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Wednesday, February 26, 2020
CBS News previews its debate stage set design
NewscastStudio: CBS News introduced its debate set on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020’s “CBS This Morning” — and the look, like others used this cycle, relies heavily on LED panels but also adds a “forced perspective” look.
LED panels are becoming more widely used throughout theater. It is interesting to remember that news organizations employ the use of LED panels too, especially for live events, such as the Democratic Debate last night. News organizations have always tried to represent itself as cutting edge and stream lined in their set designs. CBS recently has redesigned their production sets for their news television shows, using a lot of straight lines, LED panels for graphics, and overall a more futuristic approach to news. For the Democratic Debate, they incorporated those elements. The 3 upside down L shaped LED panels on either side of the stage (making it 6 total), create a forced perspective for the audience, while also creating depth to the stage. The candidates stood in front of a horizontal LED panel as well. However, for a debate that's primary focus is the candidates, I question the use of the LED panels. Yes, they look cool and futuristic, but I doubt they changed a lot over the course of the debate so it wouldn't distract the audience from the candidates. Maybe just having one horizontal LED panel behind the candidates would have been enough, with the upside down L's just being regular flats.
I think it’s really cool how everyone involved in television, and any form of it at that, uses media and electricity. Obviously it's needed because the stage/set needs to be lit, but I think it’s cool that it’s used in a way to enhance spectacle, even in a setting such as a debate. The LED wall creating a perspective false room, is really interesting and I didn’t know that it was an LED wall doing that. The fact that there are lights in color that are strategically placed high above the floor to cast a red and blue tint is also interesting. I think these things strike me because the elements that are implemented are quite seamless, so therefore I’m having trouble noticing how electronics are used, especially in a debate setting. A lot of the lights and media go unnoticed because the focus is on the debate, but actually everything surrounding the debate puts the audience as well as candidates/speakers in a certain mindset.
I never realized how much the stage design alone increased the intensity of these debates. Just looking at it without the candidates, I can still feel the tension in the room. The bold colors create such a presence on the stage. They are loud. They are not necessarily colors that go together, but because they are always together, they fit, even though they are competing with each other for dominant presence on stage. Cutting through the blue and red with the white lines helps bring them together as well as make them less like blobs of opposing colors everywhere, but the straight lines and sharp edges creates a feeling on seriousness. There’s no playing around here, and no time to make light of anything, not even through design. I know that we are already ingrained to know that those colors gives a sense of importance, but the way they are used here is very efficient in subtly creating that atmosphere. It’s interesting to see how much the mood changes and you’re able to get off of the edge of your seat when the camera shows the house with it’s much more calming design.
3 comments:
LED panels are becoming more widely used throughout theater. It is interesting to remember that news organizations employ the use of LED panels too, especially for live events, such as the Democratic Debate last night. News organizations have always tried to represent itself as cutting edge and stream lined in their set designs. CBS recently has redesigned their production sets for their news television shows, using a lot of straight lines, LED panels for graphics, and overall a more futuristic approach to news. For the Democratic Debate, they incorporated those elements. The 3 upside down L shaped LED panels on either side of the stage (making it 6 total), create a forced perspective for the audience, while also creating depth to the stage. The candidates stood in front of a horizontal LED panel as well. However, for a debate that's primary focus is the candidates, I question the use of the LED panels. Yes, they look cool and futuristic, but I doubt they changed a lot over the course of the debate so it wouldn't distract the audience from the candidates. Maybe just having one horizontal LED panel behind the candidates would have been enough, with the upside down L's just being regular flats.
I think it’s really cool how everyone involved in television, and any form of it at that, uses media and electricity. Obviously it's needed because the stage/set needs to be lit, but I think it’s cool that it’s used in a way to enhance spectacle, even in a setting such as a debate. The LED wall creating a perspective false room, is really interesting and I didn’t know that it was an LED wall doing that. The fact that there are lights in color that are strategically placed high above the floor to cast a red and blue tint is also interesting. I think these things strike me because the elements that are implemented are quite seamless, so therefore I’m having trouble noticing how electronics are used, especially in a debate setting. A lot of the lights and media go unnoticed because the focus is on the debate, but actually everything surrounding the debate puts the audience as well as candidates/speakers in a certain mindset.
I never realized how much the stage design alone increased the intensity of these debates. Just looking at it without the candidates, I can still feel the tension in the room. The bold colors create such a presence on the stage. They are loud. They are not necessarily colors that go together, but because they are always together, they fit, even though they are competing with each other for dominant presence on stage. Cutting through the blue and red with the white lines helps bring them together as well as make them less like blobs of opposing colors everywhere, but the straight lines and sharp edges creates a feeling on seriousness. There’s no playing around here, and no time to make light of anything, not even through design. I know that we are already ingrained to know that those colors gives a sense of importance, but the way they are used here is very efficient in subtly creating that atmosphere. It’s interesting to see how much the mood changes and you’re able to get off of the edge of your seat when the camera shows the house with it’s much more calming design.
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