Capturing the Game: John Richardson

 

Photo taken by Rowan DuBois

 

John Richardson has a thick stack of hotel room keys in his makeshift 'wallet.' Though that 'wallet' is 

really just a rubber band wrapped around his various cards that he’s collected during weekly travels across 

the country, where he works for the NFL on CBS as a third-party vendor. Working in sports, however, 

wasn’t always the plan for Richardson.

Richardson found his passion for media studies as a senior in college at Widener University after taking 

media classes the year prior, but almost as soon as he found it, his ability to study it was taken away. 

“I went to my advisor, or whatever they call it,” Richardson said, “and I said ‘I know what I want to do, 

I’m gonna do media studies. I want to do this.’ And then [my advisor] was like, ‘Oh, bad news, they’re 

dropping the program.”

 

After college Richardson was a paralegal for two years, and he was seriously considering becoming a 

lawyer.

 

“My Dad was a lawyer,” Richardson said while laughing, “and he just set me down one time and talked 

me out of it.”

After moving to Nashville in 1994, Richardson was able to land a job installing cameras in NASCAR race 

cars. Richardson claims the only qualification at the time was the ability to get up early, which he had.

 

“I was like ‘Okay I don’t know anything about that,’” Richardson said. “They were like, ‘Don’t worry,

we’ll show you.’”

Nashville videographer Ian Tucker, who films all types of content, can attest to learning on the job. 

“Obviously you can try to learn in the classroom,” said Tucker, “but it’s never gonna match the 

experience that you get from actually going out and shooting the type of stuff you want to shoot.”

After working with NASCAR, Richardson used experience he had from working at a woodshop to install 

cameras inside the floor at NBA games. From there he worked with the NBA for three years.

From there, Richardson was able to use those skills to work on camera installations that showed some of

the most bizarre and unique angles in sports: in the dirt at home plate during MLB games, in the grass at

the 20-yard line during NFL games, and even the first-ever PylonCam.

“I couldn’t find the camera after the game,” Richardson said, referring to the camera on the 20-yard line,

which had been trampled during the game. “The whole field was like shredded up, and I was like ‘Where

is it?’ It took me an hour and a half to find it.”

A typical game day for Richardson is more than just a day, it’s actually three days worth of preparation.

“Go through all the cameras, all the mics, make sure everything’s working. I worry about my stuff, make

sure I know if I have an issue.”

Tucker says there’s one vital difference between shooting sports versus shooting other content: “You only

have one chance to get the shot.”

And when Sunday arrives, Richardson and crew will be there up to 6 hours early, triple checking.

Richardson says he likes doing the 1 o’clock games, as it means that he’ll be able to catch a flight back

home that evening, and get to wake up in his own bed.

He’s not unfamiliar with technical difficulties, as he was in Buffalo last year for a playoff game between

the Bills and Steelers that was rescheduled to a Monday night due to a snowstorm. 

“We were looking at a camera at the field that looked like Antarctica,” Richardson said. “Yeah, like you

were expecting to see penguins.” 

The snowstorm hit midday on Sunday, and brought in more than two feet of snow.

“We got snow inside our trailer and in my [camera] rack somehow,” Richardson said. “Must have come in

through some crack. That’s how it is in Buffalo, that place is crazy.”

Richardson’s advice to anyone looking to become successful in their industry? Perseverance.

“I mean if you’re pursuing a job as an NBA center, then I would say quit right now,” Richardson said.

“Keep it realistic, but know that you’re gonna get shot down. I just feel like when somebody commits to

something, whether it’s God, the universe, whatever you believe in, when you make that commitment

things start happening.”

Richardson knows how to make a career switch, as he was doing various odd jobs just before getting his

job with NASCAR.

“I lived in this barn, in Franklin, Tennessee,” Richardson said. He was making around 100 dollars a week

taking care of horses. “I had to get out of there, which meant I needed an apartment.”

 

Richardson took a break from sports before 2015, and found himself renting out a video-game truck.

“I was doing kids parties,” Richardson said, “so obviously I was hating every minute of my existence.”

At the same time his wife Kate started going to a coworking space to work on her business, but she didn’t

like the corporate feel. She came up with the idea for a new type of coworking space, and Richardson was

all in.

“I’m like, ‘I’m in,’” Richardson said. “Anything but kid parties at that point.”

In 2015, the Richardsons founded InDo, short for Inspiration Domain, but they didn’t start seeing a rise in

business until post-pandemic.

“During COVID, our business was essentially shut down,” Richardson said. 

InDo hosts private events such as mixers, networking events, panels, and even concerts. When asked

which of his full-time jobs he enjoys the most, Richardson couldn’t decide.

“I like them both,” Richardson said, “but I really like when we’re doing a production at InDo, because

then I feel like I'm using the tech part of me, and I find that enjoyable.”

Richardson had plenty of advice for those looking for a career on the tech side of sports.

“From the TV end,” Richardson said, "I would say sign up to be a runner, like find out where the big

networks are coming.”

A runner is someone who runs errands for the people on set.

“Take it from there,” Richardson said. “Just go work your ass off and do a good job. Don’t get caught up

with the people who are, you know, being lazy."