Women's College World Series 2024: ESPN's Production a Specialty-Camera Softball Spectacular Megalodon debuts; drone, RailCam, and two-point SupraCam bolster the imagery in OKC By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital Thursday, June 6, 2024 - 3:07 pm
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If you are a sports-production professional, ESPN's presentation of the NCAA Women's College World Series is one of those events for which you come for the coverage and end up staying for the softball. Or maybe it's the other way around? Either way, this is an event that cemented its place as a must-see on the sports calendar long ago and continues to grow as a broadcast spectacle.
An on-field Megalodon is making its debut at ESPN's coverage of the 2024 NCAA Women's College World Series. Here, camera operator Clay Loveless follows Oklahoma's Jayda Coleman after a home run. (Photo: Joshua R. Gateley/ESPN Images)
This year's edition is loaded with exciting production tools. Among the approximate 45 cameras in the plan are the debut of the popular Megalodon (an on-field handheld camera on a gimbal shooting in shallow depth of field) as well as the return of a live drone, a 90-ft.-long RailCam affixed to the left-centerfield wall, a two-point cabled aerial camera above the third-base line, UmpCam in the mask of the home-plate umpire, and microphones on all umpires.
It wasn't that long ago that we were just one production truck up on the hill with a six-camera show, says Meg Aronowitz, SVP, production, ESPN. Our crew of 30 has grown to over 240 credentialed people on our team. The enthusiasm and energy around women's sports have only heightened the excitement for our coverage of this event. ESPN is all-in on the Women's College World Series, and you will see us pull out all the stops.
Like a Kid in a (Production) Candy Store Oklahoma drew first blood with a Game 1 victory over Texas on Wednesday night in a Red River Rivalry best-of-three WCWS Finals inside OGE Energy at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. Game 2 is set for tonight, with an if necessary Game 3 slated for Friday evening.
UmpCam is one of the marquee tech enhancements at ESPN's coverage of the 2024 NCAA Women's College World Series. (Photo: Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)
After getting under way with a bang a week ago, the Finals have been a daily fixture across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPN+. ESPN's effort is comprehensive, comprising live game coverage, an onsite studio set, and additional presence in the form of shoulder programming at both the ACC Network and the SEC Network.
Game broadcasts, which are produced and delivered in 1080p, are handled with a bunch of tech toys designed to both tell a better story of the game itself and offer cinematic illustrations of the special scenes that make this a bucket-list sports event.
The freshman on the diamond is the Megalodon, which has largely been focused on capturing images on the field, with increased access - approved by the NCAA - to team space. The Megalodon, a Sony FX3 on a gimbal, is operated at this event by Clay Loveless, who runs a similar system on Monday Night Football.
The Megalodon has been the most impactful addition to our coverage this year, says Aronowitz, a 23-year veteran of ESPN. Clay has added so much value with his rig on our coverage.
ESPN SVP, Production, Meg Aronowitz (left) with Beth Mowins, who is calling play-by-play at the NCAA Women's College World Series for the 30th year. (Photo: Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)
Loveless has the ability to roam into the dugouts and can go onto the field during dead-ball situations and to track a base runner following a home run.
It is like two cameras in one, says Aronowitz, because we take it live and also feed incredible high-frame-rate video for bumps and edits.
A live drone is provided by New York City-based aerial-camera supplier Xizmo Media. It is operated by pilot Pablo Barrera with an assist from technician Edward Kostakis.
While it does not shoot live action, says Aronowitz, it provides an incredible sense of place around the venue for live in our cut pattern. We do not fly over people, so it does not fly over the stands. We'll sometimes fly on the field to begin or end an inning while the ball is dead.
WHEN you build it, they will come. #wcws is so epic pic.twitter.com/Gq1W0LG5XO
- Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) June 6, 2024
Aronowitz also confirmed that her team is working directly with the Federal Aviation Administration, the NCAA, and Oklahoma City authorities to ensure that all flight paths are approved in advance.
A RailCam is erected along the top of the outfield wall extending about 90 ft. from left field to centerfield. It's regularly in motion and adds depth and perspective on the speed at which action occurs in the outfield on flyballs and home runs.
The following highlight clip is a great example of how production elements like the Megalodon, SupraCam, and RailCam provide unique visuals in live and replay:
ANOTHER ONE #WCWS x ESPN / @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/w18P0eic6T
- NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 6, 2024
UmpCam, meanwhile, offers an angle that many viewers of softball and baseball have become quite accustomed to over the years. Its first-person view is far more impactful these days, with improved image quality giving the viewer at home the sense of what it's like to be in the batter's box.
All in all, an impressive array of production tools serve up exciting depth to the images cut by the front bench, led by Coordinating Producer Nick Rud, producer Kerry Callahan, and director Anthony DeMarco. (Earlier in the World Series, in another front-bench pairing, producer Seth Miller and director Mike Griffin handled day games.)
I am a firm believer in not adding technology just for the
