Working the Jumbotron at Petco Park

Today was absolutely spectacular. We went on a field trip to Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, to see how their Jumbotron works. We were hosted by professional cameraman, David Desrochers, who showed us EVERYTHING. We met in the main control room, where all the various media sources (e.g., cameras capturing live video, and video feeds from other sources like NBC and ESPN) feed in, and can be selected and mixed. The processed video is eventually fed out to television broadcast networks. He explained the various stations (video source selection, mixing, replay, audio control, music, etc.), and the roles and responsibilities of the various people who operate them, as well as the producer and director. We then participated in a recreated simulation of an actual baseball game, with the students manning the various positions to actually produce the media portion of the game. We all experienced that this was not so easy, as there is a tremendous amount of activity and coordination (TEAMWORK!) required to pull off what seems to go off so smoothly on TV. Interestingly, most of the control room is based on digital technology (having dropped much of the analog equipment a few years ago). The students saw that the skills they are learning in COSMOS have direct counterparts in what goes on in the control room.

This special day came about because of the initiative by our co-instructor, Beth Simon, who contacted Sue Botos with the San Diego Padres to see if such a visit would be possible. Sue was immediately supportive and made it happen for us. She arranged that we meet with David, who was absolutely outstanding. His wonderfully prepared setup gave the students a hands-on perspective of the complexity of managing the broadcast of a professional baseball game. He took a lot of his time for us, and we really appreciate it.

Days like today are what make COSMOS truly special. To see our students displayed on the Jumbotron - how great is that!