Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1335010
VENUE From the beginning, they wanted nominees to be live, no matter where in the world they might be riding out the pandemic. This teed up the first hurdle; how do they get picture and sound live from what turned out to be 120 worldwide locations? That led into the second question of where to broadcast the show from. With no audience, there was no need for a normal stage venue. With the amount of connectivity and bandwidth needed for all the worldwide feeds, a venue able to handle the interconnectivity was needed. At that point, the show was moved from its normal home at Microsoft Theater to across the street at Staples Center because, as a major sports venue, Staples Center had the technical infrastructure already in place. A closed set was designed and built on the floor of the sports arena, which functioned as a huge sound stage. NOMINEES' GEAR The first challenge with the number of remote feeds was determining what level of personal contact the nominees would be comfortable with, given COVID-19. The producers began reaching out and got a wide range of answers. Some wanted no gear delivered and would only use their existing laptops or phones. Others were willing to have gear delivered, but were not comfortable with having any production crew in their home, even just for setup. While still some, like the Schitt's Creek party, wanted multiple cameras and professional mics on stands. So, a wide range of equipment packages were sent around the world. Equipment packages included Sony A7's, Canon 5D's, and Blackmagic cameras. Lighting was fairly standard ring lights in most instances. Microphones ranged from professional mics on stands, à la Schitt's Creek, to the built-in mic on an iPhone or laptop. The producers spent a lot of time on Zoom calls with each The show's set was built on the sports oor of Staples Center. Photo courtesy of ABC. The nominees for Schitt's Creek chose a professional setup. Photo: © Invision.