RICHMOND, Va.—Opening a brand-new, state-of-the-art production facility at CarMax Park for the Richmond Flying Squirrels minor league baseball team presented many challenges and opportunities.
Among them was the all-important decision of selecting the camera system. Taking the leap from our previous workflow in our old stadium, “The Diamond,” our goal was clear: support productions of home games, live events, LED programming and multiplatform content with a consistent, high-quality production standard that truly sets us apart.
Knowing that the cameras would be in use throughout the day, reliability, image quality and flexibility were all important factors.
We looked at several options before selecting the Grass Valley LDX 110. During our evaluation, it delivered better performance in low light and other challenging lighting conditions than the alternatives we considered, while remaining within the budget we had set for the project. The Xenios CMOS image sensor consistently delivered the picture quality we were looking for, and the compact camcorder-style design was a good fit for how our operators work on game days.
All-Action Capture
Our production schedule begins when the gates open and finishes after the last fans leave the ballpark. During that time, in addition to the game itself, we’re producing a variety of content including player introductions, fan features, live entertainment, promotions and activity around the concourse. Camera operators are constantly moving between different environments and lighting conditions.
Our fixed cameras, including the high home and centerfield positions, provide the main coverage throughout the game. They produce excellent pictures and give us the consistency we need across the entire production.
The MVP in our live production workflow has been the mobile camera system, a huge upgrade over previous systems deployed. The LDX 110 gives us much more freedom to cover everything happening around the stadium with the same picture and color quality we see on fixed cameras. Operators can move freely around the 360-degree concourse to spend time with fans, react to big moments and capture entertainment occuring on and off the field, all with a consistent high-quality production standard. These shots are critical in telling the story of the fan experience at CarMax Park.
The mobile system is a seamless, natural fit in our workflow with the color-grading system in our control room, allowing our shader full control while the camera operator freely moves around CarMax Park. That combination has made mobile operation far easier than we have experienced in past workflows.
We use the word “consistency” often, as that has probably been the biggest operational improvement seen since opening the venue. The picture quality and consistency of the LDX 110 systems is big league, giving our production the polish our fans and partners deserve while allowing our team to stay focused on the live show.
Big-League Delivery
The response from our fans and community partners has been extremely positive. Fans, colleagues and industry peers who visit CarMax Park often describe our productions as “big league.” That was one of our main objectives when we designed the production facilities, so it is very rewarding to receive that feedback.
Overall, the deployment has exceeded our expectations, and we are already working with Grass Valley and our integration partners to add a second mobile camera system. That decision is based on how much value the first system has added to our productions and how often we now rely on it during a game.
Opening a new ballpark gave us the chance to build the production workflow we wanted from the beginning. The LDX 110 cameras have become an important part of that workflow, helping us produce consistent, professional coverage throughout every game while giving our production team more creative freedom around the stadium.
More information is available at Grass Valley’s website.
