Viewinder Film School

Film School: Cinematic Baseball

#Baseballiscinema | John DeMarsico #Baseballiscinema | John DeMarsico

The wide world of John DeMarsico’s sports.

SNY Mets TV director John DeMarsico infuses his baseball broadcasts with cinematic language. The grammar and expressions of genres and tropes are referenced and repurposed in places you don’t expect, especially when its done with this mix of playfulness, intention, and fluency… I’m not even a fan of baseball, but i’m a fan of this:

In the words of one fan, John is “a huge film buff” who “will tweet where some of his inspiration comes from”. John and his crew openly reference classic films and iconic shots, cinematic transitions, and famous director trademarks:

He’ll regularly shout out keen-eyed viewers, he’ll show behind the scenes, and he’s open to suggestions:

Interviews

John on how he finds baseball to be uniquely cinematic (clipped from the full interview with BehindTheBroadcast):

John on his intentionality with angles and cuts to engage the viewer (via Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast):

Behind the Scenes

How a typical broadcast looks behind the scenes (via SNY):

Further Viewing

As John himself quotes, “How can you not be romantic about baseball?“:

Review: Moneyball (2011)