Squeeze Play....

The Indians played host to the New York Yankees in their second to last game from Chain O' Lakes Park in Winter Haven. The team was expecting a crowd in excess of 9,000 for a ballpark that normally will fit in around 6.000 or so baseball fans. In addition, the YES Network, the TV home of the Yankees, had selected this game to televise alongside the cameras of SportsTime Ohio. During the regular season, no problem...here in this cozy little ballpark.... a problem! We had to try and place cameras in duplicate positions down by the dugout, up in the stands and out in center field in a park where that sort of real estate is hard to come by easily.

Enter into the scene two members of the Indians organization that make things work at spring training camp - from the broadcast corner there is Alex Slemc, and from the sales side is Ryan Lantz. The task fell upon their shoulders to accommodate both telecasts, and the patrons entering the facility, while working with the team in the confines of this cozier park. Finding nooks and crannies to place cameras, cables, and microphones tested the limits of the available space and opened the door to some creative thinking on the part of the production folks to accomplish their ultimate broadcasting goals.

The cameras in the low positions were right next to each other as normal. But in this park, notice just how close to the stands they are...so close that the New York operator had to sit in the stands to operate his camera so his head would not be obstructing play. As tight as things seem to be here, the field is close to the fans offering them an intimate view of play on the field. That interaction has made this park a fan favorite.






You can see how close the operators are working in relation to the stands and each other. The trick in setting these low cameras was to make sure that the fans had unobstructed views. Ryan and Alex took great pains in planning the position of these cameras to insure the greatest amount of fan visibility. From the truck, both directors realized there would be some limitations but certainly wanted to work with the Tribe and joined in their efforts to make the cameras as inconspicuous as possible.


Meanwhile, over at the truck compound, things are a little tight. There is the basic amount of room for one TV remote unit - and now there are two. From this view looking up the street, not so bad.....









On closer inspection however, notice how close both units are to each other....and imagine the crews loading and unloading gear out of the "belly bays" during the setup period...

Indeed, it was tightly packed, but very workable, and everyone on both crews pitched in to make it so...





Our truck was the closest at the retaining wall as the expando portion folded out toward it away from the other truck...this greatly helped in the flow of traffic between the two units. As I mentioned it took a lot of coordination and our engineers from Lyon Video - Ed Shrider, Troy Flavian, and Tom Sacory - were up to the task.




And as part of our production team, taking time out of their morning while hard at work, are our producers for the 2008 season, Jim Murphy on the left, and Jeff Yakawiak on the right. Both lads have been working not only on the preseason games but the regular season as well....there is plenty to do!





So a big thanks from this corner to everyone involved...it was quite the day - oh and the Indians won....But it's only preseason you say......OK.....whatever.....we still beat the Yankees!

Free HD TV!!!!!....Step inside...

Now that I have your attention - Opening Day is coming from Progressive Field over the next week. And of course, if you do not have a ticket, you will want to catch all the action on WKYC or SportsTime Ohio to see all the action right in your living and have it right in your living room!

So what if you dont have the latest and greatest of TV's to view the game on...you have a chance to win one! I just wanted to take a quick second and promote STO's HD TV Giveaway! You can jump right in and register for your chance to pick up a great TV set and watch the 2008 championship season in HD!

So quit reading here......go......check it out and good luck!

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!

To Uplink or Downlink?...That Is The Question....

Over time I have been asked by folks "How do you send the video back from various locations around the country?". Today, class is in session!

I had posted these pics before but wanted to show them again and talk about what we call an uplink truck. It is a portable unit that provides audio and video from a remote location. You can see from the dish on top of the truck that it can be programmed to be aimed toward the sky. The signal is sent toward space to one of many communication satellites that have been placed along the horizon. And over time, they have been developed for certain phone service and GPS navigation systems. We still use them for our work in television, but more and more we are relying on video fiber lines to provide us with delivery from the site to home base.

Now that's how the signal returns from Florida - and in our
case, to WKYC where our master control is located (we will have more on that later). From
there it is dispersed to your antenna, cable, or satellite services. So the thought for today is to think of how many connections we have from the beginning of the show we are producing to your
living room....depending on the path, it could be a few or many. Those are the real basics - but enough for you to know that when the slide on the screen says "Please Stand By - Technical Difficulties" there is a good chance we are working on the video signal!



