CNN Adapts to News Cycle in Real-Time with Vizrt

March 24, 2020

CNN underwent a complete facility redesign when they relocated New York headquarters to Hudson Yards in 2019. Not only did they upgrade both their studios and offices, but they also completed an internal systems overhaul. We helped them combine cutting-edge technology with the ability for real-time in-studio adjustments from tracking anchor desks, movable scenery, and over 6,000 square of LED wall.

With brand new technology from Vizrt, CNN can now transcode data tiles in seconds that would have previously taken 2 hours to complete. Shawn Mckeever, senior systems engineer with CNN’s Broadcast IT Advanced Systems Group elaborates, “The days of the static studio are gone. Movement and text in the wall keep viewers engaged and overall present a better product.”

This switch from SDI to SMPTE ST 2110 allows for incredibly high speeds to display news graphics, animations, cityscape scenery, beauty shots, and virtual video monitors for remote guests.

Because Vizrt installed 10,000 fiber optic runs in the new Hudson Yards space, CNN is set up to stay ahead of the curve as broadcast technology continues to advance. Check out this case study from Vizrt for a technical look at CNN’s massive systems’ upgrade.

Check out live footage of this technology in action below:

Versatile CNN Studio 19x Hosts Town Hall on Coronavirus

March 11, 2020

In the wake of a global outbreak of COVID-19, CNN hosted a town hall entitled “Coronavirus: Facts and Fears” in Studio 19x to highlight everything known about the pandemic. Studio 19x in CNN’s Hudson Yards headquarters was designed to be re-purposed for town halls on important breaking news topics. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta mediated the televised two hour special event on Thursday, March 5th.

The two hosts mediated discussions from health experts and community members, as well as CNN correspondents across the globe. Guests were able to connect directly with those correspondents in studio via satellite video live feed onto LED screen surrounding the stage. They responded to questions on testing, confirmed cases, states of emergency, preventative measures, and legitimacy of data. The set’s technology can bring together correspondents and experts at this centralized Studio 19x location in New York City and connect them with viewer to give helpful and live saving information in real time.

The scenic design placed the hosts on a central, circular LED platform surrounded by audience seating. LED walls are positioned on an inner, oval-shaped track to define the content-rich yet closely scaled perimeter. Monitor stacks and rotating LED screens display the focused COVID-19 discussion topics with audience seating in the round to allow for participation in an intimate setting, especially highlighting the seriousness of this topic. Throughout the broadcast, the hosts moved from standing to seated high back chairs as more guests were added.

For clips and all the questions discussed in the town hall, check out CNN’s live updates on COVID-19.

NBC Democratic Debate Field Narrows in Las Vegas

February 20, 2020

On Wednesday, February 20th, six candidates took the stage at the Paris Theatre in Las Vegas for another NBC Democratic Presidential Debate. As the field narrows ahead of the Nevada caucuses, we saw six key players continue the journey to see who will become the democrats’ presidential nominee. If you missed the debate you can catch up on all the fireworks (and ever-so-thoughtful scenic design) with this short recap below!

CCTV’s New Studios Focus on Technology First

February 5, 2020

How does broadcast work towards the future of design? We tackle this issue by putting technology at the forefront of our studio designs. With CCTV’s new studios, we used virtual and augmented reality to propel China’s largest news network into a brand new, innovative space.

Christopher Ferguson, our Director of Business Development, elaborates: “We’re seeing more 360 studios organized by continuous perimeter scenery, just like CCTV Studio 7. Among my peers there is this tendency to assume the future of scenic design is entirely virtual, but I forecast the continued rise of hybrid studios that incorporate hard scenery and physical AV elements.” The CCTV teams plan to use a combination of AR and VR in both Studios 7 and 11.

Packed with technology, these two brand new studio spaces allow CCTV to thrive in the increasing demands of cutting-edge broadcasting in China. Check out AV Magazine’s feature for an in depth look at our design process.

Clickspring’s CNN Iowa Debate Set Shines in Intimate Venue

January 15, 2020

Six candidates took the debate stage in Iowa as the field narrows closer to the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary. This January 14th debate, hosted by CNN and The Des Moines Register, is the smallest participant pool we have seen yet this cycle. The venue, Sheslow Auditorium at Drake University, was significantly smaller, too. For reference, the Ohio debate audience held 1,000 guests, Detroit held 2,200, and this debate only had room for 456. Because of this, we were tasked with creating innovative design solutions to adapt and scale our set down without compromising integrity of the overall design.

