CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Super Bowl Set Designer Shares Inspiration for Historic Hip Hop Show

The Hollywood Reporter: Minutes after the debut of this year's Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show, viewers pored over the details and Compton reference points. The show's mastermind shares the original plans with The Hollywood Reporter and how it pays homage to South Los Angeles and Dr. Dre.

2 comments:

Lilian Nara Kim said...

Even as a kid, I think I’ve always been dazzled by the behind the scenes more than the actual performance itself. It always seemed like a little secret for me, like being Santa’s elves or something. Especially live entertainment, where the stage is literally put up and striked in a matter of minutes. Even now, I am endlessly entertained by sped-up strike and setup videos on youtube. I liked that this year in the super bowl, there was not only the lighting and electrics highlighted, but also the set. I think the idea of the “neighborhood” is so fun and so childish, but in a good way. It really makes me excited. I am also always amazed by the scale of all these productions. The Super Bowl is one of the few times a year for live entertainment in which the performance is supported more by lighting and sound. I liked that this year, things were supported by the set as well, and that it was well received.

John Alexander Farrell said...

Calling the Super Bowl LVI halftime show 2022 a “historic halftime show” is a bit of a stretch, isn't it? Well, that just be my interpretation of the production value. I wasn't a big fan. But I guess the performance and, more specifically, the performers, definitely marked Super Bowl history. As a person of the backstage (because I don’t consider myself a designer), I love reading about the intentions and processes behind designers' realized vision. Devlin’s comment on the show being more of a suit sculpture or parade than a light show was fascinating and, in my opinion, the right way to go about designing a spectacle like this. On a side note, I truly believe people underestimate the power of performing at the Super Bowl. The following day of his performance, Eminem's "Lose Yourself" entered the top 10 of the United States of America Spotify chart for the first time ever.