Detroit Lions fans were a patient bunch while their team suffered through years of losing football. But last season, they finally had something to celebrate as their resurgent hometown heroes came within one game of making the Super Bowl. The team’s long-awaited return to glory was marked by many dazzling plays as their coach, Dan Campbell, became famous for his innovative, outside-the-box play calling. This spring, the Lions dazzled fans again. However, this time, the excitement wasn’t the result of a spectacular run or gravity-defying catch; it sprang from the unveiling of sleek new uniforms for the upcoming 2024 season.
NFL regulations allow teams to change the look of their uniforms every five years. The Lions could have come out with new threads two years ago, but they held off. Like the team’s spectacular comeback season, the three new uniforms they unveiled were well worth the wait, especially the alternative black one with stark blue lettering that the team has dubbed “Motor City Muscle.”
The Lions held a reveal event for the new uniforms at their Ford Field home, drawing thousands of fans. The same stage was also used for the Detroit Lions NFL Draft Party, showcasing the efficient planning and utilization of the setup. Both events were executed flawlessly, thanks to the dedicated effort and teamwork of 4Wall Entertainment’s Detroit crew.
Led by VP of Live Events Joe Leahy, the 4Wall team of Kareem Harris, Gary McGarity, Ross Zhang, Xavier Williamson, Jason Dunk, Robert McGoldrick, Jon Sogoian, Johnny Pike, Michael Gallacher, Brian Lavender, Tommy Minkowski, Joshua Ruhlman, and Rahul Samuel set a stylish, upbeat tone for the reveal event.
Helping them in this effort were 113 CHAUVET Professional fixtures, including 14 Maverick MK3 Washes, 48 COLORado PXL Bar 16 motorized battens, 14 Color STRIKE M strobe-washes, 14 STRIKE Array 4 blinders, 20 EPIX Strip IP one-meter linear units, and five Cloud 9 foggers.
Working with a 58’ x 38’ mobile stage with an 80’ T-shaped thrust and 29-30’ trim, the team created a bold setting on the field that came off well for live spectators. Three large video walls ran the width of the stage, and a horizontally oriented screen ran across its top, all of which were supplied, installed, programmed, and operated by 4Wall. The video content displayed during the reveal event was shot at the 4Wall Detroit warehouse utilizing Chauvet gear.
The start of the actual reveal was chilling, as the big stadium became dark, with almost all the light coming from video walls, which displayed narrated images. Then when the video ended the COLORado PXL Bar 16s positioned on the runway deck, bathed the entire area in the Lion’s blue team color. Next, as players entered wearing the new uniforms, the rig’s Mavericks created crossing beam patterns, while the Color STRIKE M units strobed accenting the fog from the Cloud 9s, and the EPIX STRIP fixtures on rolling truss carts served up some dynamic backlight that matched the mood perfectly.
Further information from CHAUVET Professional: www.chauvetprofessional.com
