This week's MLB All-Star Game in San Diego once again provided a showcase for the most cutting-edge production tools and tech toys the industry has to offer. Tech vendors turned out in droves at Petco Park to provide remote-production facilities, studio sets, specialty cameras, audio technology, virtual graphics, redundant power, and much more to Fox Sports, ESPN, MLB Network, and other broadcasters covering the festivities. Here is Part 1 of a brief look at some of some of the specialty cameras, graphics, and studio sets deployed at MLB All-Star 2016. CLICK HERE for Part 2, which goes inside the trucks and vendors at the production compound.
CP Communications
There was no shortage of unique (and complex) new projects for CP Communications at All-Star this year. The company maintained the entire fiber infrastructure (more than 70,000 ft. of fiber and 280 strands just to connect the various truck compounds), oversaw all RF coordination (more than 350 frequencies), and provided all RF cameras (more than a dozen) for all onsite broadcasters. In addition, CP also played a key role in the deployment of 16 new microphone locations in the ground at San Diego's Petco Park for ESPN's Home Run Derby and Fox's All-Star telecast.
One of a dozen RF cameras deployed by CP Communications at MLB All-Star
One of the challenges of [the in-ground microphones] is obviously to get everything working ahead of time because, once the mics are in the ground, you really have very little control over them, said CP Communications President Michael Mason. You get to turn them on, and that's about it; you're not going to get to go dig it up and replace it if something happens to that microphone. We were able to get ahead of it, and we couldn't be happier with how it turned out.
CP Communications also worked with MLB Network to create new portable fiber racks for its three-camera on-field set to streamline setup and strike.
MLB Net knew exactly what they wanted. We conceptualized, drew it out, and engineers from our office put the cart together, said Mason. It does three cameras right now, but we can put up to six. It just depends on how we populate it.
CP Communications provided three RF cameras, one a Steadicam, to ESPN for its Derby coverage and two handhelds and support for the HatCam to MLB Network.
Fox Sports deployed seven CP Communications RF cameras, including a roving Flare 4KSDI camera on a M VI three-axis gimbal. The first-ever use of a Flare 4KSDI unit in this broadcast-centric configuration created a unique challenge for CP.
It has a totally custom-designed interface for control that was built and designed in our shop, says Mason. Our system gives the video operators the same type of control that they would have on a regular TV camera. The Flare is really not a broadcast camera in any way, shape, or form, but this [provides] the same interface that you would have with a Sony or Grass Valley camera. It was a lot of work from the software to the hardware manufacturing, and all the inner connectivity in the M VI rig itself was built in our shop. It took our engineers four to six months to get it all perfect, and they did a great job.
Filmwerks
Filmwerks sets once again played a major part in the All-Star festivities. The vendor designed and manufactured Fox Sports' primary set and both MLB Network sets at Petco Park.
MLB Network primary set, which is wheeled on and off the field on a golf cart, is on the third-base line.
Fox Sports' 40- x 40-ft. set (with a 20- x 20-ft. perch atop it) was similar to last year's and located on the main concourse in centerfield near the Park at the Park. Thanks to the flexible ModTruss technology used to build Filmwerks sets, the Fox set's roof could be collapsed and lowered in just 30 seconds after the pregame show concluded and before first pitch of the All-Star Game.
With the ModTruss technology, two center columns are all that is needed to support the weight, and it's hydraulically driven, explained Filmwerks Lead Field Technician Curtis Voigt. It ends up being a pretty simple process to lower it, and the whole set just comes right down.
Filmwerks also provided MLB Network's primary set on the field and secondary set on the concourse level. The primary set has become a staple for the network and resides on a motorized cart to allow a quick strike 30 minutes before first pitch of the Derby and the All-Star Game. As a result, MLB Network is capable of getting the entire set off the field in just five minutes.
It's a fully automated, self-propelled set that we developed over the past couple of years to assist in getting us off the field quicker, because we only have about seven minutes [between pregame show and game start], said Voigt. So we figured, if we could get it to drive with one person, instead of having everybody push it, we can speed up and have other people helping strike to make the process go a little quicker. We're always looking for anything we can do to make it easier and keep improving, and we've done that this year.
Fletcher Sports
Fletcher robotic and high-speed camera are always a fixture at the All-Star festivities, and this year was no different. The rental company provided four robos for Fox's All-Star Game telecast and nine to ESPN for the Home Run Derby.
ESPN used a Grass Valley LDX 6X super-slo-mo as a robotic for the first time at the Derby just in front of home plate.
Chief among these systems was the debut of a Grass Valley LDX 6X slo-mo camera in a box-camera robotic configuration. The system was positioned directly in front of the hitter for ESPN's Home Run Derby coverage and served as the mid-home backstop camera for Fox's All-Star coverage.
This is the same camera head that's in the LDX 6X handheld, but now it's a box-ca
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This week's MLB All-Star Game in San Diego once again provided a showcase for the most cutting-edge production tools and tech toys the industry has to offer. Tech vendors turned out in droves at Petco Park to provide remote-production facilities, studio sets, specialty cameras, audio technology, virtual graphics, redundant power, and much more to Fox Sports, ESPN, MLB Network, and other broadcasters covering the festivities. Here is Part 1 of a brief look at some of some of the specialty cameras, graphics, and studio sets deployed at MLB All-Star 2016. CLICK HERE for Part 2, which goes inside the trucks and vendors at the production compound.
