Why Bad Bunny's halftime show felt like a music video

Daniel Balton (on the left) poses in front of his jib, the crane device behind him. Photo courtesy of Daniel Balton

The Super Bowl halftime show may look effortless to viewers, but behind it is an enormous amount of planning and a crew of unsung heroes who make the live broadcast look polished. One such person is Daniel Balton, a jib operator and technician.

Balton has now worked on eight Super Bowl halftime shows, including this year's Bad Bunny performance and other productions, such as the SNL 50-year concert, VMAs and operas. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Balton via video to learn more about his background, what made this year's halftime show feel so different and what it's like being a jib operator at such a high level.

Inside the new era of halftime

Balton was responsible for capturing the electric pole moment during this year's halftime show. Photo: Daniel Balton

One common refrain from this year's halftime show (which you can watch here) was that it felt more like a music video than a live performance. "That's a very intentional shift that's been happening in the industry," Balton explained. "It started probably before the pandemic... where on the artist side, they were coming in with their creative team and having a much more specific vision for what they wanted the show to look like."

"Every single shot that you're seeing in the halftime show now is a very, very tightly scripted shot."

In earlier eras, the live television director controlled the look and pacing, making creative calls as the performance unfolded. That's no longer the case, though. "Every single shot that you're seeing in the halftime show now is a very, very tightly scripted shot numbered throughout an entire sequence," he said. Last year, the NFL shared a short documentary detailing this process, which you can watch on YouTube.

"I can't overemphasize, every single moment of that show has been pored over by the artist camp, the production team, Roc Nation, the NFL," Balton added. "There are so many big camps involved that all have very, very specific notes about how they want this to come together." It’s a level of precision that leaves little room for improvisation.

Balton says that the Serena Williams cameo in last year's Super Bowl show was simple, but one of the most stressful shots he's had. Photo: Daniel Balton

As an example of that specificity, Balton told us about Serena Williams' appearance at last year's Kendrick Lamar show, which he was responsible for capturing. It was two very quick shots, with a total of maybe five seconds on air, but the direction was very particular. "I was told specific framing of like, the first shot is her head to toe, then they cut away for a fraction of a second, and I have to quickly zoom in and get more of a waist shot of her," he explained. "It's hard to do in a live event because you don't know what's going to happen. There's always going to be factors that you cannot predict, and you cannot control."

The higher level of production also requires more camera operators, and this year, there were 14 of them dedicated to the halftime show, plus the cameras already in place for the game broadcast, such as two Skycams. Balton’s jib was responsible for six specific shots, including the trust fall and the climb up the electric pole.

Some operators are even more specific in their coverage, too. "The incredible thing is, because of the way that they're now shooting it, some of these cameras have literally one or two shots in the course of the entire show," he said. "Like they were there for a very specific reason, to capture just one particular moment."

Coordinated chaos

Photo: Daniel Balton

While there's certainly pressure during the show, Balton says that the most stressful part of the process is the setup in the moments before the show starts. "When we roll out onto the field, nothing is plugged in, so it's this mad dash to get to your location," he told me. "You're plugging in your camera, your power, your line of communication to the truck. So it's three or four things that if one thing doesn't work, it's going to be a massive problem. It's always that tense moment of like, no matter how many times you do it, it's going to be that same suspense."

"It's three or four things that if one thing doesn't work, it's going to be a massive problem."

During the show, because of the tight shot schedule, camera operators have to be dialed in and ready at precisely the right moment. Again, Serena Williams' appearance highlights this. Balton had been involved in the circular stage sequence earlier in the performance. He and his team then had to roll the jib over to a different position to capture Williams, all while navigating around the crowded field.

Then, Serena was on the platform a mere two seconds before his shot. "It's hard when there's not someone standing there to gauge what a head-to-toe shot should be, especially when they are so hyper specific about that," Balton said. "It wasn't technically the most complex shot, but it was high pressure to get there and land it, and we had only rehearsed once with Serena," he told me.

Shifting gear requirements

Balton also captured the trust fall, the only moment from the show that worked in pre-recorded footage. Photo: Daniel Balton

The more cinematic halftime has also changed the gear used to cover it. Production has moved away from traditional broadcast cameras toward cinema-style bodies and lenses, which are far less forgiving. Because of that, there is now a focus puller with almost every camera. "With the cinema style cameras, if you want your subject to stay sharp, that is someone's specific job because it is literally a game of inches," he explained.

"If you want your subject to stay sharp, that is someone's specific job because it is literally a game of inches."

Autofocus is still a rarity during productions at this point. Balton told me that at this year's show, one or two cameras were running on autofocus, but overwhelmingly, camera operators are using manual focus with a dedicated focus puller.

In terms of what gear he uses, Balton doesn’t get to pick his camera body. A vendor provides the full package for the event. This year, since Sony was the official optical partner, most of the cameras were Sony, such as the Sony Venice. Lens selection is more collaborative, though, and brands are much more varied.

Born into the broadcast

Balton and his family cover all sorts of events, including New Year's Rockin' Eve. Photo courtesy of Daniel Balton

Television production is something that has been part of the Balton family story for decades. Daniel's father, Rob Balton, started his career in the 80s as a grip, building his career and eventually investing in advanced camera jib technology. Rob built a business, called Camera Moves, around that work, which expanded as television events grew in ambition, and it became a true family affair. His mother, Mary, managed the office, and his uncle worked the jibs, eventually joined by his cousin as well.

Despite all that, Balton never felt pressured to join. He loved watching his dad’s world, but it wasn’t something he originally planned to do himself. "My first job out of college was directing for a PBS affiliate... and I was thinking about pursuing directing more aggressively," he said. That shifted eventually, though. "I was also part-time working with the family business and going on jobs, and I started to realize it's an environment I love to work in," he reflected.

His dad, who was part of the iconic Prince halftime show in 2007, is winding down his career, but still works on big shows, including Late Night with Seth Meyers. Balton clearly appreciates the opportunity to work with his dad, too. "I've learned from one of the best, and I try to bring that level of quality to the productions that I get to work on," Balton says of his dad.

Advice to future generations

Photo: Daniel Balton

Balton admits that it's a weird time in the industry, so he's cautious about giving advice to young people. However, there are some factors that remain critical. On the more technical side, Balton recommends paying attention to emerging technologies, including AI, and finding your niche. "It doesn't have to be a specialty piece of equipment necessarily, but if you can find something that can make you one of the go-to people for that thing, that's really great."

The human side of the industry can't be left out, either. "I always heavily emphasize the networking element of it. If you do not make yourself known to people, they are never going to think to hire you," he told me. "Then you just have to reach out to people and expand your network as aggressively as possible. You don't know where an opportunity is going to come from."

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You can learn more about Balton and follow along with his work at the Camera Moves website, the Camera Moves Instagram account and on his personal Instagram.