Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/231210
putting it together attitude than a particular theme. "They call it an environment. The room doesn't necessarily have to be any one thing but it has to accomplish a lot of things at one time," he says. "We want the stage to have the ability to change throughout the evening, even though we're not specifically changing scenery. To achieve that effect, we use surfaces that are light reactive so that their appearance can change from segment to segment and so that Jeff can train the camera on different interesting elements." That's where Engel comes in and runs with it. "We try to give the room a feel that is satisfying for the actors," he says. "This is their big night. We try to accentuate the elegance of the evening. During the course of the ceremony, there are about 12-15 lighting designs. "We try to come up with a completely different look for each of the seven acts, for the In Memoriam segment, and a base look we use to go to commercial," Engel says. "To create a little excitement when there's a win, we do a bit of a ballyhoo — and we sometimes introduce some strobes." Events Supervisor Andrea Wyn Schall takes the design plans of Shaffner and Stewart and makes them a reality — or as she puts it, "I make the trains run on time. I coordinate the entire showroom floor from the bottom of the stairs at the stage to the back of the 2013 Behind-the-Scenes Video 49 SAG-AFTRA | Special Issue 2014 | SAGAFTRA.org