Live From MLB All-Star 2021: Fox Sports To Spotlight 91st Midsummer Classic With 4K HDR, Dual Megalodons and FlyCams, Offsite Help From the Vault The production will also comprise 75 field microphones, in-game interviews By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor Tuesday, July 13, 2021 - 2:28 pm
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Whether it's the star-studded roster of players or the fact that this game was missing from the MLB calendar last year, the 2021 MLB All-Star Game will be one of the more highly anticipated exhibitions in recent memory. Fox Sports will once again be at the center of this crown-jewel event, with 65 cameras (including two Megalodons and two FlyCams), 4K HDR workflows, a crowded truck compound, and offsite resources from the Vault in Los Angeles.
A show like the MLB All-Star Game is always a huge team effort, says Mike Davies, SVP, technical and field operations, Fox Sports. This will be one of the bigger onsite shows that we've had [in quite some time].
Change in Location: Planning Offsets the Sudden Shift to Denver Soon after the beginning of the season in April, Fox Sports was ready to go full bore with new technologies and workflows developed during the pandemic. Unfortunately, when Major League Baseball decided to move this year's All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver, the broadcaster faced a bevy of production and logistical challenges. Adapting on the fly and making important decisions quickly, Fox Sports shifted to a new production plan.
The team that we have out here have done a remarkable job with planning within a short period of time, says Francisco Contreras, director, field operations, Fox Sports. We started in May, so we didn't have a lot of time to prepare.
The operations team installs a microphone in the grass.
A lot of the trouble was mitigated by physically traveling to Denver to check out Coors Field. With so many production elements happening at once, it was imperative to construct a foundation that set the crew up for success.
We had a total of three site visits [in Denver], says Tom Lynch, lead tech producer, Fox Sports. We try to push the idea that we're going to be extremely organized for our shows.
Fox Sports used this trio of site visits to plot out their camera map as well as to work with local and state officials to solidify a COVID-19 safety plan for employees in the compound.
The challenge with any All-Star Game is finding those special camera spots and where we'll be able to best showcase the ballpark we're in, says Brad Cheney, VP, field operations and engineering, Fox Sports. We worked within a condensed timeline and with ever-changing operational awareness from the state and the league.
Tech Additions: Pair of Megalodons, FlyCams Promise Engaging Shots from Coors Field Dual Megalodons will capture cinematic shots of players on the field and fans in the stands.
Shallow-depth-of-field cameras have taken the sports world by storm, deployed at almost every sports event since their introduction last December. Fox Sports calls its rig Megalodon and tonight will deploy two simultaneous systems. One, a Sony 1, will work on the field to capture the customary images of the players. The other, featuring a Sony A7R IV with a Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens and DJI Ronin-S gimbal, will be used in a relatively new capacity within the crowd and concourse to show cinematic shots of the surrounding areas.
We want to show off the game's pageantry, and, while we won't use these Megalodons for every single shot, we find that they're really good for certain situations, like player introductions, says Davies. We also think that the second one can get a really cool Fan Cam out in the stands.
Above the field, Fox Sports will debut two FlyCam systems: one traversing the foul line on the first-base side from home plate to the right-field foul pole, the other covering the other side of the field. These aerial systems will feature a Sony HDC-P50.
Dual FlyCams is something that we haven't done at an All-Star Game, notes Contreras. We had it for last year's postseason, but we figured we could try it out here in Denver.
CP Communications will be handling the RF needs for the Megalodons, FlyCam, other handhelds around the stadium as well as the wired POV cameras in the batting cages. The company's crew of 23 onsite staffers, located in their HD-21 mobile unit, is also being tapped for connectivity for Fox Sports slate of studio programming at Coors Field and the main game broadcast.
Best of the Rest: 50 1080p HDR Cams, RF M VI, Virtual Eye Two FlyCam systems will soar above the field.
Although the two Megalodons may steal the tech headlines, there are other gems sprinkled around the 65-camera show. At the top of the list is the broadcaster's presentation of Tuesday night's contest in 4K HDR. A total of 50 cameras will be set at 1080p HDR, including the Megalodons, FlyCams, a Sony HDC-P50 on an RF M VI camera rig, and another RF handheld.
We want to deliver a state-of-the-art type of signal and make sure the audience that's getting SDR is getting a great product as well, says Davies. We have a pretty good system; it's not the science experiment it used to be several years ago.
The rest of the cameras inside the venue also bring significant firepower to the linear broadcast. Ten super-slow-motion cameras operating at 360 fps and two Phantom cameras at 2,000 fps will be located at the high-home and low-third-base positions. Fletcher will be on deck for robotic cameras. On the graphics side, Fox Sports is bringing back its Virtual Eye package for colorful and insightful displays of home runs, spray charts, and pitch types.
We've got a new tracking experience that rivals what you've seen in other sports, says Cheney. We're ex
