Field Notes: The Media School Travel Blog

Early Sunday morning, we met in the lobby of our hotel for our first group site visit in the Big Apple. After walking a few blocks, we arrived at our destination: the CBS broadcast center.

We were there to witness the filming of “That Other Pregame Show.” We learned a little about CBS Sports, and then we split into two groups to go into the control room and the studio.

Walking into the control room, we were overwhelmed with screens and bright buttons lighting up figures in headsets. Everyone seemed to be talking to someone, either telling them what to do or being told what to do. The air seemed tense as the room collaborated to move cameras, give cues, cut to different shots and ultimately create what viewers saw as seamless. It was pretty incredible and slightly intimidating.

One of the people working so hard behind the scenes was Jay Kincaid, The Media School’s director of facilities and technology. He kindly took the time during a commercial break to explain to us exactly what everyone in the room was doing.

Next, we were ushered into the studio. We walked into the studio in silence and stood together behind the cameras. Three people worked cameras while Amy Trask hosted the show live. We saw the camera operators adjust their shots various times to give the show variety.

We all walked away with a taste of what it’s like to be a part of a sports show.