Live Television Broadcast of Swim Shōdoshima

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Swim Shōdoshima（スイム小豆島) is an 81 km 7-day stage swim around Shōdoshima Island in Japan. Scheduled to start at 11:00 am on June 26th. Day One will be televised live by Nishinippon Broadcasting. Live broadcasting is always tricky when it comes to an unprecedented open water swim. There will be 8 staff (reporter, director, cameramen in kayaks, drone operator) on dryland and in the water, coordinating with various members of the broadcast staff at headquarters.

Swim Shodoshima will start and finish on the Angel Road sandbar [see above]. This narrow strip of sand only appears at low tide between Shōdoshima and Nakayo Island. The live program will be broadcast on the “every Friday” show (see its YouTube Channel here).

The Nishi-Nippon live TV broadcast plan for June 26th is entitled “The Story of the Man Swimming Around Shodoshima” (or 小豆島を泳いで一周する男の物語 in Japanese).

Day 1 broadcast location: Starting on Angel Road on Shōdoshima to Hanasaki ka Ojisan no Hanahata Flower Garden
Day 1 goal point: Hanasaki ka Ojisan no Hanahata Flower Garden, near the Twenty-four Eyes movie studio
Midpoint dryland location: Undecided (a place where the swim can be filmed from land), near Tanijiri Fishing Port
Staff: reporter Kosuke Nakagiri [shown below] and director Ken Harada, cameraman Inoue, audio specialist Murakami in AX Unit Car No. 2 (Team A) with drone operator Fujisawa and Shiramizu in a Nishi Nippon Broadcasting news vehicle (Team B). The equipment includes XDCAM for recording, mobile phones, N-1 mobile phone, drone, transmission PC and radio units

Live Schedule

5:30 AM: Meet and load equipment
5:45 AM: Depart station
6:25 AM: Takamatsu Port departure, catch ferry to Tonosho Port
7:25 AM: Arrive at Tonosho Port. Go to the AirBnB to film swimmer and crew.
8:00 AM: Pre-recording and interview recording with Team A and Team B with reporter Kosuke Nakagiri
8:30 AM: After the interview, meeting on live content.
9:30 AM: Pre-swim meal of anpan (sweet bean bun). Live setup at Angel Road.
9:30 AM: Arrive on site, setup, confirm movement flow, pre-recording
10:20 AM: IP radio ON
10:30 AM: Send pre-recorded material to headquarters via contact line IP, received by staff members Sato, Kawahara, and Yamaji. Long recording at Angel Road.
11:00 AM: Record Swim Shōdoshima start with drone aerial filming
11:00 AM–2:00 PM: Film Steven Munatones swimming
12:30 PM: Midway swim report with recording with drone
2:00 PM: Record the finish of Day 1 with interview immediately walking upon shore
2:20 PM: IP radio ON.
2:30 PM: Send pre-recorded material to headquarters via contact line IP, received by staff Sato, Kawahara, and editor Yamaji. Return to Angel Road and send materials to headquarters.
3:00 PM: Main program rehearsal. Line and exchange check; rehearsal including headquarters. After rehearsal, edit revisions and confirmation locally on site. If signal conditions are poor and live broadcasting seems difficult, send the pre-recorded material to headquarters.
3:30 PM: Opening pre-segment rehearsal. Be sure to reboot the TVU.
3:30 PM: Opening rehearsal. On-air times are tentative
Around 3:50:30 PM: Program on air, opening pre-segment (live slot: 40 seconds) from Angel Road. Studio cue goes to opening title.
Around 3:55 PM: Main live segment on air (live slot: 10 minutes)
Around 4:10:00 PM Q shot teaser, 7 seconds
Around 4:35:00 PM: Sponsor credit and closing weather (live slot: 30 seconds). 6 seconds of sponsor credit. 20 seconds of weather. Long atmosphere shot around Angel Road or Tonosho Port. Large weather caption at lower left.
4:40 PM: Finish and strike setup, leave location
5:30 PM: Ferry departs Tonosho Port for Takamatsu

Coordination

On-site production line: IP radios (4 units)
Turn on switches 10 minutes before line check
Group 1: Three units for contact line — director, TK voice, program
N-1 primary: Technical mobile phone (orange)
Basic operation: headquarters will call by telephone.
N-1 backup: IP radio No. 4 (used by Group 2)
During advance location shooting, use IP as the contact line between Team A and Team B

Tentative Script Notes (translated into English)

