The high energy 2015 SNF Open features another new and rousing rendition of Waiting All Day for Sunday Night sung by Underwood. The shoot location changed this year as the production team took over one of the large sound stages at Warner Brothers Studios in L.A.
The creative concept revolves around showing numerous behind-the-scenes situations including player interactions with Carrie and even a cameo of Benoit weaving his magic at the lighting controls. The build-up leads to Carrie's exciting performance in front of thousands of cheering fans.
The basic idea for the lighting scheme was that the BMFLs and other principal theatrical lighting fixtures - would come together in a much larger virtual environment to produce a high-impact opening for each week's prime time national football game.
The main performance stage for the shoot was arranged in a diamond shape where 14 BMFLs were rigged in the air and nine more were placed on the floor.
At the opposite corner of the sound stage a second set-up featured 13 vertical 6mm LED 'pillars', each measuring 11ft tall by 2ft wide. These converging video panels had another seven BMFLs rigged above.
In the third corner, a green screen area was established to capture the various NFL players in action. The remaining areas were used for interviews and for some of the behind the scenes shots.
In addition to the aforementioned BMFLs, Benoit used four more units as key and back follow spots. The physical layout of the sets in the sound stage made this a practical as well as a good aesthetic choice.
"It was extremely easy to quickly balance the colour temperature between the back and front lights, tweak the green levels, add diffusion and Carrie looked beautiful when lit from the BMFLs," he commented.
Benoit programmed and operated the lighting fixtures and a Hippotizer Media Server from the Road Hog Full Boar 4 console. The theatrical rigging gaffer was Walton Rowell, working alongside a crew from IATSE local 728.
NBC Sports' executive producer was Fred Gaudelli and the head of production from Bodega Studios was Michael Flexner.
All the theatrical lighting fixtures, LED Panels and the media server were supplied via Fred Waldman at VER's Burbank facility, with Warner Brothers providing the film shoot lighting kit.
(Jim Evans)
