Live From MLB at Field of Dreams: Fox Sports Returns to Iowa for Cinematic Feast for the Eyes Drones, cabled cam return as Polecam and RF Sony F5500 join cinematic image-capture lineup By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 1:45 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
That's the mantra that Fox Sports is taking into this second installment of the MLB at Field of Dreams game (Thursday, 7:00 p.m. ET, Fox) from the site of the iconic 1989 film set in a small-town cornfield in Eastern Iowa.
Fox Sports returns to MLB at Field of Dreams on Thursday night with more than 30 cameras prepared to capture and deliver a cinematic viewing experience from the iconic movie site. Among those cameras are this new P50 robo peeking out from the cornfield just off first base.
So much went right for both Fox and Major League Baseball last year in an event that earned Fox the 2022 Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Special. Pleasant weather served as a comfortable backdrop for a wild finish (complete with a walk-off home run). That being said, a lot of the creative choices that both entities made put them in a position to succeed: from the sprawling corn stalk-filled outfield to the cinematic aerial shots and the memorable pregame ceremony.
There's a new story to tell - one more focused on the nostalgia of old-time baseball - this time around, but, in terms of the production and operations plans, here in Dyersville, there's a lot that's familiar.
I think that we and MLB got a lot of things right last time and, obviously, we got very lucky, says Michael Davies, SVP, field operations, Fox Sports. We got lucky with the game's moments. We got lucky with the weather. It was all fantastic. Because there was so much that we got right, we didn't need to change a whole lot in terms of the coverage, and, for that reason, we didn't.
Sony F5500 Goes Handheld; Polecam Joins Storytelling Arsenal Were there lessons learned from 2021? Were there opportunistic tweaks made to improve this year's production? Of course.
This year's truck compound is bigger and uses the available space more sensibly; Game Creek Video Encore and 79 trucks made the trip after supporting the broadcaster's work at All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
Some tweaks were made to the camera lineup as well to give more cinema-style images. Also, certain cameras were repositioned because the corn stalks at the venue are about 3 ft. shorter than they were a year ago.
The game production features more than 30 cameras, including four super-slo-mos shooting at 6X. Additions include an RF Polecam in the outfield and the Sony F5500, which, for the first time on a Fox show, will be used as an RF handheld.
The 2022 MLB at Field of Dreams game pits the Chicago Cubs against the Cincinnati Reds at a custom-built field in Dyersville, IA, on the site of the 1989 movie.
Last year, Fox Sports erected a tower camera, similar to those used on a golf production, in the outfield, but wind issues and a lack of flexibility in what the camera could capture led production and ops to scrap that and go with the Polecam this time around. With the shorter cornstalks, Fox expects to use that unit more liberally for establishing shots coming in or out of breaks.
As for the F5500, a 4K-capable camera system unveiled by Sony last October, the MLB on Fox team has been finding ways to work the system into different locations to give a cinematic shallow-depth-of-field look to traditional broadcast-camera positions. At the MLB All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, the crew got great shots from it as a hard camera on the first-base line. The MLB at Field of Dreams game marks the first time that Fox will try the system as a roving RF handheld.
Much like the MLB All-Star Game in Los Angeles, this show was a fully Canon show as it pertained to the lineup of lenses. Sprinkled throughout the park were the DIGISUPER 122x, DIGISUPER 111x, DIGISUPER 95x, DIGISUPER 22x, and the CINE-SERVO 17-120mm.
MORE: Live From MLB at Field of Dreams: Fox Sports' Studio Crew Lowers Outfield Set To Show Off the Cornfield
The tech-productions team - headed by Lead Technical Producer Tom Lynch and anchored by Sid Drexler, Brian Obert, and Taihe Miller - is deploying two of its signature Dirtcams, this time adding one in the pitching mound to accompany their consistent look just off home plate. There are also looks from Dreamchip cameras in each bullpen as well as a robo peeking out of the corn just off first base.
We have a lot of ability to continue to tell this game's story as a movie, says Brad Cheney, VP, field operations and engineering, Fox Sports, who is working with Director, Field Operations, Francisco Paco Contreras on this year's engineering plans. To be able to pull yourself back and forth between the cinematic and venue within the game itself is great.
Aerial Imagery Reclaims Its Star Status One of the stars of last year's show was the aerial imagery. With a fixed-wing plane (provided by Winged Vision), a small fleet of drones (Beverly Hills Aerials), and a two-point cabled camera system stretching more than 1,400 ft. (FlyCam), Fox Sports essentially had three tiers of aerials, always keeping the venue visuals fresh and captivating throughout the broadcast.
This year, Beverly Hills Aerials has expanded its drone lineup for the show to four: two heavy-lift drones outfitted with Red Komodo 6K cameras; an FPV drone for faster, more nimble shots; and the super-compact Bumble Bee drone that was used for safe flying over the action during the USFL season.
According to Beverly Hills Aerials Chief Pilot Michael Izquierdo, these drones get more flight time through battery life than last year's, giving the pilots more freedom to explore for new, captivat
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
28/01/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in partnership with the Oudtshoorn Municipality, invites aspiring and emerging filmmakers to apply for the Sediba...
