FCTV's Volunteers Bring Home The Road Race

It was a spectacular Sunday morning when the caravan of volunteers and staff headed out for their assignments, each contributing their own piece of FCTV’s live coverage of the 38th running of the CIGNA Falmouth Road Race this past August 15th. Many of the crew had already put in considerable time leading up to that morning, out in teams covering everything from the interviews with elite runners on Thursday to Friday Supper to the Strolling Musicians in Woods Hole to the Runner’s Expo at the High School on Saturday. The Fun Run, the Falmouth Mile, The Falmouth Walk - all the sights and sounds of this unique weekend on the Cape were gathered by FCTV Volunteers like Henry Rome, Pat Crew, Dick Batchelor, Robbie Cadwallader, Dan Doherty and of course, the Road Race Coverage Producer Kevin Lynch and Director Valerie May Douglas.

But now it was Sunday morning. The big day. With Valerie orchestrating the movements in her trusty Jeep, Frank Cocuzzo was off to the top of the Redfield Laboratory on Water Street in Woods Hole to videotape the mass of runners and wheelchairs at the starting line. His video would be beamed via satellite to the massive Jumbotron and our van on the finish line via satellite (courtesy of Thistle Communications, who would work hand-in-hand with our team throughout the event). Meanwhile on ground zero, so to speak, Correspondents Wayne Lampman and Henry Rome were teaming up with cameramen Scott Lebeda and Nick Riebesehl, interviewing at the start, then preparing to board the press truck that would lead the runners along the seven mile course.

While this was taking place, Clint Piatelli and Richard Batchelor were each being hoisted aloft with their own satellite cameras, in bucket trucks located at Nobska Point and Surf Drive Beach, respectively. The footage they would provide would be essential in giving the viewers a more complete view of the annual mass of runners. Back on terra firma, on that final glorious leg along Grand Avenue, Jonathan Peirce and Munan Xu were hooking in their “satellite cams,” getting ready for the very first appearance of the wheelchair racers, who would be the first to come up and over the hill by the Sound.

Meanwhile at FCTV, the finish line crew had been assembling since 6:30am, packing up the myriad of video and audio devices and cables and other accoutrements needed to provide the live multi-camera production for Channel 13 viewers. By 7:15am, the Van, fully equipped, was at the corner of Grand and Central Park, just feet from the historic stripe that the thousands of runners would soon be crossing. Simon Craythorn was the wizard behind the scenes, once again, wiring up the cameras, mics, and the satellite feeds, while Robbie Cadwallader and Merletta Martin got their cameras ready, Robbie from yet another bucket truck directly over the finish line on Grand Ave, and Merletta from her scaffolding at the corner, in front of the British Beer Company (who once again were gracious and helpful to our crew). It was Gary Guhman’s first Race as an FCTV volunteer and he immediately pitched in like a veteran, gripping the yards and yards of cables, setting up scaffolding, and the all-important crowd control – keeping people from Merletta’s prime vantage point!

The preparation and organization put in by the crew’s fearless leaders, Kevin and Valerie, paid off. The set up went smoothly, with everything needed in place. The cameras were sharp and crisp in the bright summer sunlight, the mics and feeds caught the vital sounds of the event and everything went without a hitch. Though FCTV staff were there at the Falmouth Heights location to lend a hand with setup, some graphics, and additional camerawork, the Road Race production was, from top to bottom, a work of dedicated volunteers, each one contributing a vital part, and coming through in the clutch! Thanks to all of our great member volunteers who made it all possible!

For pictures of the FCTV crew in action, go here: http://www.fctv.org/ts/image/tid/25