Virtual Eye (formerly Animation Research) won its fifth Sports Emmy yesterday, and its third George Wensel award for technical achievement.
The award was poignant for Virtual Eye staff as the project which won the award was driven by their colleague Craig McNaughton, who died from bowel cancer the same day the company found out it had been nominated.
The award was in combination with Major League Baseball for the development of the umpire cam.
The award recognised ground-breaking innovations, graphic technologies and engineering feats in sports broadcasting.
Virtual Eye founder Sir Ian Taylor said thoughts immediately turned to Mr McNaughton when the award was announced.
‘‘The special thing is Craig McNaughton, who was our lead developer right at the start. He was the first one to start building platforms for Major League Baseball ... we’re bringing this one home for him,’’ Sir Ian said.
‘‘When we started doing Major League Baseball a few years ago, he was the only guy — he was the one working on it, right from the start, from the get-go.’’
‘‘That we found out we were nominated on the same day he died, was special, really special. This was the one for me that I really, really wanted us to win.’’
Mr McNaughton, who died in late March aged 57, helped train Matt Smith, who became the lead developer of the umpire cam project.
Sir Ian said he was somewhat sceptical about the umpire cam and what it would bring to the viewer when it was first talked about.
But on viewing the first game he quickly changed his mind.
‘‘It’s to explain to people at home, sitting on the couch — what you’re seeing is why these people are so good.’’
