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MLB Network is celebrating baseball’s opening day by taking a page straight out of another American tradition: comic books.
On Monday, its highlights show Quick Pitch is unleashing a new open inspired by graphic novels such as Frank Miller‘s Sin City and Marvel Comics’ superheroes.
“We were trying to present the players in a larger-than-life light to match the pace of the show,” David Corrado, senior 3D artist in MLB Network’s creative services department, tells The Hollywood Reporter.
Part of the challenge of creating the new open was crafting something that can be watched again and again without fatiguing viewers.
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“Sometimes it’s a lot easier to produce something that airs once a week,” says Premier Maldonado, creative director of MLB Network’s creative services department. “But for something that you’re going to see over and over again, it has to have a level of energy and finesse and a repeatability factor that is crucial for something like Quick Pitch.”
The music to the open is “Crowd Chant” by guitarist Joe Satriani.
MLB Network will air 17 hours of live coverage on opening day on Monday beginning at 9 a.m. ET. Quick Pitch is set to air live following the last out on the West Coast during the studio show MLB Tonight.
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