March 08
Dear Jean,
I am currently watching the Ashour-Hindi match at this year's Tournament of Champions. The picture quality is exceptional: so very rich, like a multi-colored fruit salad which makes the mouth water and the eyes tear (from joy).
Looking forward to the other DVD's from the Players Cup events.
David Tong, Canada
March 08
Dear Jean,
Received my dvd's today, was really surprised how short the delivery time was, only took three days, great service! Watched a few matches, and the quality is awesome, thanks again!
Regards,
Fredric Gertsen, Netherlands
Hey Jean,
How are you doing? Got the dvds of my matches Vs Amr & Ramy from the Canadian event, I thought the quality of the programs were top of the line and the footage, the angles, the close ups were very well captured, it obviously felt as if you were really in the match, well I thought, as I was playing..haha.. Thanks again, they were great and looking forward to perhaps watching more soon.
Azlan Iskandar
Jean, I have once again finished watching your fabulously produced squash DVD. Have been hassling you over the past few years getting all the footage your team has put together - and wanted to tak e this opportunity to congratulate you on such impressive job you are doing.
The professionalism and dedication you guys have shown in giving the best possible quality and accuracy in putti ng over our great game of squash to the world is not matched by any other squash producer.
I will continue to direct the squash public to your website in order for the squash world to see what a fantasti
c job you are doing. Thanks again for all the support - I am still learning so much from watching!!!!
-- Anthony Ricketts
Bonjour Jean,
I just watched the DVD of my match against Jonathon Power that you produced last year, thank you it is fantastic. It shows our efforts, speed, power, movement and the finesse in the execution of our shots better than any other squash film I have seen. We can see the ball very well at all times so rallies are easy to follow. The slow motion replays from the front wall cameras help us appreciate the technique, our shot making and how close balls are played to the tin. The commentators are great at explaining the subtleties of the game and the rules. It.s a pleasure to be able to watch such high quality pictures of our sport, thank you and keep it up.
-- Gregory Gaultier
Dear Jean,
I am a loyal customer of yours from China (I'm Italian, but living here for very long time) First of all I would take this opportunity to congratulate with you for the excellent quality of your DVDs, not only in terms of definition and technic but also as filming direction, editing and even sound & music. In some cases your "works" could really aspire to be close to art ! That is wonderful for us, who enjoy watching the "art" of squash even more if through artistic dvds, and it is a great contribution to Squash development too.
Franco Amadei
"I saw the Harris Direct Tournament of Champions the other day and really liked it. I think you did a great job. Squash looked amazing! This will be the single greatest thing for squash in America.""
Steve Bellamy, President & Founder, The Tennis Channel
"...seeing the finished product of Jean's work makes me feel proud and excited to be a professional squash player, and restores my belief that squash really can be a major TV sport. I am also very proud to be part of his very creative and professional production team that is taking squash to the next level."
Martin Heath
Hello Jean:
This note is to say that you have done great work, keep it up it, you have documented the Nicol - Power games so well. I hope you will continue to film other greats. Thanks to you, your superb videos. I have collected your DVDs, I have enjoyed them over and over, frame by frame have helped me improve my game and more. Keep up the good work you are helping squash in a meaningful way.
Thank you, Hamid Zaidi, President Vital Systems Corporation
Dec. 06 Hi Jean.
Remember me - Carlos from Squashpt.com Your DVDs are absolutely fantastic! They are by far the best captured squash games I ever seen. From the interviews and the commentary to the game itself with the angles, replays and player.s expressions, the realism of th is great sport his capture with great quality and professionalism. For all of us we love squash so much, your videos are like .candies. and never enough! A+ to your work and attention regarding all the packing details.
Regards, Carlos Neves
Oct. 06 - Hi, Jean,
I am enjoying all of these DVDs, perhaps TOO much! I have to say. The improvements in my game have been well worth the time and investment, plus the production quality is outstanding (as so ma ny have already said in your Comments section). Great work, and what a fun/great career choice! ;)
Thanks! Phil
Aug. 06 - Jean
I received the DVD from the Chicago event, I thought your camerawork was the best I.ve seen from your videos or anyone else's. I felt right on the court with the players. The ball is easy to follow and the replay angles show racquet work otherwise not easy to see. The announcing was okay, but the not best I've heard, I personally like Martin Heath's commentary best.
Many thanks for another great set of matches to add to my collection. Enjoy the remainder of the summer and maybe I could introduce myself to you at the Canadian Classic in January.