Adrienne Kapalko, our Director of Operations, describes the lighting solutions, shown left and below:

“We had the opportunity to get creative when it came to the rigging needed for scenic and lighting. In lieu of floor supported truss traditionally used in this space the team was able to identify an attic space with structural beams directly above the stage and house. This was game changing as it allowed the truss for the lighting and scenic elements to be suspended through the ceiling, strategically aligning the pick points with existing architectural house lights to avoid any damage to the auditorium. Identifying these structural beams in the attic made it possible to carry the load of the lights, let us maximize audience by avoiding ground supported infrastructure, and allowed a much cleaner visual aesthetic in the smaller venue.”

We got to work designing for this smaller venue less than a month prior to the debate. By planning ahead in the initial design for an adaptable set, we ensured the modular pieces would accommodate large venues and candidate pools, as well as small venues with fewer candidates. While we did not use the circular truss with illuminated stars that normally hangs above the debate stage this time around, we were able to include a modified version of the video wall and the full moderator desk, ultimately maintaining the integrity of our design. We really enjoyed working with the team to create innovative design solutions, especially with the lighting. It’s what makes us tick! Check out more photos from the night here.

Happy Holidays from our Clickspring Design team!

December 23, 2019

Live from Hudson Yards, It’s Clickspring Design!

December 19, 2019

As our last Clicktrip of the year, we traveled across the island of Manhattan to CNN’s Headquarters in Hudson Yards.

Here, we finally got to see our studios up close and personal!

At Hudson Yards, we designed four studios used for seven shows that are currently airing on CNN. These studios took around a year and a half from start to finish.

We toured each studio to see how changing graphics, reorienting desks, and resetting lights can be modified to fit each specific show.

We also had some time to goof around on set.

We tried our chops as very serious journalists (while appreciating the impeccably designed lighting and sets, of course).

We found the best camera angles… Watch out Anderson Cooper!

These CNN projects are very close to our hearts because every single person on the Clickspring team had a hand in the process.

Thanks to CNN for letting us explore our creations in real life!

Nominees Honored at CNN Heroes 2019

December 9, 2019

On Sunday December 8th, ten extraordinary people took the stage at CNN’s 2019 Heroes Gala. CNN Heroes is one of our favorite recurring projects because we get to see first hand how the nominees have helped change the world in positive ways.

This year’s winner, Freweini Mebrahtu, has dedicated her life to keeping women and girls in school by working to remove the cultural stigma around menstruation in parts of the developing world.

Under a starry replica of the night sky, we used several LED screens of various sizes to highlight each nominee and their important work. Check out more information on the 2019 Heroes and see our set in action here.

Congratulations to all ten honorees; we already can’t wait for next year!

Express Scripts Lab Connects People to Healthcare Solutions

November 15, 2019

Healthcare can be confusing and expensive. To alleviate these issues, we created a working lab for Express Scripts to assist their mission of taking on America’s toughest healthcare challenges. Tim Wentworth, President of Express Scripts and Cigna Heath Services explains their goal with this state of the art facility in Missouri.

“In this rapidly changing healthcare landscape, there has never been a more important time to double down on our investment in research and technology, and in the incredibly talented St. Louis community, so we can create a better healthcare experience for the people we serve.” We focused on taking the visitor on a journey through the physical lab to connect them directly with experts and data to deliver solutions for several different healthcare pain points.

We designed the space to combine real-time information on tracking LED screens with collaboration areas, office space, and a state of the art command center. This new “Voice of the Customer” command center integrates artificial intelligence, machine learning, and billions of data elements to help isolate precisely what patients, and their physicians, need to improve service, care, outcomes, and lower costs. A team of 160 experts work in the St. Louis based headquarters and helped drive $14 billion of unnecessary costs from the healthcare industry in the first half of 2019, alone. This is our third phase of an ongoing project with Express Scripts, and we are excited to help people get closer to the healthcare solutions they need. Check out Express Scripts’ full press release here.

Liaoning TV Transmedia Center

November 11, 2019

The Liaoning TV transmedia center is an impressive collection of technology contained in a long, narrow space which developed from concept renderings to a completed project in just under three months. Consisting of a command center at an immersive LED dashboard and approximately 30 workstations amidst a central LED ingest column, large-format social media feeds, and a secondary dedicated LED screen — paired with sleek white finishes and cove lighting throughout — the transmedia center boasts a truly cutting-edge aesthetic. Moreover, this hybrid space is designed to offer multiple stand-up positions; bringing the camera into the workspace effectively erases the lines between information collection, data processing, and the traditional polished broadcast.

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