At the Ballpark: DBTV Productions Uses Chase Field as Testing Ground for New In-Venue Approach
27/08/2020
Wednesday, August 26, 2020 - 10:18 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Although Major League Baseball is continuing with a 60-game regular season, the pulse of what makes professional baseball exciting remains at home. In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 30 in-venue departments are forging ahead with operations inside empty stadiums. SVG's At the Ballpark series takes you behind the control-room door and examines what it's like to produce a fan-less venue experience in 2020.
At one full month into the 2020 MLB season, the immense technological progress that has been made is the result of an arduous planning process. Ideas like fake crowd noise were developed prior to the season's beginning, and Chase Field, home to the Arizona Diamondbacks, was first to experiment with these new workflows.
MORE AT THE BALLPARK INTERVIEWS:
Minnesota Twins Infuse Personal Touches in Player-Centric Videoboard Production
Tampa Bay Rays Integrate Social-Media Content, Fan Videos on Tropicana Field Videoboards
Cincinnati Reds Use Unique Season To Learn New HDR Videoboard
Detroit Tigers Focus on Fan Engagement, Rely on Scrimmages for In-Venue Strategy
Mariners Productions Keeps Players, Onsite Staff on Schedule With In-Venue Routine at T-Mobile Park
New York Mets' In-Venue Show Entertains Players On-Field
Before the regular season started, we were contacted by Major League Baseball to see if we would be the venue to test out crowd sound and virtual fans for the national games on Fox, says Rob Weinheimer, VP, DBTV Productions and Game Operations, Arizona Diamondbacks. For a week, the league came into our ballpark and experimented with various systems that are being used throughout all of the stadiums.
Sounds From Chase Field: Ballpark Becomes the Lab for Fabricated Crowd Noise Rob Weinheimer (left) and PA announcer Chuck Drago in the booth at the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase field
Fake crowd noise has become commonplace within all 30 ballparks, but not many could say that a majority of the prepackaged sounds on an iPad supplied by MLB were recorded from the Diamondbacks' fanbase. In Weinheimer's case, he has some bragging rights over others in the industry.
The iPad has a very nice user interface and is loaded with sound effects, he says. These sound effects are originally from the videogame MLB The Show, and I learned that the majority of the sounds were recorded at our stadium during the 2017 season. It might be the only stadium that has our actual fans cheering, which is pretty cool.
A lot has changed at Chase Field: workers are subject to temperature checks and COVID-19 questionnaires before arriving and when entering the building, the tiering system is still blocking crews from certain areas (Weinheimer and other staffers work from home on non-game days), and safety protocols have affected the layout of the control room. Even with all these differences, the utter silence without fans is one of the biggest that both players and in-venue teams are dealing with.
One of the two main goals that I want to achieve this season is re-creating an atmosphere for the players and coaches on the field that resembles a [live] game, says Weinheimer. When we spoke with the players and asked them what the strangest thing about the season will be, they didn't say the COVID-19 changes or the shortened season but playing without fans. The players want more energy, so we've tried to make [the ballpark] more electric than we had originally planned.
Like the Tampa Bay Rays' Tropicana Field, Chase Field is an enclosed dome. With that in mind, the physical structure of the building is a factor in the pushing out proper audio levels.
All I can do is try to make it sound good in the ballpark, he says. It's up to the broadcaster [Fox Sports Arizona] and specifically their audio crew to take what I'm putting out there for their effects mics and set the level that accommodates the people at home.
Evolving Strategy: Environment Improves With Open Communication Inside a domed stadium, producing crowd noise is about finding the sweet spot for both the players and the fans watching at home.
Having the responsibility of producing fake crowd noise has almost become an entirely separate show that needs to be produced. When visual elements come into the mix, DBTV Productions is still doing its best to iron out any issues by communicating openly with colleagues.
I've approached anybody and everybody for help and feedback, says Weinheimer, but it's tough because every ballpark is different in terms of their shape, audio system, and where the speakers are facing. We've changed a lot since the first time we used the crowd noise. For example, we have these monstrous speakers out in centerfield that provide the sound for the whole bowl, but I'm not using those speakers for crowd sound. I'm using my field speakers around the bowl to try to make it sound like the sound is coming from the crowd.
With more information and advice, the production can become even better. It's ever-changing and a continuous work-in-progress, and the whole crew understands that Opening Day and the final game of the year may look drastically different.
We knew going into the season that it was going to be trial and error all of the way through, he adds. I'm sure that my show at the end of September is going to be different than how my show looks now.
Curtain Call: Saluting the Crew of DBTV Productions A look inside the DBTV Productions control room at Chase Field
As with any team in professional sports, it takes more than one individu
LINK: | https://www.sportsvideo.org/2020/08/26/at-the-ballpark-dbtv-production... |
See more stories from svg |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
03/05/2024
Fubo, Dish, DirecTV & Others Urge Congress to Probe New Sports Streaming JV
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
Brightcove Integrates AWS-Powered Generative AI Solution
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
CBS Claims 16th Straight Prime Time Viewing Title
NEW YORK CBS has declared that it will finish the 2023-24 season as Americas Most-Watched Network in primetime for the 16th consecutive season....
