Live From Women's College World Series: ESPN Fields Full Onsite Production for Postseason Edition of Red River Rivalry A team of 230 staffers is on hand for the 41-camera show By Kristian Hern ndez, Associate Editor Thursday, June 9, 2022 - 11:40 am
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The Oklahoma Sooners ran away with Game 1 of the Women's College World Series (WCWS) Championship, but there's always a chance for the underdog Texas Longhorns to make their mark in the final two games. At the center of the action, ESPN is taking over USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium with an impressive tech arsenal, a bigger onsite presence, and an increased fervor to produce the best three-game series possible.
We've made it past all 14 games of the tournament, so we've worked out all the kinks, says Meg Aronowitz, VP, production, ESPN. We're ready to bring maximum excitement to this Championship Series.
Additions to the Lineup: Technocrane, RF Drone Offer Stellar Aerial Views A Technocrane has replaced the jib on the concourse for the Women's College World Series.
Positive momentum has helped ESPN implement new and improved technologies for the nine-day-long competition. Inspired by the importance of the Championship Series, the broadcaster has exchanged its standard jib camera for an ultra-extended Technocrane. Positioned at the concourse level near home plate, the system fulfills multiple broadcast needs, providing elevated and sweeping angles on the left side of the field as well as filling potential holes in the aerial coverage. It has also become a helpful tool after the completion of the upper deck at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.
The arm can go up to 45-50 ft. in length, so it can get a lot of crowd reactions up in the upper deck, says Thomas Mitchell, senior operations manager, ESPN. We've also used it as our mid-third shot for color and game coverage.
Higher than this massive structure, a drone is once again taking to the skies above the venue. Deploying an RF version of the device, the broadcaster tapped the services of New York City-based Xizmo Media Productions for this year's tournament final. Last year, ESPN went with an internally driven drone operated via bonded cellular. With positive feedback from the viewing audience, the crew is not using a fixed-wing plane to avoid redundancies.
High in the sky, an RF drone captures scenic shots of USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.
The RF drone has given us some of the most dramatic and stunning shots of the tournament, says Aronowitz. We've gotten a lot more out of that than we thought possible.
In the Thick of the Action: Two-Point Cable Cam Travels Above the Left-Field Line Having turned heads during the 2021 WCWS, Cable Cam has returned to the production. Provided by Supracam, the two-point system runs from the backstop above the press box, down the stands, and past the foul pole along the left-field line.
Since its inception, the camera has added an extra layer to the broadcast. It has slowly become the star of the show and is used for a fair number of aerial replays, but the camera can be a sitting duck in a sport where balls fly off bats at high speed. The Cable Cam fell victim during Texas's 7-2 loss to Oklahoma in the opening round on Saturday. With one out in the bottom of the first, senior Mary Iakopo hit a pitch foul to the left side into the stands, and her line drive smacked the idle Cable Cam square in the lens. As always with live production, the ability to adjust mixed with luck goes a long way.
The Cable Cam, provided by Supracam, covers the left side of the field.
There was a jam on a focal part of the lens, says Mitchell. One of our technicians went up to the roof [of the press box] to check out the camera, found out that the lens basically got locked but didn't shatter. We realized that we had a spare lens in the truck that would work, so they swapped it out within the course of an inning, and we were back to using it at full capacity extremely quickly.
Cameras in the Clubhouse: Rail Cam, UmpCam, Three Super-Slo-Mos Other notable cameras are part of the production's 41-camera complement. Also returning to the diamond is the Rail Cam past the left-field fence. Outfitted with a Sony HDC-P1, the system runs 80 ft. from left field to center field and is capturing numerous highlights, from hits in the gap to dazzling plays with the leather.
Closer to the infield dirt, UmpCam has been installed on the mask of the home-plate umpire. Supplementing the live broadcast with engaging replays of a behind-the-plate point of view, this wearable device is managed by 3g Wireless.
A Sony HDC-P1 robotic camera is at the heart of the 80-ft.-long Rail Cam.
The remaining camera layout comprises six hard cameras, three super-slo-mo units, 11 robotics, seven Marshall POVs, and a camera that moves from right field to inside the dugout.
All this technology is managed by hardworking production and operations teams. Besides Mitchell and Senior Operations Producer Kevin Wendling, the team includes Walt Disney Co. SVP Chris Calcinari; Director, Remote Production Operations, John LaChance; Director Anthony DeMarco; Senior Video Operator Roger McNally; Remote Graphics Operator Nicole Trimner; and EVS Operator Mike Pelkey.
Down on the Field: Current Pandemic Level Allows Increased Access As the weather gets warmer, the broadcaster has more freedom to move about without worrying about the consequences of COVID-19. Unlike last year, when stringent health and safety restrictions were enforced, the production is flying without hindrances. Without these rules in place, ESPN is bringing back some of the techniques deployed prior to the pandemic. Extra access is also enabled by the NCAA.
ESPN is deploying robotic cameras in the dugout.
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