
Live From MLB at Field of Dreams: Fox Sports' Studio Crew Lowers Outfield Set To Show Off the Cornfield Director, Remote Studio Operations Rob Mikulicka offers a peek behind the improvements to this years set By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 10:07 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
In a professional baseball game played on a pristine diamond in the middle of eastern Iowa, the cornfield is the surefire star. Like the game of baseball, nature isn't always predictable, and this spring's growing season produced stalks only 8 ft. tall, much shorter than last year's 11-ft.-tall ones. Fox Sports' remote studio operations adapted to the circumstances and brought the main set closer - and deeper - into the corn.
Our first instinct ended up being the best one, says Rob Mikulicka, director, remote studio operations, Fox Sports. That was to lower [the set] by 3 ft. Last year, the corn went right to the top of the railing there, but [with the lower set] it's above the [railing], and the corn has become a bigger part of the story.
Lost in the Maize: Lowered Platform Brings Cornstalks Into the Picture Having decided to lower the platform, Mikulicka and company needed to work with Mother Nature to make sure it's in the most perfect spot. With the help of BaAM Productions, a sizable portion of the cornfield next to the videoboard in left field was plowed and taken away to make room for the set. Beneath the stalks was a hill that needed to be navigated, which means that one end of the platform is higher than the other.
We had two plans: either lower it or possibly move forward a little bit, Mikulicka explains. With the hill getting steeper by nearly 4 ft., I would have had to remove more corn [with the second option], but I didn't want to do that. We had to redesign some aspects because certain cables ran under the set last time, but that's obviously out of the question now since the back of the set is resting on the ground.
Fox Sports' main MLB at Field of Dreams studio set is once again located in left field next to the videoboard.
Certain challenges arose as this plot of land was sectioned off. First, the studio team at Fox Sports needed to work closely with BaAM Productions to drop the set at exactly the same spot as last year's. Relying on the same light pole from last year as a reference point, both parties were able to pinpoint the desired location amongst the sea of corn. Second, the studio-operations staff had to work around a new addition to the MLB at Field of Dreams schedule: the first-ever minor-league game played at the site - the Cedar Rapids Kernels vs. the Quad Cities River Bandits - on Tuesday, Aug. 9. From an operational perspective, pulling off this set was an arduous task, but, creatively, the broadcast will benefit from new sightlines that make the desk seem to be engulfed by the cornstalks with the field slightly behind the desk.
We put a lot of focus on the fans [during other regular-season games], notes Mikulicka. Here, the corn and the field are a huge driver of the story. We want to show it off as much as possible.
Go the Distance: Filmwerks Builds Sturdy Structure To Withstand Bad Weather With the location selected and the platform lowered, Filmwerks took the proverbial baton and constructed the infrastructure. The company helped Fox Sports remodel and retrofit an existing desk with the appropriate wood finish.
Rob Mikulicka (pictured) and Rod Conti are leading the remote-studio-operations team.
The steel structures above and on the sides of the set was designed with weather in mind. Iowa is known for unpredictable and sporadic weather that can include ferocious thunderstorms and nasty tornadoes. Similar to last year, when a tornado warning was issued a day before the first outing of MLB at Field of Dreams, harsh conditions affected construction.
We did have some challenges in the beginning, says Mikulicka. There was a lightning alert going on at the time, and the crane is probably the worst thing to have up because it's taller than the light pole, which is our lightning-protection system. We helped Filmwerks get the roof raised, and, once that was up, we could safely work on getting the desk and tech ready to go.
To prepare for inclement weather on Thursday, Filmwerks has ensured that the structure can withstand winds upwards of 80 mph, even though Fox Sports will take precautions if gusts reach 35-40 mph. For accurate readings, the broadcaster's trusted meteorologist is working onsite at the ballpark. Aside from weather, the setup is designed to accommodate any flyball-turned-homerun that reaches the desk. If a player gets hold of a ball during batting practice, the netting/lighting scrim behind the talent's chairs will be able to stop the impact of a hard-hit ball.
The MLB Field of Dreams set includes three hard cameras, a jib camera, and two teleprompters.
In the compound, director David Faller and producer Bardia Shah-Rais will handle the pregame and postgame shows from Game Creek Video Encore mobile unit. The pair will have multiple camera feeds at their disposal, including three hard cameras and a jib on the set, along with cameras that will be used during the game: a cable cam running from the field to the original movie set, three separate drones (two heavy-lift and one FPV racing), RF handhelds, and more. Fox Sports' Vault facility in Los Angeles will be online for studio programming, with one EVS machine, one teleprompter operator, and graphics.
Village Mentality: Pregame Set Connected With Cinematic Baseball Production Host Kevin Burkhardt, three-time World Series champion and Hall-of-Famer David Ortiz, World Series champion Alex Rodriguez, and 17-time Sports Emmy Award winner Tom Rinaldi will lead the pregame show on Thursda
Most recent headlines
14/03/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
14/03/2025
Time flies when you're having fun and we can confidently say that Bill Simmons, founder of The Ringer and Spotify's Head of Talk Strategy, is having not...