Cheers, Eric, University of Rochester Medical Center
Jul. 06 - Dear Jean,
hi I hope you are well. I just got the DVD yesterday, it is really awesome. From the video quality to the opening introduction, its all very impressive. I have seen it tons of times already, thanks so much.
Bye, Saad.
Jul. 06 - hey jean,
Just finished the power legacy - AWESOME!!! i really enjoyed the
earlier jp stuff.
take care and keep the great squash dvds coming.
best wishes, David
Jul. 06 Jean,
Just wanted to drop you a line to say that I am very satisfied with the WCO 06 DVD (Power vs. Palmer) I purchased from you. The video quality is excellent and the multiple camera positions makes watching the game far more interesting than I would have thought.
Regards, Dave
June 06 - Dear Jean
I received the Power vs Shabana DVD yesterday and must admit I have not watched squash of this quality before. Watching the tw o best players in the world on court one hoped to see longer rallies and so it was. Every movement, every exchange of theirs be it the lob, boast or volley was beautifully captured and it made for some amazing viewing. It was great Jean....I will definitely be picking up more of your dvds soon.
Thanks again,
Sapnesh
April 06 - Hi Jean.
Package arrived yesterday. I already see one of the Pace Canadian games. Fantastic Squash.Tremendous footage and film. Great composition. Love your work. Thanks. What is necessary, for you to come to Portugal and film the Tournament ? This is supposed to have a great National coverage and if possible International ( you/your team in this case ).
Kind regards.
Carlos Neves
* by Alan Thatcher, 26 Nov 2001
I am writing this at 37,000 feet and it's minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit outside the Air Canada 747 as we head out over Goose Bay towards the North Atlantic bound for London's Heathrow Airport. It's late at night and the cabin lights are dimmed as travelers try to catnap on the seven-hour flight. I can't sleep. All week we have been running on pure adrenaline as ambitious plans for the world's first live Internet broadcast of a major squash championship became a reality.
Producer Jean De Lierre deserves all the credit for masterminding the week's ground-breaking SquashLive.com production. As well as a technical crew to maintain the link to the outside world, sound levels had to be constantly monitored and additional helpers were brought in to keep the scores and supply an ongoing flow of match by match statistics. Our special thanks go to Julia Hamilton for scoring the matches, and she was such a trooper she came back to action despite feeling desperately ill one day. She also had to cope with the added stress of keeping her eye on the stars while Graham Ryding was making live on-air demands (of a statistical nature, I should add!) during the final.
In the absence of a scoreboard in the BCE Place arena, two young helpers (Jean's son Jason and his pal Dane Sharp, both promising juniors) sat in front of the commentary position holding handmade scorecards to reduce the risk of a live, on-air mistake from me had a referee's score announcement been muffled by the crowd. It was that attention to detail, no matter how rudimentary its appearance, and the willingness of De Lierre's crew to stay focussed from the opening Sunday's first shot to the last ball of Friday night's final, that helped the production go so smoothly. And, while all of this was going on, De Lierre also had a camera team in place filming every match for his extensive squash video archive.
Sure, there were a few problems, but most of those were beyond our control. The audio link occasionally faded, and sometimes we received calls saying my co-commentator was not speaking loud enough. But generally the messages that flooded in from all over the world confirmed that the reception could be picked up loud and clear in every corner of the globe. The live broadcasts, with a star-studed cast of co-commentators, and immediate post-match interviews with many of the players, were certainly appreciated by squash fans starved of real-time media coverage until the recent live transmissions from the British Open and PSA Super series finals. Until the advent of the Internet, squash fans had to wait weeks or months to catch up with the latest news. Here, they could simply tune in and listen as they went about their daily or nightly chores. Some people, we know, stayed logged on for five or six hours, capturing the whole sessions' play and post-match comments.
We had messages from some unlikely squash outposts, including China, Korea, Colombia and Hungary. We know that the players themselves helped to spread the word by calling home to tell their friends and families to listen in, no matter what hour of day or night it was! Because of the timing of the tournament, we knew that our biggest audience was likely to be in North America, and that's exactly as it transpired. It was afternoon time in Australia, so many people were able to tune in to the broadcasts while going about their day's work. I sincerely hope nobody got fired for logging on in company time!
It was early morning in Europe and my grateful thanks go to SquashPlayer webmaster Steve Cubbins for staying up through the night to oversee the live scoreboard (updated point for point via the commentary) and also for monitoring the sound quality. He was frequently sending email messages to our technical director saying "Alan's coming through loud and clear, but tell Mike Way (or whoever) to speak up a bit."