Studio / Ishii: “Now then, today announcer Nakagiri is out on location! Where has he gone?”
Nakagiri: “We’ve been blessed with wonderful weather. I’m here now at Angel Road on Shōdoshima.”
Nakagiri (on camera): “Hello everyone, this is Kosuke Nakagiri. A major challenge started here today. The man who has just completed that challenge a short while ago is Steven.”
Steven: “Hello everyone, I’m Steven Munatones.”
Nakagiri: “Steven is a 63-year-old resident of Los Angeles. What kind of challenge is he taking on? We’ll tell you more in the live segment coming up. Please stay tuned.”
Q-shot teaser Voiceover: “Up next, we’ll introduce a major challenge beginning today from Shōdoshima.”
Studio intro, Ishii: “Today’s feature! announcer Nakagiri is visiting Shodoshima today. Steven has begun a major challenge today. What kind of person is he? Let’s call out to him right away. Nakagiri-san.”
Nakagiri: “Yes, it’s so sunny here that you’d hardly think it was the rainy season. The current temperature is ● degrees, and it’s extremely hot. I’m here at Angel Road, very close to Tonosho Port on Shodoshima. It’s a popular tourist spot visited by many people today as well, but a major challenge started here today. The challenger is Steven Munatones.”
Steven: “Hello, I’m Steven.”
Nakagiri: “Steven has just finished a swim challenge only a short while ago. What do you think it is, everyone?”
Ishii: “Steven, let me ask directly: what is the challenge you started today?”
Steven: “Yes, starting today, I am swimming all the way around Shōdoshima.”
Nakagiri: “That’s right. Steven is taking on a swim around Shōdoshima. He will swim this route over the course of one week. Why did he decide to take on such a challenge? First, please take a look at this.”
Pre-produced VTR Length: 2 minutes 30 seconds: “Steven is a 63-year-old from California in the United States. He has completed marathon swims all over the world. (Why did he start swimming in the first place?). His marathon swimming career had been going smoothly. But one day, he collapsed from a heart attack. He remained in a coma for three days. There was no guarantee that he would survive, and even if he did, there was a possibility of severe neurological damage. However, Steven miraculously survived and spent six years rebuilding his strength and stamina. At that point, he says, he wanted once again to test how far he could push himself in the ocean. The place that came to mind was Shōdoshima, which he had once visited with his family. Captivated not only by the scenery but also by the food, the people, and the island’s beauty, Steven chose Shōdoshima as the site of a new challenge. Together with Professor Ishikawa from Kagawa University, and after careful planning, he launched the plan to swim around Shōdoshima. Steven has trained steadily for this challenge. And today, at last, the day of the challenge has arrived.”
Pre-sent segment 1 – Length: 1 minute 30 seconds. “Yesterday he arrived on Shōdoshima and prepared his mindset, physical strength, and condition for today. This morning, he says he fueled up with anpan for energy. The memorable starting point for the Shōdoshima circumnavigation swim is Angel Road, a place he says holds memories of walking hand in hand with his wife. Today he will swim 15 kilometers from here to Twenty-four Eyes movie studio. He is expected to complete it in approximately 3-4 hours. Steven, once again, please tell us how you’re feeling about the challenge. And now, it’s finally time to start. With your permission, I’ll count it down. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, START. He has begun swimming calmly. The swim around Shodoshima has finally begun! What kind of ending awaits? A challenge you won’t want to miss has started.”
Pre-sent segment 2 – Length: 1 minute 30 seconds: “The calm Seto Inland Sea stretches out with beautiful scenery. According to the watch in hand, ● hours and ● minutes have passed since the start, and Steven is progressing smoothly through the swim. His son Skyler, Dr. Chris Morgan, and other family and support staff are all accompanying and encouraging him. Steven said he loves the scenery seen from the sea and wants to enjoy it as he swims. I wonder whether he is able to enjoy the scenery. He continues moving his body steadily toward the Day 1 goal.”
Pre-sent segment 3 – Length: 1 minute 30 seconds: “This is the Day 1 goal point. Family members and support staff are eagerly waiting for the moment he reaches the goal. Ah, we’ve spotted Steven! He’s coming forward with a powerful stroke… and now he has reached the goal. According to the watch in hand, it has been ● hours and ● minutes since the start. He has successfully completed ● kilometers on Day 1 of the Shōdoshima circumnavigation swim.”
Post-goal interview and next steps: Nakagiri: “So, this is truly a grand challenge! On the first day of the Shōdoshima circumnavigation swim, he successfully completed this route of approximately ● kilometers in about ● hours, ● minutes, and ● seconds.“
Q1: Steven, now that you’ve finished Day 1, how are you feeling?
Q2: Shōdoshima is a place filled with memories for you. How was your first day of the challenge here?
Q3: What are your goals going forward?
Nakagiri: “Once again, here is the update on the challenge ahead. Starting tomorrow… [continue the challenge on this kind of schedule]. If everything goes according to plan, the finish will be on July 2. We intend to stay with this story to the very end. Steven, good luck.”
Studio MC: “We’re cheering for you. Good luck.”

Shōdoshima is an island located in the Seto Inland Sea within hours of Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto by car and/or train, and ferry. Chris Morgan, PhD and Skyler Munatones will serve as the escort kayakers and paddleboarders for Steven Munatones who will swim around shores of Shōdoshima that featuring olive groves, sand beaches, and rocky coastal scenery. Off in the distance, they will pass many uninhabited islands in the Seto Inland Sea. One of the local snacks that they will consume during the event is red bean paste buns:

The swim will be covered by Why Did You Come to Japan? (YOUは何しに日本へ？, a Japanese television program presented by Osamu Shitara and Yūki Himura, a comedy duo known as Bananaman. It is a regular program on TV Tokyo on Monday evenings. The show was first broadcast in the form of two pilot shows in 2012 before becoming a recurring series, airing late on Wednesday nights starting in January 2013. Due to its popularity, it was moved to the prime time evening slot on Mondays beginning with the episode broadcast in April 2013, where it has been airing ever since.

For more information on the TV Tokyo broadcast, see here.

Munatones said, “It will be a truly enjoyable adventure, both in the water and on dryland. We are going all-in Japanese style during our time on Shōdoshima: eating the seafood and specialty dishes like olive somen and soy sauce ice cream. These are some photos of our Japanese-style headquarters for the week visit to Shōdoshima.”