One of the most enjoyable aspects of this profession is witnessing a great piece of work by a member of the crew.
A Producer may develop a storyline and enhance that theme with a wonderful mix of audio and video that will summon an impressive, emotional response.
A Director may increase the value of a shot sequence using tight shots and quick cuts to heighten the intensity of the situation.
A tape operator may edit an exciting video sequence that tells a great story in pictures. An audio engineer may capture a particular “sound of the game” that will enhance the video and create a memorable moment.
The use of insightful graphics from the operator will definitely help increase the importance of a game situation.
The score box operator, through the use of pitch count or pitch speed drop-downs will certainly add importance to a game situation.
Indeed, every member of the baseball TV crew, with maximum effort, can enhance the viewing experience.
Perhaps there is no position on a Major League baseball television crew that will have more opportunities to create a memory than the camera operator.
Each camera operator will have specific camera responsibilities. There are batter responsibilities, there are runner responsibilities, pitcher responsibilities, “follow the ball” responsibilities, and iso responsibilities (iso means find the subject of the shot and stay with it – isolate it)
The dependability of the camera operator is the single most important factor in establishing what every TV baseball Director strives for – a good flow to the show.
While it is true that every camera position has its own particular responsibility, I believe that the most important responsibility for every camera operator is to “GET THE BEST SHOT.”
The best camera operators in the country all have a special “feel” for their position. A baseball camera operator will rarely say, “I am a TV baseball camera operator”. A TV baseball camera operator will say, “I run the centerfield camera”, or “the first-base dugout camera”, or “the high home camera”, etc.) A TV baseball camera operator will always tell you which camera he or she runs. Each TV baseball camera position, being in a different location, has different responsibilities, and thus, will require a “different” type of camera operation. There is a different “feel” to be found at each position.
During last night’s telecast, the members of our crew and our viewing audience witnessed not one but two examples of a camera operator “feeling” his position and capturing a memory.
Our centerfield camera operator, by feeling the moment, captured two fantastic shots that will go down as two of the best memorable shots of the year.
Responsibilities for the centerfield camera (camera 4) are:
Follow the pitch with the pitcher, batter, catcher, and umpire in the shot.
When the ball is hit, follow the batter out of the box, wait for your tally light to go off, (the tally light is a red light in the viewfinder that alerts the camera operator that the shot is “on the air’) and then shag (follow) the ball.
If the ball is hit up the middle, immediately shag the ball.
(There are also framing responsibilities with the centerfield camera operator which may be the subject of a future blog)
The first memory occurred late in the game. The centerfield camera operator was shooting a pitch. The ball was lined directly back at the pitcher just missing his head. The camera operator, instead of following his usual camera responsibility of following the ball hit up the middle, stayed with the pitcher. The hard hit ball came so close to the pitcher’s head during his follow through that he crashed to the ground like he had been shot.
The final out of the game was another great example of a camera operator “feeling” a shot. Again, it was our centerfield camera operator who came through with the memorable shot.
The score was 3-2
The bases were loaded.
There were two outs.
A star player for the Cardinals was at the plate.
The Pirates’ “closer” was on the mound.
Our graphics operator called up a statistic that showed the batter with a great deal of success against the pitcher.
The pitch was thrown, the ball was popped up to the third baseman, and the game was over.
The centerfield camera operator, instead of following his “usual” responsibility of following the batter out of the batter’s box, stayed with the pitcher.
When the final out was made and the game was over, this pitcher’s emotional reaction was perfectly covered by our alert centerfield camera operator.
This wonderful player reaction and the reaction of our centerfield camera operator on the ball smashed back at the pitcher were great shots that told a story by the video alone.
These memorable shots were only achieved because one of our fellow crew members “felt” the moment and captured it.