for KIDS. But Veitch said securing a graphics contract for the Olympics was a complicated task.

"It's a big unwieldy beast. You wouldn't be able to tamper with the Olympics coverage like we did with the Tour de France."

KIDS has grown on the back of an injection of Government funding from Technology New Zealand and investment from Veitch and the other owners.

But the company is now seeking new investors.

"We don't owe anyone a cent but we want to grow and that involves money," Veitch said.

The aim now was to win more international television graphics deals, he said. KIDS claims to have a technical advantage in being able to deliver its graphics on standard technology platforms from a central location.

"My vision is to set up a global network so we can supply any broadcaster with the push of some buttons," Veitch said.

KIDS
is negotiating with British broadcaster BSkyB to supply the graphics for next year's Lions rugby tour of New Zealand.