The Franchise: A Season with the San Francisco Giants

I worked as location sound recordist on The Franchise: A Season with the San Francisco Giants, Showtime’s all-access documentary series following the Giants as the defending 2010 World Series champions. The series premiered July 13, 2011, and I covered all nine episodes.

Produced by Major League Baseball Productions, the show gave cameras and microphones genuine access inside a major league clubhouse during a live season — players like Matt Cain, Barry Zito, Pablo Sandoval, Brian Wilson, Buster Posey, and Ryan Vogelsong were central to the story. The Giants were a fascinating team to follow: a pitching-driven club with genuine characters, fresh off their first championship in San Francisco.

Getting clean, usable audio in a dugout, a locker room, and on the field with a live crowd is its own discipline. The crowd microphones the stadium runs are not your friend — they bleed into everything. Lavaliers on players during games require careful placement to survive movement without rustling or feedback from the PA. The locker room has hard surfaces and constant ambient noise from dozens of people. Nine episodes meant nine games, plus all the in-between access — batting practice, travel, team meetings, and individual player segments. It was a significant commitment and one of the more demanding production formats I’ve worked.

The organization’s trust in the production team made that kind of access possible, and it shows in what ended up on screen.