So thanks to Jean for having the courage to invest a large sum of non-recoverable funding into the project, and thanks again to all those players, coaches and celebrities who joined me in the back row of the bleachers for commentaries and interviews. They included (ladies first) Sarah Fitz-Gerald, Pam Nimmo, David Palmer, Peter Nicol, Jonathon Power, Stewart Boswell, Rodney Durbach, Paul Price, Lee Beachill, Mike Way, Steve Hall (Dunlop USA), Dean Brown (the Cambridge Club pro), Jason Matthision (Jonathon Power's manager), and promoter John Nimick, who masterminded a great show.
Alan Thatcher
Belated congratulations on your contribution to squash history over in
Toronto. I was really impressed with the quality of coverage, both the technical
aspects and your realization that you needed to keep saying something almost
constantly to ensure that we listeners were always informed. I thought the
'atmosphere' was excellent too, because you could always hear the ball and
the crowd.
Good one!
Howard Harding (World squash correspondent)
audio coverage of the Toronto event. I followed much of it from Seoul, Korea, and I
must say that Alan really had my ears begging for more. His call of the
Power/Nicol match, "And POWER HITS THE TIN", is still ringing.
Again, well done with this ground breaking stuff. The coverage was
unbelievable, and I'm sure it's just going to get better. Are you planning the same
efforts for the Tournament of Championships. If so, I'm looking forward to it.
Cheers,
Gerry Gibson
ROK NAVAL ACADEMY
I really enjoyed the TOC 2000 videotapes. The way you put it into picture is delightful to watch. And the way you filmed is a lot better then one of the games i.e. Nicol Vs Heath , you filmed differently to show the difference.
Do you have other tapes with the same quality that provides the same pleasure to watch squash?
Kind Regards
Yves Van Durme
Yesterday I received the video that you sent to me. I just wanted to say thanks and to let you know that it is the best squash video that I have ever seen. You should be very proud of your work, the filming was excellent.
Thanks again and bye for now.
Frank Vandeputte
I want to thank you for your videos of Jahangir vs Jansher, 1990, Jahangir vs Geoff Hunt 1981 and the TOC 94: B Martin/R Eyles, B Martin/P Nicol , they are outstanding.
Andrew Kanara
New Zealand
Videos arrived with thanks - and I just wanted to congratulate you on the fantastic camera work and production. The videos are excellent. Take a bow !
So, I guess the questions are (i) are you planning to produce any more tournament videos - Hong Kong Open, World Open for example and (ii) any chance of getting Jonah and Chris Robertson to do the voice overs on the next video?
Good luck with it all !
Regards,
Paul Field
I'm a squash teacher in Philadelphia. You sent my friend and mentor Bill Lane the video of the 1990 Canadian Open match between Jahangir and Jansher. Rather than keep walking up the street to Bill and Julie's to watch it again and again, I think I'd better buy my own copy.
I'm not technically knowledgeable when it comes to movie making, but I'd say (after seeing all of Bill's collection of squash videos many times) that you've really perfected the technique of swinging the camera back and forth in order to get closer to the action. The movement of the camera is not intrusive and after a little bit one's attention is completely on the players and not on the cinematography. Nice job!
Best Regards,
Titus Cranch
Thought you'd enjoy this from the USSRA Talksquash group.
Barry Faguy
A. M. 20 April 2000 at 11:40 from: 204.0.70.2 wrote:
Simon, I agree with Brenda regarding the Squash Talk videos but will add the following FYI. Squash Talk offers recent TOC/2000 videos which were shot by Canadian videographer Jean de Lierre. De Lierre is the only one who has stepped up to the seemingly daunting challenge of presenting Squash in an entertainment quality package, i.e. with multiple camera angles, color commentary AND the very important aspect of humanizing the players. This humanizing element, if I may refer to it that way, captures the players expressions and emotions which connect the spectator more with how the players feel in there. He mixes inside camera work with closeups and slow motion too.
The classic standard of shooting with one camera outside of the glass box produces absolutely sterile and boring results. Jean doesn't have it completely perfected yet and I don't know if he has the capability to production mix his action in real time for live presentations. However, "Hats Off" to this pioneer who may single handedly get the sport of Squash into a presentable TV entertainment package that can be sold to the public, and significant sponsors. I do feel that the tapes are a bit on the expensive side but its a volume issue and Jean is still probably breaking even at best for the time and effort he is putting in to this endeavor.
My two cents worth of advice to Jean would be to give his tapes away at cost after covering expenses so that there were as many copies as possible out there for potential customers and sponsors to see. Further, I would add a few classic sequence views in order of play similar to tennis and etc. The USSRA, PSA, WSF and all should be commissioning this man to cover their events so he can continue to develop the process. Royalties from tape sales should just be extra icing on the cake. Merci Jean!!
