The results are in, and this year’s big game was the third most watched television program ever. More than 118 million viewers and 7 million streamers watched as The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles went head-to-head in the big game, and Rihanna took the stage during Halftime for her first performance since 2018. PRG brought technical labor, lighting, rigging, networking, and LEDs to 2023’s pregame coverage and player introductions, and once again provided lighting and networking for the Apple Music Halftime Show.
Here are a few highlights of PRG’s participation:
Pregame LED, Lighting, and Rigging
Production Club was back designing the custom light show, video wall, and display featured in FOX sports coverage prior to Sunday’s game. PRG provided lighting and LED for the Lombardi Trophy presentation, lighting for DJ Snake’s performance, and lighting and LED for the player intros.
Live locker room footage featured PRG’s tunnel lighting and LED walls. Then, players from both teams entered the field through custom carts fabricated by All Access, outfitted in ROE Visual CB5 LED panels and lighting supplied by PRG. Production Club described it as “a vornado of scenic, lighting, SFX, and video.” Visuals were Art Directed by Native Arizonian and Navajo Artist Randy L. Barton. Tim Fallon acted as the Technical Director with Sophie Reeves as Lead Producer and Griffin Behm as Designer and LD for the segment.
PRG sent six lighting technicians, a fiber networking engineer, and an on-site project manager for the pregame segment. The lighting order included four MA Lighting grandMA2 consoles distributed on site and more than 100 fixtures.
Halftime Lighting and Networking
Rihanna made her highly anticipated, gravity-defying debut to the halftime stage, featuring seven flown platforms, more than 200 dancers in all white, and zero guest performers. This was Rihanna’s solo moment, and the Roc Nation superstar artist did not disappoint, playing a medley of her biggest hits before finishing off the 13-minute mash-up with a performance of her song “Diamonds”.
PRG has been the trusted lighting provider of the halftime show for more than 20 years, and this year, in partnership with PRG Forum, is once again providing lighting and fiber network integration throughout the stadium for the lighting design by Al Gurdon and Ben Green. The Lighting Director was Harry Forster, with Eric Marchwinski and Mark Humphrey programming the show and Alen Sisul gaffing. Willo Perron conceptualized the show, with Bruce Rodgers as Creative Director and Production Designer.
Gear from PRG included cables, networking, power, infrastructure and more than 600 lighting fixtures, among them six proprietary PRG’s GroundControl Followspot System, controlled by three full-size MA Lighting grandMA3 consoles and one grandMA3 light console.
During the Halftime commentary, fans got a glimpse of the 7.5-minute setup, as the crew quickly assembled the stage and all production elements. “This halftime show was a historic moment for Roc Nation, and PRG was proud to support it,” said PRG VP of Sales Tony Ward. “Providing lighting for the most watched moment in television is a challenge and a privilege that we look forward to taking on each year.”
You can read more about the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show in the March issue of PLSN.
To learn more about PRG’s work in television, click here
Pre-Game Lighting Crew
Lighting Designer & LD: Griffin Behm
Technical Director: Tim Fallon
Lead Producer: Sophie Reeves
PRG Account Executive: Bobby Allen
PRG Project Manager: Bryan Barry
Fiber / Stadium Lighting Tech: Michael Dodge
Lighting PM: Josh Fenn
Lighting Crew Chief: Thomas Walls
Lighting Tech: Luis “Koach” Collazo
Lighting Tech: Shawn Whitton
Lighting Tech: Ryan Textor
LED Lead: Josh Marrano
LED Tech: Colton Carroll
Halftime Show
Design Concept by Willo Perron and Rihanna
Creative Direction and Production Design: Bruce Rodgers
Art Direction: Shelley Rodgers, Lindsey Breslauer, Maria Garcia and Lily Rodgers.
Art Department: Regan Eastland
Lighting Team
Lighting Designer: Al Gurdon and Ben Green
Lighting Director: Harry Forster
Lighting Director/ML Programmer: Eric Marchwinski and Mark Humphrey
Gaffer: Alen Sisul
Lead Best Boy: John Cox
Best Boys: Dennis Sisul, Chris Latsch, Damon Isaacks
Best Boys / Followspots: Adam Hagin, Michael Smallman, Daisy Toledo, Ron Murphy
Previs Tech: Nicholas Coauette
Lighting Systems Tech: Jonathan Martin and Aria Grosvenor
PRG Chief Tech: Robb Minnotte
PRG Lead Techs: Matt Genezcko, Janos Bode
22 Degrees Lighting Project Coordinator: Marie Turner
PRG Account Managers: Tony Ward and Patrick Osuna
Roc Nation
Executive Producer/Director: Shawn Carter
Executive Producer/Co-Director: Desiree Perez
Associate Director: Cameron Whitelaw
Executive Producers: Jesse Collins and Jay Brown
Producer/Director: Hamish Hamilton
Co-Executive Producer: Dionne Harmon
Event Producer: Dave Meyers
Roc Nation: Jana Fleishman
Supervising Producer: Aaron Cooke
Pre-Game Gear
Lighting
8 Vari-Lite VL6000
20 GLP JDC Line 1000
14 Martin VDO Fatron
38 Martin Rush PAR 2
7 ARRI SkyPanel
10 Chroma-Q Color Force II 72
3 Chroma-Q Color Force II 48
2 ETC Source Four Lustr LED
LED
40 ROE Visual CB5 LED Panel
5x ROE Visual CB3 LED Panel
Control
2 MA Lighting grandMA2 full-size Console
2 MA Lighting grandMA2 light Console
13 Pathway VIA12 6740 w/SM SFP
11 Pathway OCTO
4 Pathway eLink
Halftime Lighting
Lighting
3 MA Lighting grandMA3 full-size Console
1 MA Lighting grandMA3 light Console
146 Vari-Lite VL3600 Profile
35 Vari-Lite VL2600
72 Robe Robin 1200
325 GLP X4
76 TMB Solaris Flare Followspot
6 Strong Gladiator IV Followspot
6 Britebox Flame LT3000 Followspot
6 PRG GroundControl Long Throw Followspot
2 Zactrack PRO Server
Atmosphere
4 MDG theONE Haze and Fog Machine
8 Reel EFX Diffusion DF-50
8 Reel EFX Fans
Networking
24 PRG Virtuoso Super Node
2 SMPTE Distripalyzer Brainstorm
24 Pathway VIA12 6742