The last part of the equation is the most important - the people that make this entire process work! We are fortunate to work with the best in that regard. To the engineering men and women from coast to coast that assist us with our signal - a very hearty thanks for all your help during the season. Without them, Indians baseball on the tube would not be possible.

More on this as the season progresses! Thanks for checking out the overview!

More Photos from Winterhaven

And here is more...Mac working overtime to keep us up to date from the big promotion shoot in Florida...Hard to believe that a few days of shooting occurred - the crew was really busy....

But so were the players...let's check out some of these photos....

Keep in mind, many of the 40 man roster players go through this process....and it happens in training camps all across the country.

This is truly the best time of the year for the media to perform its "leg" work making sure there is video and still pictures for all of the team.

Here is Mac pasing along a little direction.... The players take direction well as previously mentioned and can enjoy the whole photographic/video process...

They are just as intereted to see how they look as the crew is - you could say it is really a collaborative effort....

Here is Steve directing his player exactly where he would like to see him...with the proper lighting and the correct placement.

And so it goes....more pics to come on the final day!

Game Time

Fans, believe it or not the games are about to begin. I know the schedule says Thursday, February 28 is the first game of spring training, but tomorrow and Wednesday the team will be playing intersquad games. If you want to see highlights of these games, tune into SportsTime Ohio each night for Spring Training Daily. I was down there last season for the intersquads, and though they don't mean a whole lot, I remember being impressed by a couple of guys named Carmona and Francisco in those games. You never know who may surprise, and who may lay the groundwork for a big season in these games.

And speaking of games, the first real spring game kicks off Thursday in Winter Haven. Eric Wedge's pick for his opening day starter is..........Jake Westbrook. No, that doesn't mean C.C. Sabathia isn't starting March 31 vs the White Sox at Progressive Field on real opening day. It just means Sabathia will probably make his spring debut Saturday, March 1, which would be exactly 30 days before the opener, meaning six spring starts on his regular four days of rest.

Speaking of starting pitching, probably the biggest battle on the team is for the fifth spot in the rotation. Aaron Laffey ended the season in that role and did quite well, posting a 4-2 record. His main competition would seem to be coming from Cliff Lee and Jeremy Sowers. And remember this about Lee, this is a guy who won 46 games in three seasons form 2004-2006 and appears eager to earn back a starting spot.

STO in HD....

This will be the season for us to transition into high definition television for the entire regular season. (Don't try to adjust your set during spring training - those games will still be in standard definition.) I have seen over time our good friend here at WKYC Frank Macek addressing the subject of this very exciting change in broadcasting.

There is still time for you to acquire that 52" screen for the Tribe's run for the pennant this year. If you feel so inclined, I have added a couple of links here for you to check out just what HDTV is and how it works. These are just a couple of reports listed with many other articles on digital vs. HD, as well as what to look for in a set.

You will notice a lot more detail. in the HD picture. We certainly can tell that in showing off ballparks, the wide shot takes on another dimension. We have offered many different looks of Progressive Field --- even Fenway Park looks like a place you would like to visit! (OK, maybe not) The panoramic shots give you that film appearance of cinemascope leaving you with an interesting view inside the park and sometimes out to the city, making you feel like you are actually there.

Surround sound adds another dimension to the visual. When the show is mixed, crowd noise fills the air and again, you can be transported to the game itself feeling that you are a part of it. Once again there are a variety of ways to do this, depending on room size and the seating arrangement.

Dont be shy... pull up your easy chair, grab your favorite beverage, and enjoy the excitement of the games in HD! I know we will!

Snowbound Progressive Field.....

Today was a great day to head over to the baseball field and check out some camera positions for the upcoming season. We might be making a couple of changes and thought we would swing over and take another peek at them. It always looks so desolate in the winter - but even having said that, it is indeed one of the better looking parks around the leagues. Great sight lines and an open look to the city make give it some real flair. Hey I worked out of old Cleveland Stadium... growing up with it, then working out of it, and then saying goodbye are all fond memories but this park has soemthing special (so much for unbiased reporting!).

Now I sit here typing this and watching a game on STO featuring the Indians and the Red Sox in a regular season broadcast from Progressive Park, and I can't wait to begin the season (Beckett vs. Carmona). After seeing the snow all over the field and standing on home plate today (or approximately where it is), and now watching the Indians take the lead in this game, I have to admit, I am ready to go!

