Super Bowl halftime lighting.

derekleffew

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SuperBowl Half-Time Show loses control

I haven't seen it yet, in fact just got back from the Fashion Show Mall, where they have a fashion show every half-hour, using a grandMA, moving trusses, and about 60 M2Ks.

Anyone know what happened at the SuperBowl? Gonna watch it on TiVo right now.
 
Re: SuperBowl Half-Time Show loses half its lights

I was so bored I went to check my e-mail. Not a Petty fan, but I figured that he could keep my interest for 15 minutes. I was wrong. The stage was dull, lighting was dull, too many audience cutaways, and the whole band looked like they were coming off a 3 day drunk. And believe me, I know what that looks like.
 
Re: SuperBowl Half-Time Show loses half its lights

On the contrary, I thought halftime was one of the better ones I've seen. Mix started off a little weak, but got better. Bass was a little lacking, as were the solos at first. But I thought the last song sounded pretty good. Can't comment as to the lighting, other than it appealed to me.
 
Re: SuperBowl Half-Time Show loses half its lights

Didn't mean to alarm anyone. Apparently, during the final 30 seconds, a portion of the upper audience lights stayed yellow, when all others turned blue, indicating a data distribution issue. I watched carefully and couldn't see it. During the opening, the neon guitar outline (which was actually VersaTubes), had a portion missing (bad or unplugged connection). Also the first cue for the front spots to pickup Tom Petty was late. I thought the content on the SoftLEDs could have been more interesting, and the Falcon AlphaOnes could have been better used. It was fun to see a 2416 as a floor light though, nothing like using an eight year-old fixture. Amazing the time and money spent to produce that 12 minute, 3 song set. More than most of us will make in our lifetimes.

The Rolling Stones were much better, I felt.
 
I agree Bill. It pretty much was the same movement, just with different colors or strobing. The one thing I did like was the very beginning, with the LED heart outline, then the LED outline guitar moving into it. The LED back video walls were neat too, but who hasn't done that now.

One thing I couldn't tell were if the back line of movers are Showguns. They looked like it, but no LED ring. Also saw some VL500s in a few shots. The LEDs around the stages looked like Elation's Octo Strips. So quite a mix of lighting toys.
 
I think the far upstage fixtures on the field were syncro lights because in the last part of the last song there was a scroller roll. Showguns are CMY. Could have been big lites.
 
I believe the upstage lights were Falcon Xenons. I got an e-mail from LSA earlier this week that said this:
"During the Halftime Show, which this year features TOM PETTY & THE
HEARTBREAKERS, 18 FALCON 7Ks will play on the field while 14 FALCON
6000s will play on an upstage truss. The XLII Super Bowl Halftime Show
is produced by Don Mischer Productions and White Cherry Productions.
Also at the Superbowl, 10 FALCON 3K(tm) BEAMS are being used on the NFL
Pepsi Smash Concert Series."
 
US floor lights were Falcons, not Syncrolites or Showguns, outlining the stage were VersaTubes. I think the VL500s were actually 2416s. Correction VL5Arcs.
 
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Re: SuperBowl Half-Time Show loses half its lights

On the contrary, I thought halftime was one of the better ones I've seen. Mix started off a little weak, but got better. Bass was a little lacking, as were the solos at first. But I thought the last song sounded pretty good. Can't comment as to the lighting, other than it appealed to me.


I wasn't focused on the sound. My home speakers aren't that great, so I really ignore the sound quality since a bad mix could be my fault. As for the lighting and the band, and the performance, I stand by my earlier comments. Dull, dull, and duller.
 
I reckon the use of the 2416's was quite good. I loved the use of a classic fixture, however I do agree with Bill and the others that the LD wasted so much possibility with his use of moving heads. They could have been so much better. In saying that, the crew might have been a bit more on the ball aswell with late pick ups and dodgy connections on the VersaTubes. But thats bound to happen in any show.

I did see a video, can't remember where now, of that disto error where a foh balcony stayed yellow, but not sure about the causes.

But an interesting superbowl nonetheless. But I think its safe to say, we've all seen better.
 
I can't wait for the livedesign covering it. :) student = free subscription.

Also: Was generally unimpressed, obviously time went into making it all happen, but the design was...lacking. Prince last year was awesome. This? Not so much.

Oh well, I guess I should've said yes when they asked me to design it :lol:

Phil
 
What were the lights on the upper bowl of the stadium? They seemed to be changing color and strobing as well. Maybe I missed it, but, where were the fixtures hung that were providing the color washes as well as the front key light. I didn't see any DS truss so I'm assuming they were hung from the top ring of the stadium? Does anyone have a complete list of the lighting rig?

EDIT: Does this thread happen to be a necropost? Is it just a coincidence that a thread about the superbowl 2008 lighting appears on the day of the 2009 superbowl?
 
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Why yes it is a Necropost... unless Bruce Springsteen has somehow turned into Tom Petty.
 
Very unimpressed. I hate to say it but it looked like a first year moving light student's final design.

*yawn*

Mike
 

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