WASHINGTON DC — Over a million people gathered on the National Mall and along the inaugural parade route to witness history in the making when Barack Obama took the oath of office as the 44th president of the U.S. For those lucky enough to have made it to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, it was up close and personal. But for the rest of the crowd, most of which surrounded the Reflecting Pool, IMAG played a big part in helping one of the largest crowds to ever assemble in the nation’s capital witness the historic moment.
GoVision supplied four large LED displays made by Daktronics, including one of the world’s largest high-definition mobile LED units, for the swearing in ceremonies. The 19-foot-high, 33-foot-wide GoBigger was the largest of the displays. Just 50 feet away from President Obama was tractor trailer with a 17-foot-by-27-foot Daktronics 23mm ProStar video display supplied by Upstage Video.
Along with the presidential inauguration, Upstage Video provided LED screens during Obama’s whistle-stop train tour with an LED display and camera support in Wilmington, Del. and Baltimore, Md. That support including the use of two Barco B10 mobile LED units and a custom 9-foot-by-16-foot Daktronics mobile unit with control room.
“We are simply overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation to not only experience, but also to play a part in this historic event,” said Doug Murray, CEO of Upstage Video.
GoVision also supported a welcome-home rally for former president George W. Bush in Midland, Tex., a video feed of the inauguration in Chicago’s Pioneer Court, and a similar event at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. on inauguration day.
“We believe Jan. 20 will go down as the biggest large-screen rental day in history,” said Chris Curtis, CEO of GoVision LP., who had fielded calls from organizers of events in several cities across the country and provide screens “for both sides of the political spectrum.”
“We are pleased that our screens will be a little part of history on the world’s biggest stage,” said Myron Linde, Daktronics mobile and modular sales manager, whose screens were used by both GoVision and Upstage Video.
Before and after the inaugural speech, production crews were busy on a bevy of televised events as well, including three produced by the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee executive produced by Ricky Kirshner: We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial (HBO), Kids’ Inaugural: We Are the Future (Disney Channel) and The Neighborhood Ball: An Inaugural Celebration (ABC)
Glenn Weiss/White Cherry Entertainment, executive producers of the 2009 Super Bowl Halftime Show and the 2009 Tony Awards, co-produced The Neighborhood Ball, which featured a long list of celebrity performers including Beyoncé, who sang “At Last” for the president and his wife’s ceremonial dance as First Couple.