03/05/2024
Survey: U.S. Business and Consumers Plan to Increase Tech Spending
A new survey indicates that U.S. businesses and consumers had an overall positive attitude towards their technology spending plans in the first quarter of 2024,...
03/05/2024
Sony, Apollo Make $26B Bid for Paramount
Sony and Apollo Global Management have sent an offer letter to Paramount Global's board of directors making an $26 billion all cash offer for Paramount Glob...
03/05/2024
EMG / Gravity Media Grow Executive Team
EMG / Gravity Media has appointed Charlie Cubbon chief operating officer (COO) and Jamie Hindhaugh regional CEO for the U.K., U.S., Australia and the Middle Eas...
03/05/2024
WRAL-TV Brain Game Producer Randy Mews Wraps Season Taping Before Retirement
Final 2024 Season Games to Air Saturdays on WRAL at 10:30am in May, Championship on June 1 Taping for the final episodes of the 2024 season of WRAL-TV's Br...
03/05/2024
Estrella MediaCo Launches FAST Channels With Curiosity (NewFronts)
Estrella MediaCo said it is expanding its connected TV portfolio by launching three new channels with Curiosity that will first appear on Samsung TV Plus....
03/05/2024
SAG-AFTRA Will Use Nielsen Streaming Data To Enforce New Contract Terms
Nielsen said that actors' union SAG-AFTRA has selected Nielsen as its third-party provider of streaming content measurement....
03/05/2024
Cineverse Moves AI Content Search Tool cineSearch Into Public Beta
Cineverse said it has released a public beta version of cineSearch, its artificial intelligence-based system designed to help users find content to watch....
03/05/2024
Court TV To Debut Season 2 Of Accomplice To Murder May 5
Court TV said that its series Accomplice to Murder with Vinnie Politan is returning for a second season beginning May 5....
03/05/2024
Paramount Advertising Taps Mastercard, EDO for Attribution
Paramount Advertising said it is working with Mastercard and research and analytics company EDO to measure the impact of advertising campaigns and improve their...
03/05/2024
The Business of TV News: How To Grow Local Programming Without Burning Out Staffers, Viewers
WASHINGTON The panel The Growth of Local Programming happened at The Busines...
03/05/2024
Katz Media Group Names Craig Broitman President
Katz Media Group said that Craig Broitman will become president of the company, succeeding Leo MacCourtney, who announced that he is retiring effective July 1....
03/05/2024
MeTV Toons To Debut This Summer
MeTV Toons, the latest digital broadcast network from Weigel Broadcasting, will debut June 25, Weigel vice chairman Neal Sabin said at a virtual press conferenc...
03/05/2024
May 02, 2024
TIME100 Health list features Scripps Research Executive Vice President Eric Topol New list honors 100 individuals who most influenced global health in 2024. M...
02/05/2024
Reality Slips Away in the Eerie I Saw the TV Glow
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 18: Jane Schoenbrun introduces the 2024 Sundance Film Festival I Saw the TV Glow premiere at the Library Center Theatre in Park City...
02/05/2024
Meet the 10 Hampton University Students Receiving Spotify NextGen's Scholarship
Spotify is committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups, and th...
02/05/2024
Advertisers and Creators Come Together at Our First-Ever Spotify Sparks in London
With more than 600 million users around the world tuned in to Spotify, there'...
02/05/2024
Gear up for the 2024 Cycling Grand Tours on Australia's Home of Cycling, SBS
Gear up for the 2024 Cycling Grand Tours on Australia's Home of Cycling, SBS Media releases All of the rivalry begins with the Giro d'Italia this we...
02/05/2024
New SBS documentary dives into one of Australia's greatest underdog stories of all time!
New SBS documentary dives into one of Australia's greatest underdog stories ...
02/05/2024
Alone Australia cements its place as one of Australia's biggest hits of 2024
Alone Australia cements its place as one of Australia's biggest hits of 2024 2 May, 2024 Media releases Alone Australia has cemented its place as one o...
02/05/2024
The Making of All of Us Strangers
I always like to base my lighting choices in reality, says cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay, SASC. For his recent collaboration with writer-director Andrew Haig...
02/05/2024
Hiltron Introduces Field-Upgradable Motorisation Kit for CPI 2385 Satcom Antenna
Accompanying image shows Hiltron's new HMAM-based field-upgradable motorisation kit for the CPI 2385 satellite communications antenna. Backnang, Germany,...
02/05/2024
Millennium Space Systems Selects L3Harris to Build Space Development Agency Electro-Optical Infrared Payloads
MELBOURNE, Fla., May 2, 2024 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has received a c...