28/01/2026
As demand for more complex live sports coverage grows, Balkan broadcast specialist MVP has upgraded its flagship HD1 progressive OB truck with the installation ...
28/01/2026
Airlines, cruise and tour operators double down on ad spend as Australians' prioritise travel
Sydney January 28, 2026 - New Nielsen Ad Intel data shows a...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Marshall Electronics launches the CV420-27X, its next-generation ultra-high-definition (UHD) IP camera, at ISE 2026 (Stand 4N900). Engineered for modern IP-base...
28/01/2026
Grass Valley has announced that Television Mobiles Ltd. (TVM), one of Europe's leading independent outside broadcast providers, has carried out a major refu...
28/01/2026
AI, graphics and virtual software power new production capabilities
FOR-A is bringing remarkable new technologies to FOMEX, the Future of Media Exhibition (ex...
28/01/2026
Continuing a longstanding collaboration, Riedel Communications and Nordic media technology company Media Tailor have once again joined forces to deliver a state...
28/01/2026
Pebble has appointed Paul Nagle-Smith as vice president for customer fulfilment, strengthening its senior leadership focus on customer delivery and operational ...
28/01/2026
Cloud playout solutions provider, Veset has announced that leading Mexican broadcaster, TV Azteca is using Veset Nimbus on AWS as a disaster recovery (DR) playo...
28/01/2026
Ensuring it can keep pace with a rapidly evolving live sports market, Balkan broadcast facility provider MVP Most Valuable Production has upgraded its flags...
28/01/2026
Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cloud solutions provider that powers and protects life online, and Yospace, the leader in dynamic ad insertion tec...
28/01/2026
The renowned Reykjavik City Theatre (RCT) recently underwent a major intercom system upgrade using Clear-Com solutions. This milestone project utilizes Clear-C...
28/01/2026
Luxembourg, January 26, 2026 - SES S.A. ( SES or the Company ), a leading space solutions company, acknowledges the credit rating action announced by Fitch to...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
28 01 2026 - Media release Screen Australia refreshes Market & Audience approach...
28/01/2026
Boston Conservatory Orchestra Premieres a New Piano Concerto by Peter and Leonar...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
The Wait Is Over: Teaser Trailer Drops for Jo Nesbo's Dete...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Announces a Fictional Miniseries Inspired by the Marta del Castillo Case
Entertainment
28 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to ...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Announces Santiago Mitres New Film Starring Ver nica L...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the Teaser Trailer for Berlin and the Lady wit...
28/01/2026
Stadtwerke Wolfhagen Modernize Customer Management with AEP.energysuite from Arv...
27/01/2026
Click for Japanese version
Tokyo, Japan - January 27, 2026 - Akamai Technolo...
27/01/2026
L-R: Jonathan Cuchacovich, Sonia Kennebeck, Alan Fischer, Daeil Kim, Andrew Sta...
27/01/2026
Today, Spotify is proud to support our partner Backline, an industry-leading men...
27/01/2026
With nearly 29 million monthly listeners and clear momentum on Spotify, Net n Ve...
27/01/2026
January 14, 2026
We are proud to share that 25 Ontario, First Gulf's commercial project located just two minutes from our head office, has been recognized ...
27/01/2026
January 22, 2026
First Gulf is excited to share that a full-building lease has been secured at 625 Bronte Rd in Oakville, part of Bronte Station Business Park,...
27/01/2026
January 23, 2026
First Gulf continues to demonstrate its commitment to high-performance, sustainable real estate with 351 King Street East achieving BOMA BEST ...
27/01/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
27/01/2026
Nielsen will continue to drive growth and provide local audience measurement
in...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Amagi Media Labs Limited, the only cloud-native SaaS provider offering end-to-end solutions across live production, content preparation, distribution, and monet...
27/01/2026
Miri Technologies Inc. today unveiled its V410 live 4K video encoder/decoder for streaming, IP-based production workflows and AV-over-IP distribution. Designed ...
27/01/2026
The Paul E. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell in Massachusetts has chosen Ikegami cameras for incorporation into its broadcast-quality television production facili...
27/01/2026
SipRadius, specialists in secure, low latency media transport, will show the pro AV community its end-to-end solution for high quality content distribution and ...
27/01/2026
Hiltron will highlight the fruits of its 45-plus years of experience in satellite communications system integration and product development at the annual GovSat...
27/01/2026
Klvr will demonstrate how its Charger Pro solution is delivering cost reduction and performance benefits for live entertainment and pro AV markets at ISE 2026 (...
27/01/2026
Amino, a global media technology leader in enterprise video and digital signage, today announced that its Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 booth (4N700) wil...
27/01/2026
ANI, India's leading news agency and a major content provider across the Asia Pacific region, today announced a significant expansion of its long standing p...
Live From MLB at Field of Dreams: Fox Sports Returns to Iowa for Cinematic Feast for the Eyes Drones, cabled cam return as Polecam and RF Sony F5500 join cinematic image-capture lineup By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
