Lights...Camera...Automobiles?

In the course of preparing for the season, we have to prepare not only for the action on the field, but for all of the graphics and other elements that we make a part of the show. Thanks to Greg Golya, who you may have seen earlier in the blog here, we can show a little more of the production-side of the business.

The goal was to complete shooting a final scene for the new open for our pregame show of 2008. It will be a part of the Northern Ohio Chrysler Jeep Indians On Deck Open. You will have the opportunity to see this prior to the start of every pregame show that airs on the network. The shot that was being worked on would be composited into a virtual environment which would include Indians highlights and 3D models of Chrysler and Jeep vehicles.

This shoot occurred at the beginning of March. There was a setup day to light and prepare the vehicles. To do this, you would need a rather large facility to house these vehicles. Off to Akron the production team went to Bruce Gates' Art Factory located on Grant Street. And the cars were not the only stars of the day - we added our own Matt Underwood and Rick Manning (who flew up from Florida whilst in the middle of their pre-season duties) and Al Pawloski, who serves as the host for the pre-game show.

The crew for the day consisted of the following folks:
Production Director, Steve Pullen
Director of Photography, David Litz
Greg Golya, Art Director
Gaffer, Danny Wollenberg
Key Grip, Keith Nickoson
Studio Owner and Still Photographer, Bruce Gates
Stylist, Julia McComb (soon to have her own gardening blog on cleveland.com)
Car Detailer, Doug Shaheen (owner of D.E.S. Auto Detailing Services 216-999-9090)

The grip truck arrived with a full load of gear. This includes lighting, electrical, and material used to shield the lighting during the shoot. Here is Danny in the process of unloading a lot of the gear which is taken to the staging area.

The cars have to look perfect on camera. Doug Shaheen is here to make sure that they have that luster for the camera.

Checking out the shot on the set are Steve Pullen and Dave Litz. It will be their job to make sure that the lighting is set for the exact spot the talent interacts with the vehicles. This turned out to be a 2 day shoot for just a small amount of footage which will eventually be used. It is time consuming, but the reward is to be found in the end product - and everyone will take a great deal of pride in their contribution for the shots!

Steve and Dave check a monitor below to make sure that the cars are lining up the way that they want before they are shot.

It's not all work on the set - the guys share a light moment as they prepare themselves for proper placement next to the appropriate vehicle.

Studio owner Bob Gates positions a car for yet another shot in the production.

Keith Nickoson adjusts one of the many flags on the set. These flags keep light from appearing in places on the cars that would cause a glare during the shooting process. Lighting these vehicles takes a long time and can be very difficult. Each small part of a light reflecting off one of the cars can cause a flare or a "hot spot", which means the team has to adjust even more to make sure the lighting is absolutely finished to perfection.

So there it is - just another part of the production that contributes to the look of the show. We are happy to add our new title sponsor for the pregame.....and like you, I cannot wait to see the final product airing during the season. Stay tuned!