Reznet

Behind the Jumbo Board

By Jacquelyne Taurianen

DES MOINES, Iowa- At the start of his baseball career, Joe Madersky is not a household name.

Madersky, who is working on a degree from Grand View College, hopes to hit it big and make a career for himself. Unlike the players on the team, he will never have the opportunity to hit the ball out of the park for a winning grand slam or feel regret when it falls short.

Madersky works for the in-house production studio in Principal Park. The department consists of 12 interns, who come from colleges throughout Iowa. Four operate cameras during the game, while the others work in the production room. They are responsible for the audio and video that can be seen in the park skyboxes and on concession stand TVs and the Internet. The interns work to ensure that fans have the best game-day experience, said Scott Sailor, in-house television manager.

"I love sports and I am going to school for broadcast and mass communication," Madersky said. "This job is perfect for me."

In order to get fans excited, the production crew plays music and video clips to urge spectators to cheer, have fun and participate.

Fans get a chance to appear on the jumbo display board.

"The job is a lot more fun and (it) is easier to get the crowd excited when the team is winning, but either way it is our job to get the fans involved in the game," Sailor said.

The production department for the Iowa Cubs, a Triple-A minor league team, assembles and edits the live feed the interns pick up from four cameras around the park. Each intern has the opportunity to work with the eight units, including audio, editing, directing and production.

"This is many internships in one," said Megan Peterson, 21, of Drake University. "I like it because you get all the experiences while only working at one location."

The students come into the job with classroom experience, but the equipment is different from what they are used to, Sailor said.

"That is why a game in the middle or end of the season will be better than their first," he said. "They're learning as they go."

Students are responsible for gathering the footage and putting it in the correct sequence. Sailor has a hands-off approach to managing and says the system works better if he allows the interns to work and steps in only to correct errors.

"Interns are vital for operation," Sailor said. "They put in a ton of work and make the day a success."

The job requires a lot of time from the interns. They work about 100 events, including Cubs games and high school games at Principal Park.

"They work a lot of hours," Sailor said. "I just make sure that they're not getting burned out halfway through the season."

The interns don't seem to be complaining.

"I work in a TV studio during school, and this job is way better," Madersky said. "The people here are more fun and laid back. We have better hours, and there is something new every day."

There is a purpose to the fun, said 20-year-old Kyle Oppenhuizen, an Iowa State student.

"I know the skills I learn in this internship will open doors for me in the field later down the road," Oppenhuizen said. "The experience is a good one to have."

Jacquelyne Taurianen, Sault Ste. Marie, is a student at the University of Michigan.