STUDIO HEADLINES

CNN Adapts to News Cycle in Real-Time with Vizrt

March 24, 2020 · Debuts, News 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.... read more

Versatile CNN Studio 19x Hosts Town Hall on Coronavirus

March 11, 2020 · Debuts, News 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 ... read more

NBC Democratic Debate Field Narrows in Las Vegas

February 20, 2020 · Debuts, News

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 · Debuts, News 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 ... read more

Clickspring’s CNN Iowa Debate Set Shines in Intimate Venue

January 15, 2020 · Debuts, News 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 ... read more