Once more tre bien!! (hope me french is correct (smile)) Well done!!
Ike Ugochuku
Jean,
I received the videos of the TOC 2000 last week and have viewed all four tapes. They are wonderful! I must say that the production was more elaborate compared to last years tournament. I really enjoyed the British(?) announcer- Bronstein. He has excellent insight and did not talk too much. I saw the final on ESPN2 here in the States and it was mediocre at best compared to your version. I really enjoy your products and plan to order more videos in the future. Please do not to hesitate to email me with suggestions on good matches you have videotaped. I am always looking for good squash to glean new aspects to my own game.
Thank you again and I hope to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Eric Hernady
Hi Jean;
First of all Happy New Year to you and your's. Secondly,the tapes are awesome! Some purists may not like your method of tracking the ball but it in no way detracts from the quality of the games.Keep up the great work!I've seen each tape at least 3 times each.Can I get them in liquid form as I believe I am a Squashaholic!!
Anyway all the best in the new year.
Terry
Hi Jean,
I just received my TOC Palmer Vs White and 2002 YMG Dvds in the mail. I have a sony WEGA XBR High definition TV so I was looking forward to viewing squash at a high resolution. I was definitely not disappointed. The TOC match is simply amazing. Felt like I was actually at the event. The clarity really added much excitement to the game dynamics; I was amazed at how the clarity allowed you to experience the players moving up for their volleying opportunities. I have seen many of your videos and just wanted to say thanks for your effort. My favorite match to date would be the NYC TOC with Heath and Power. Last years YMG matches were all very good.
thanks,
Jeff Carter
Moncton N.B.
Dear Jean
The squash in the dvd is fantastic. This was the first time that I've seen a squash game in the television and its absolutely amazing. The quality of the image, the angles and the replays are incredible. I play squash since 1993 and I've seen moves in the dvd that I thought "...no way...that's impossible!!"
Congratulations
Ricardo Augusto
Assistant Manager
Hotel Calheta Beach
Hi Jean,
Alex Gough here, I got your email address off Simon the other day. I saw the tape of him playing Peter in the final and I must say it is probably the best I have seen to date. The perspective is one that gives a much better view of the distances covered etc and not jumping angles too much makes it much less confusing and more flowing. I was wondering if you had the tape of myself playing Peter Nicol and if I could get hold of a copy. Look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers
Alex Gough
Dear Jean
Thank you very much for your letter ...and I was delighted to receive with your promo video today. Congratulations ....you have done a great job ...and I appreciated enormously the much improved viewing of the ball enhanced by the superb camera work shown on your video. For ever we have been told that Squash is not a TV Sport... and because, like you, I dream of seeing Squash featuring regularly on TV...watching your tape today makes me feel really enthusiastic. At last we are seeing a product showing Squash in a way that does justice to the skills of our Sport. I loved it ! You certainly have my appreciation and support ...and I do hope we have the chance to meet in Milan at the Junior World Championships.
Kindest regards
Susie Simcock
President of the World Squash Federation (WSF)
Dear Jean
As promised I watched your promo video last night and am overwhelmed by the quality and excitement of it. Superb. I have been watching top Squash, and TV coverage of it, for 20 years now and have always been very disappointed that a sport with so much live excitement could not make the transition to the small screen. The game between Power and Heath on your video has changed my mind. It was a joy to watch. The tapes you sent us for Susie Simcock and Jahangir Khan are now on the way to them and I will receive an equally enthusiastic report soon I hope.
Congratulations. A major breakthrough.
Regards
Ted Wallbutton
Executive Director
World Squash Federation
Hi Jean,
Thanks for the tape - it's so nice to be able to watch a match in full! I was impressed with the quality of the video and I could see the ball clearly. I also like the way you zoom in to the person's face when they are querying calls - something that doesn't happen enough with Pro-Active/Sky. The different angles you used and the stats between games were also very good. Hope these comments help!
Simon Parke.
Dear Jean,
I received the Palmer/ Nicol DVD two days ago, and I am surprised by the great quality! Not often have I seen such clear and steady images of the squash game. And all the extra's like the score's, and let- and stroke explanations, and comparing images for referee decisions: very professional, fantastic! I am very pleased with it!
Luuk Goedhart.
The Netherlands.
delierre
Got the ToC 03 DVDS!!!