02/05/2024
Samba TV Launches New Generative AI Ad Solution
NEW YORK Samba TV is debuting new capabilities for Samba AI, the company's suite of generative AI technologies. Samba AI's new capabilities provide a re...
02/05/2024
Television Academy Foundation Names Anne Vasquez Executive Director
LOS ANGELES The Television Academy Foundation has announced the appointment of Anne Vasquez as its executive director effective May 13....
02/05/2024
SAG-AFTRA to License Nielsen Streaming Data
NEW YORK SAG-AFTRA has inked a deal with Nielsen to become its third-party provider of streaming content measurement and has announced that it will use the Niel...
02/05/2024
Cineverse Unveils Public Beta of AI-Powered cineSearch
LOS ANGELES Cineverse has debuted cineSearch, its previously announced new content search and discovery service in public Beta....
02/05/2024
Can AI find a way to reduce the broadcast industry's energy consumption?
OpenDrives Trevor Morgan asks if AI has the answer to making data centres for the media and entertainment industry more sustainable By Contributor Published:...
02/05/2024
Bill Baggelaar Asks the Questions: An Unfiltered Look at Media Supply Chain Transformation
Bill Baggelaar Asks the Questions: An Unfiltered Look at Media Supply Chain Tran...
02/05/2024
Two Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards
Two Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions. By...
02/05/2024
Viewers Call Finding New TV Content Frustrating' in Comcast Advertising Report
A majority of viewers 51% said the difficulty in finding new content on TV c...
02/05/2024
Programming Legend Art Moore Retiring After 53 Years With ABC Stations
Art Moore, who headed production of long-running syndicated series, including Live, said he plans to retire in September as VP of programming for WABC New York....
02/05/2024
Nexstar Will Move The CW Affiliation to WGN Chicago
Nexstar Media Group, which owns The CW, said the network's affiliation will be moving to Nexstar-owned WGN Chicago....
02/05/2024
Future Today Puts First Original Shows on Fawesome Channel (NewFronts)
Future Today said that it plans to launch the first original shows on its Fawesome streaming channel....
02/05/2024
Behind the Music' Returns on Paramount Plus
Behind the Music is back on Paramount Plus with new episodes May 1. Those profiled in the season two episodes are Bell Biv DeVoe, Trace Adkins and Wolfgang Van ...
02/05/2024
All American: Homecoming' Returns on The CW July 8
All American: Homecoming starts season three on The CW Monday, July 8, while season two of 61st Street kicks off Monday, July 22....
02/05/2024
Jerry Seinfeld's Pop-Tart Movie Starts on Netflix May 3
Unfrosted, a movie about the race to create a game-changing breakfast pastry, such as, say, the Pop-Tart, debuts on Netflix May 3. Jerry Seinfeld directs, his f...
02/05/2024
Former BT Sport COO Jamie Hindhaugh joins EMG / Gravity Media
Charlie Cubbon has also been appointed chief operating officer By Matthew Corrigan Published: May 2, 2024 Charlie Cubbon has also been appointed chief ope...
02/05/2024
Durable Goods Signs Lionel Coleman
Durable Goods Signs Lionel Coleman Brie Clayton May 2, 2024 0 Comments Durable Goods has signed multi-hyphenate director Lionel Coleman for commercial...
02/05/2024
Hitsujibungaku's Music Video GO!!! Shot by Kyotaro Hayashi with Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K
Hitsujibungaku's Music Video GO!!! Shot by Kyotaro Hayashi with Blackmagic C...
02/05/2024
Diamond Sports RSNs Go Dark On Comcast Systems
Bally Sports Regional Networks were taken off Comcast's systems on April 30 when their existing distribution agreement expired and Diamond Sports Group was ...
02/05/2024
Diamond Sports Group, DirecTV Renew Distribution Deal
SOUTHPORT, Conn. and EL SEGUNDO, Calif. Diamond Sports Group ( Diamond or the Company ) and DirecTV have announced that they have reached a multi-year renewal...
02/05/2024
Three Nexstar Stations to Become CW Affiliates
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group has announced that its owned and operated television stations in Chicago, Illinois (DMA #3), Norfolk, Virginia (DMA #43), and ...
02/05/2024
FCC, FTC Ink Agreement to Cooperate on Net Neutrality Enforcement
WASHINGTON, D.C. The Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate consumer protection ...
02/05/2024
Haivision Celebrates 20th Anniversary
MONTREAL Haivision Systems Inc. is marking its 20th anniversary by detailing some of the accomplishments and developments that have helped the company become a ...
02/05/2024
Agora Introduces Adaptive Video Optimization Technology
SANTA CLARA, Calif. Agora today unveiled its Adaptive Video Optimization (AVO) technology that uses machine learning to adjust parameters dynamically at every s...