Filmwerks tackles power data during professional football games

Recently a team of Fluke employees visited with Filmwerks International, a cross-functional team of maintenance professionals that services various broadcast networks during live events, including professional football, to see the power monitor in action. While Filmwerks is headquartered in Rocky Point, North Carolina, we had the pleasure of tagging along as they set up uninterruptible power supply (UPS) at Lambeau Field for a Thursday night game between Green Bay and Chicago, one of the oldest and most infamous football rivalries.

The power monitor

On the field, we observed the dedication and discipline that goes into building and prepping the hydraulic stage used during sideline broadcasts at halftime. On the trailer compound for this event, Filmwerks used four Fluke 3540 FC Three-Phase Power Monitors to monitor input (utility and generator) and UPS output power. The ability to capture power data is essential to delighting their clients, like the top broadcasting networks, because it empowers them to share data details at a moment’s notice. Also, they love keeping tabs on their system’s performance via the Fluke Connect® app.

We interviewed some team members, including Mike Satrazemis, the founder and president of Filmwerks. They all told us great stories about their first interaction with Fluke products, so their history and knowledge varied. Mike bought his first Fluke digital multimeter more than 30 years ago. He grew up in Green Bay and, as a teenager, worked as a valet at the stadium. When he ran out of cars to park, he would hop the chain-link fence to watch his beloved team.

Taking in the sights

We absorbed the sights, smells, and sounds as we walked past houses retrofitted for game-day tailgates. One tailgate blasted a popular rally song that pokes fun at Chicago’s team. But that was far from the quirkiest moment we experienced. We smelled something cooking on a barbecue at one of these impressive setups. We later learned that the smoke billowing from the tailgate was them spit-roasting a bear, perhaps as an offering to the football gods to ensure victory for the home team.