Hi Jean , Aaron McNeal here again. Just wanted to say that I got the DVDs in the mail today and so far I am completely spellbound. What an amazing job you guys have done! This is far and away , the A+ stuff, you have come along way to making this the best damned squash tournament on film. The camera quality is superb , glad to see Heathy back in the co-commentators chair too, and the interviews with players and tips from Nicol are awesome. Even the little grafx you use (the T with the ball on it) for the score card are perfect! I could go on , but let me just say that every subtlety is perfect. Unbelievable job Jean and crew , and I cant wait until after work to dig into some more of these amazing DVDs.
Thanks a million!
Aaron
Jean
I was looking at one of your shows on-air yesterday. You really did a nice job introducing the personalities and explaining some of the rules. I think your production looks real good.
Keep it up. thanks.
Bruce Rider, Executive Vice President of Programming and Marketing at The Tennis Channel
Jean
I saw the Harris Direct Tournament of Champions the other day and really liked it. I think you did a great job. Squash looked amazing!
The bang for the buck that your sponsor is getting is amazing. It is like a constant billboard. Squash is better than tennis for clear view signage. In fact, I don't think there is a better sport for clear view.
The distribution is rolling out at a good clip. We meet with Comcast Corporate tomorrow and Adelphia on Thursday.
The people that are getting the channel are watching all day long and we are just trying to roll systems as fast as we possibly can.
Now that I have seen on air how great the Squash looked, I want to really press you and all the squash community to bombard your cable operators. This will be the single greatest thing for squash in America.
Steve Bellamy
President & Founder
The Tennis Channel
Dear squashlive team,
I just want to say thank you for that wonderful DVD you sent 'over the ocean' to Europe some days ago! There are no games shown on TV here in Germany so it's fantastic to receive such great DVDs!
Perfect delivery service, perfect recordings, perfect SQUASHLIVE Team!!!
Cheers, Axel
Stuttgart/Germany
Jean,
I received the DVD's this morning, super quick shipping! I must tell you that I have been balking at making a purchase as I thought that the prices were a bit high, but all I can say is WOW! I have a lot of older videos ranging from the 'Stretch Challenge' to some of the Super Series broadcasts, and I thought that they were pretty well done. Now that I have seen your newest DVDs, you've raised the bar tremendously! Well worth the price, I am now a convert, venturing to say they are bargain priced!
Great angles, great commentary, awesome production values. A real treat for an actual player trying to get something from the top players games, footwork, and strategy, all of it is made easier with these DVDs. I will be going through the other offerings you have and picking up some more shortly. I only hope that you continue on with this work and catch the games future greats as you have captured Jonathon and Peter!
Thanks again,
Chris Bianchi
Hi Jean;
I now have 5 of your videos and I've watched each one a hundred times. My wife says I'm O.C.D. but she has fed my obsession with another video featuring Jonathon Power. I don't think I'm obsessive...I just know a good, no great thing when I see it. Nobody but nobody enlivens the game like Jonathon, and nobody captures it quite like you. Please keep up the great work.
Terry White, Newfoundland
Jean,
WOW! I have never seen such well presented squash! I received my 2004 Squash Super Series set yesterday.great delivery, by the way (all the way to Kuwait)! I have to say, my expectation were all greatly exceeded.I am very impressed. The angles are great, the commentary is very useful, and the .personality. aspect of the players was captured beautifully, to a point that you have a sense of the players. characters on and off the court. I was very sceptical about the price (which is still considered a little too steep) but for someone that does not get the chance to go to Squash tournaments, this was a real treat.you are truly the foremost authority on Squash media in the world...Well done...and I hope to order more of your fine work.P.S. I know that your prices are high because of the low volume you sell, but it would be the icing on the cake if the prices were a little lower..but then again, I will probably buy more DVD.s at their current price again, due to the exceptional quality of your work, coupled with my love for the game!!!!!!
Keep that film rolling,
Khalid Qassem, Kuwait
Hi Jean,
Sorry for the late reply...the last few weeks have been hectic. I did make time to watch the DVD you sent me, however. I am completely satisfied. Everything about these DVD's smacks of excellence and professionalism; from the pre-match interviews right through to the excellent variety of commentary, the professional footage, the replays, etcetera. The format of the material is user-friendly and easily accessible. I am especially impressed with all the extra features like squash tips from professionals, the fantastic spread of 'best rallies' from the tournaments prepared for squash lovers, etc.
Thank you very much.
Regards, Albert
Jean,
I received the dvds last Saturday after much anticipation and was not disappointed. It is definitely worth the "price of admission" and is the next best thing to being there! I am thankful that you do what you do and look forward to digging through your website for more wonderful matches.
Antonio