14/03/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
14/03/2025
TV Technology: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
14/03/2025
The Dalet NAB 2025 showcase will feature its market-leading enterprise News, Media Management and Supply Chain solutions designed for faster deployment and acce...
14/03/2025
IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) will debut its latest advancements for premium live streaming at NAB 2025 (booth W1401), introducing new AI-driven technologies d...
14/03/2025
TAG Video Systems, the leader in software-based IP media probing, monitoring, visualization, and analytics, and Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in...
14/03/2025
Unicanal and Trece TV, two of Paraguay s leading broadcasters, have successfully launched digital TV services in three main cities: Encarnaci n, Ciudad del Este...
14/03/2025
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), and the Video Services Forum (VSF) today announced that the IP Showcase ...
14/03/2025
Digital Alert Systems, the global leader in emergency communications solutions for media providers, today announced that Nebraska Public Media is deploying the ...
14/03/2025
Interra Systems, a leading provider of end-to-end quality assurance solutions for the digital media industry, today announced that Comcast Technology Solutions ...
14/03/2025
At the 2025 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show, Rightsline will showcase innovations designed to make rights and royalties management smarter, fast...
14/03/2025
PK Sound, the robotic line array company, has formally released the Tx Series of intelligent multi-purpose point source modules, beginning with the ultra-versat...
14/03/2025
Avid today announced the expansion of its executive leadership team (ELT) with the appointment of three experienced executives: Tom Sharma as Chief Technology ...
14/03/2025
DigitalGlue, a trusted systems integrator and provider of end-to-end media solutions, is redefining storage workflows with its innovative platform, creative.spa...
14/03/2025
CVP, one of Europe s leading resellers and providers of professional video and broadcast solutions, is partnering with renowned director and cinematographer Joe...
14/03/2025
Cobalt Digital, the leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning signal processing products, and a founding partner in the openGear initiative has announ...
14/03/2025
Keepit, a global provider of a comprehensive cloud backup and recovery platform, announced today its success at the Business Awards UK, 2025 Cybersecurity and R...
14/03/2025
Lightware, an industry-leading manufacturer of signal management solutions, has announced its commitment to fostering strong relationships with top technology c...
14/03/2025
Editing and Color Grading Promo Codes
Kasia Jarco March 14, 2025
0 Comments
I wanted to share some promo codes for great tools for your video editing ...
14/03/2025
Singaporean singer-songwriter JJ Lin on Craft, Courage, and Creativity The artist shared candid insights into his musical evolution, personal challenges, and ...
14/03/2025
Three strategic appointments aims to bolster the leadership team at Avid, reinforcing the companys commitment to remain at the forefront of innovation
By Matth...
14/03/2025
Coming at a pivotal time for the sector, the funding underscores Cinesites ambition and confidence in the media and entertainment industry
By Matthew Corrigan ...
14/03/2025
Karen Chupka, executive vice president and managing director, NAB Global Connections and Events, gives TVBEurope the lowdown on what visitors can expect at next...
14/03/2025
BURLINGTON, Mass. Avid has expanded its executive leadership team (ELT) with the appointment of three experienced executives: Tom Sharma as chief technology off...
14/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. TVU Networks, a pioneer in live video production and a leader in cloud-based media solutions, is marking its 20th anniversary at the 2025 NAB ...
14/03/2025
Telos Alliance To Demonstrate New Next Generation Audio Features at 2025 NAB Sh...
14/03/2025
Live From THE PLAYERS: RED Cameras Help Cosm Capture Unique Looks for Cosm Venue...
14/03/2025
NWSL Kickoff 2025: League Operations Team Preps for NEP-Driven Remote Production...
14/03/2025
NWSL Kickoff 2025: Scripps Sports Introduces New On-Air Team for Second Year of ...
14/03/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Marie Margolius on the Thrill of Directing New Prime Video Docuser...
14/03/2025
Live From THE PLAYERS: NBC Sports Tees Up Drone Tracing, Taps Into NEP Compound ...
14/03/2025
Back to All News
Get a Glimpse of the Epic Battles in First Look at Record of ...
14/03/2025
Back to All News
Celebrating the Italian Historical Drama Il Gattopardo' Across the Globe
The series' creative team speaks at the Rome premiere.
Ent...
14/03/2025
Back to All News
The Electric State' Brings Cosmo and The Billbots to Life...
14/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales has reached a historic milestone by deliv...
14/03/2025
2FM's fresh weekend lineup goes live this Saturday as a host of new presente...
13/03/2025
(L-R) Stephanie Suganami, Tatanka Means, John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, and Juliette Lewis attend the premiere of Opus at Eccles Theatre in Park City. (Photo by...
13/03/2025
Spotify took center stage at the London Book Fair this week, reaffirming our commitment to the audiobook market and showcasing our impact on the publishing indu...
13/03/2025
At Spotify, we work every day to lift up new voices, giving creators the opportunity to live off their art. Through Spotify Audiobooks, our in-house publishing ...
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...