Yesterday was our first telecast of the 2007 regular season.
During the pre-game ceremony, the club received their 2006 World Series Championship rings. We covered the ceremony in our one hour pre-game show. The hour pre-game show included some well produced videos documenting the value of the championship ring to each individual player.
We were able to utilize video from the ring ceremony in the game telecast as well. Our open billboard segment used the ceremony as a background and aspects of the ceremony were revisited throughout the telecast. This was a perfect example of following a developed theme throughout the telecast.
As I have stated in earlier blogs, this season we will be using a roving handheld camera throughout the telecast to try a capture the “flavor” of the ballpark during a game. Last night’s telecast was the first attempt at this venture in our home ballpark.
We utilized two different drops last night. The first area was in the left field pavilion and the second was in the upper deck near the right field corner. Both areas captured the “flavor” of the ballpark experience. Shots of fans in the concourse, game action from the fans perspective, concession and souvenir stands, vendors, families, and small children enjoying the game all added to the quality of the telecast. There are three additional drops in the ballpark that we will use throughout the season: the main entrance, mid first base line and right field. We will mix up the locations during the season.
Our camera operator really understood the philosophy of what we were looking for in that camera and did a great job of finding and selling shots throughout the game.
There is a delicate balance between covering a game on and off the field. While we acknowledge that the action on the field takes precedence over the scene at the ballpark, a measured balance of both aspects can really enhance a telecast.
I remember when I did my first baseball game twenty six years ago, it was the TV production team’s goal to “put the viewer in the ballpark”. This philosophy later evolved into “putting the viewer on the field”. Now, I believe, a proper mix of putting the viewer “in the ballpark” and “on the field” really enhances the viewing experience and entertains the viewer more than anything we do on a telecast. Today, I think this is the goal of most TV baseball production teams.
Each and every Major League Baseball TV production team has two primary responsibilities.
One: Attract and keep viewers.
Two: Sell tickets.
The game “coverage” will attract and keep viewers. It is the crisp shots and the memorable replays that the viewer talks about the next day. The most memorable replays are rarely the first or second angle. It is the third, fourth, or even the fifth “look” that create that special “moment” in a telecast. These “moments” are the result of teamwork from the whole TV crew. The camera operator “feels” and finds that memorable shot, the replay operator cues up the ‘rare” look, the audio engineer mixes the crack of the bat with the roar of the crowd, the graphics operator sets up a moment with an insightful statistic, the Producer calls an immediate replay sequence, and the Director cuts the “moment.” Not every game will provide a memorable moment, but when a particular moment occurs and it is captured by the TV team it can be very rewarding – both to the viewer and the crew in the truck. Searching for the “moments” is what proves to be very exciting for the TV team and finding these moments helps attract and keep viewers.
By showing the excitement on the field and capturing the flavor of the ballpark, the TV production team is hopeful that the viewer will feel the need to actually go to a game and experience the excitement. While it may be true that the best way to sell tickets is to win ballgames, the television product should enhance the experience at the ball park to the utmost degree.
I believe that every Major League baseball team should televise each and every one of their games.
By capturing the “flavor” of the ballpark, and providing memorable “game coverage”, the TV production team fulfills their primary responsibilities – it attracts and keeps viewers, and it sells tickets.