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!

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!