Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546033
exciting when you see it from Cable-Cam arial shots. We agreed on side walls and side flanking elevated areas, Dick Clark Productions wanted a VIP table area somewhere, so I suggested we do a whole elevated VIP Club at the opposite end of the arena to the stage and they loved that. I went to town on that VIP Club area, with high- off-the-ground custom railings and banquettes, lots of LED tape and table lamps. The concept grew and we ended up with bottle-service waitresses, the whole Vegas VIP nightclub experience in an awards show. The producer was so happy with it, he wants me to double- down on that for next year's show. The Real Challenge The performances are without question the greatest puzzle. Designing the set is easy, it's formulaic, the A and B stage, the satellite stage, the closedowns, the steps up for award winners, it's all a template. Those of us who design these shows are standing on the shoulders of Bill Ross, Bob Checchi, E. Jay Krause, Ray Klausen, Bob Keene, Joe Stewart and Roy Christopher. They are the designers who invented it all. These designers truly invented not just the visual style of award shows. Of course, elements change as the decades roll by, but not the actual physical template. There's an A stage on stage right and a B stage on stage left, and two closedowns. COUNTER WEIGHT RIGGING LINES BY RIGGING CO SHOP TO SUPPLY HANGING HARDWARE R 3'-0" 15 E5.1 78.2° 9'-8" 500MM X 500MM LED TILES 500MM X 500MM CURVED LED TILES 500MM X 500MM LED TILES STAGE RIGHT CLOSEDOWN DEVELOPED ELEVATION 2 E5.2 1/4" = 1'-0" STAGE RIGHT CLOSEDOWN PLAN 1 E5.2 1/4" = 1'-0" HARD FLAT ON TRACK BLACK VELOUR FACE NO LIGHT BLEED 10'-0" PANEL 5'-0" TRAVEL R 5'-6" 66.87° 16'-9" 39'-0" STAGE LEFT CLOSEDOWN PLAN 4 E5.2 1/4" = 1'-0" HARD FLAT ON TRACK BLACK VELOUR FACE NO LIGHT BLEED 10'-0" PANEL 5'-0" TRAVEL R 5'-6" 66.87° 16'-9" 39'-0" COUNTER WEIGHT RIGGING LINES BY RIGGING CO SHOP TO SUPPLY HANGING HARDWARE R 3'-0" 15 E5.1 78.2° 500MM X 500MM LED TILES 500MM X 500MM CURVED LED TILES 500MM X 500MM LED TILES STAGE LEFT CLOSEDOWN DEVELOPED ELEVATION 5 E5.2 1/4" = 1'-0" STAGE RIGHT CLOSEDOWN PERSPECTIVE 3 E5.2 STAGE LEFT CLOSEDOWN PERSPECTIVE 6 E5.2 REDUCE WIDTH OF CLOSEDOWNS BY 1 COLUMN OF TILES EACH Closedowns These are a piece of scenery that flies in and out on high-speed motors that basically hides A stage or B stage from the audience. This means you can have an act performing on A stage with the closedown wall flown out very high, but the B stage closedown is in, blocking the B stage behind it. That means you can have an army of stagehands changing the set on B stage while someone is performing on A stage… it keeps everything moving quickly, especially on an Amazon show where there aren't many commercial breaks for a breather. This template was truly created by designers like Ray Klausen, who did twenty-seven AMAs. Band Looks After four months of hard work, two or three weeks before load-in work on the band looks start. On the Country Music Awards, we had E. CLOSEDOWNS. ELEVATIONS AND PERSPECTIVE VIEWS. DRAWN IN VECTORWORKS BY PATRICK ADAIR. F. ACM AWARDS STAGE AND ARENA. SET PHOTO. G. ACM AWARDS STAGE FROM VIP AREA. SET PHOTO. H. ACM AWARDS STAGE. SET PHOTO. I. ACM AWARDS STAGE. SET PHOTO. E F G H I