We looked at sightlines, foul lines, and baselines - having to guess for all of them. There is a good sense about what we would like to do and how we will proceed, so that should not be an issue. I will have more on that as the season draws near - and explain in greater detail the objectives we would like to accomplish.

I started to think that maybe this is what opening day may look like in 2008...we know what it looked like in 2007! Somebody said "break out the zamboni". HMMMM....I will have to check the longe range forecast, the groundhog outlooks, the Farmer's Almanac, and also check to see if my left knee is throbbing (a sure-fire weather predictor).

Naw............ it couldnt happen again................. could it?

Heading to the 'Haven....

There is no doubt it is winter in Northeast Ohio. The beauty of Spring and with it, Indians baseball seem to be months away... So while you are waiting, there is nothing better than watching a light dusting of snow drop over the area, while enjoying the heat of a warm fire from the friendly confines of your home. (Snow is best viewed that way...)


But if you sit back and relax, and close your eyes, you may hear the crackling within the fireplace - but you may drift off thinking that it is the sound of Tribe bat cracks....one after the other. And the wind that is whistling around the house and through the trees, just may sound more like the roar of the crowd after a big defensive play or a game winning hit. That warms things up a bit.... and then cruel reality strikes - someone has to shovel the driveway....


Take heart sports fans....baseball is in the air - it may be Florida air - but it is indeed that time again. And for one last year, that means trekking to the 'Haven...or more commonly known as Winterhaven. The birds are heading north and Indians fans are heading south - taking advantage of one more glance at Cleveland's baseball complex in Central Florida. There will be many visitors from the area looking to take a "spring break" and many others who wish they were making the trip.


So if you cant board that plane jetting south bound or your family's schedule or pocketbook wont allow to make you the trip either, dont worry! You can sit by the fireplace and join us on STO for 8 games from Chain O'Lakes Park. At the end of the month, you will be able to see the last game from Winterhaven on March 27th. Then head to he closet, dust off your uniform, and grab a hot dog, because Opening Day comes your way on WKYC-TV on March 31st at 3:00 PM - with plenty of pregame fun prior to the first pitch! And through the 2008 campaign check out the bulk of the schedule either on WKYC or SportsTime Ohio - all in high definition!


And throughout it all, this will be a page that you want to mark as we bring you some behind the scenes thoughts, stories, and happenings from the Indians TV crew. Some of it will be a little technical but mostly it will be just fun... A chance for us to tell you how the show is going or how great the steaks are in Kansas City! This will be called "From the Truck" - from the folks who present to you the telecast of the show. It should be a great season on the field and we are equally looking forward to many success on your HD screen. So join us for the ride - it should be a great time!

Spring is in the Air

Ahhhh, spring training and baseball. It's hard to believe looking outside here in Cleveland that baseball season is upon us, but it is. And here at WKYC and SportsTime Ohio, those of us on the television production side of things want to give you a unique perspective of what goes on in the TV world, beginning in spring training.

But before we get to Winter Haven, let's think about a couple things before we enter the 2008 season. The Indians lineup and rotation are almost set. Jobs aren't going to be up for grabs like they have in season's past. So how the defending AL Central champs match up with the rest of the division may be the most talked about thing of the spring.

The most obvious conversation starter is the Detroit Tigers. Yes, on paper, they seem like a fantasy player's dream. But what about the bullpen? The Indians and Red Sox had arguably the best two bullpens in the A.L. last season, and they were the last two teams standing. With relief pitching becoming more prominent in today's game of baseball, the Tigers' pen may be worth keeping your eyes on.

And one other thing that should make an Indians fan smile; the Tigers' lineup, as loaded as it seems, averages 32 years old. The Indians lineup? It averages just under 28 years old a man. The philosophy in sports is always to win now, but this Indians lineup is going to be fun to watch this season and in season's to come, whether you're watching at home on TV or from the truck.

So what will you get From the Truck during the season. Behind-the-scenes access from the television crew of what goes on during a game broadcast is the biggie. Remember those Inside Sportscenter's ESPN used to show from inside the control room? Well, that'll be us, and we'll tell you what goes on inside that room. We'll have pictures, stories from the road (81 games a year can be either real boring or real exciting, and you'll hear all about it), where to eat if you're in Seattle, or why it seemed like the producer fell asleep during the game last night. We'll have it all, and we'll have it all season long.