NEW YORK — Donald Trump was stumped. Marlee Matlin and John Rich were neck-and-neck in charity fund-raising and both were exemplary apprentices. But only one could be hired. However, when it came to the production crew to air this live NBC broadcast, there was no contest: Pete’s Big TVs was hired once again for the May 22 in the final live broadcast.
The set depended on video screens in a variety of sizes and resolutions to display scenic images and live action from Def Leppard, the Harlem Globetrotters, David Cassidy and other celebrities. Technical producer Gayle De Poli of Pink Slip Productions and production designer Seth Easter worked with Pete’s Big TVs of New Castle, DE to create the visual landscape of live and static images displayed within the set.
There are challenges when incorporating video screens into the set. Along with finding the right panels to do the best job and meeting a budget, the cameras must “read” the screens clearly at all angles, De Poli noted. “To resolve all that we only put panels where they could be seen on camera or by our theatre audience,” she said.
The main screen hung at center stage was a Lighthouse R6B 6mm LED screen. It was framed to resemble a large painting but displayed live action and highlights from the season’s episodes.
“The smaller the millimeter of the LED screen, the finer the resolution will be and the better it will look to the audience both in-house and at home. The 6mm center framed screen could be shot at any angle with our video cameras. They looked perfectly seamless from every shot,” De Poli said. “I absolutely love that new 6mm screen. Couldn’t shoot if from a bad angle. There wasn’t one.”
Surrounding a large part of the set was an LED 20mm flex screen, which curved in a half-moon shape. An image of New York at night could be seen on the screen. “It looked like the set was on a rooftop in Manhattan,” De Poli said. “Very pretty. The screens looked so awesome.”
As technical producer, De Poli procured all of the audio and video, the transmission to NBC, and managed the live production tech crew. The creative team came up with the ideas and De Poli was tasked with executing their vision. “I have to get the very best the market has to offer, set it up in a timely manner to stay on schedule with the production plans and stay on budget,” she said.
De Poli once again turned to Pete’s Big TVs, as she has done since they were known as Performance AV, she noted. “They have been my source from the early 1990s for large screens and custom fly-pack HD video systems. Each year the technology improves and Pete’s Big TV’s stays ahead of the curve by continually upgrading their inventory.”
Pete’s Big TV crew included techs Matt Ellar and Rob Maloney.
As it turned out, Trump chose John Rich, songwriter of “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy,” over Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin.
For more information, please visit www.petesbigtvs.com.
