The 30th Annual Evvy Awards

The Evvy Awards are the largest student produced multi-cam awards show in the nation. I was incredibly fortunate to be the lighting designer for the Evvys 30th anniversary, working with an amazing production team.

The Evvy Awards annually honors Emerson students in their respective fields with awards in Behind The Scenes, Theatre, Performance, Broadcast, and Film. The two hour and thirty minute, 16 camera production is broadcast live across Boston and across the nation via an online webcast. A team of nearly 220 students works in every production role for nearly 6 months to complete such an incredible show.

The concept of the 30th Annual Evvy Awards was to honor both the history and future of Emerson College. I worked very closely with scenic designer, David Blaakman, and executive producer, Pat Lambert, to develop a cohesive and achievable concept. The show’s look and feel needed to be cohesive through each department. With Evvys 30 came a new addition to the show – the Best Vocal Performer award. This accolade was awarded after a live performance from the three finalists the night of the broadcast. The lighting for each piece needed to be unique and, as the theme was a bit more modern and pop influenced – it had to be aesthetically energetic.

I took a very modern approach to the design of the show this year. I wanted the freedom to pre-visualize the show as well as achieve a wide variety of looks, including a large scale vocal performance look. Movement was essential to this years production, as was dynamic range of color and versatility. The fixture that really made the show was the Clay Paky Sharpy. It’s tight beam and speedy movement made it an asset on the deck. It cut through the haze and offered a great deal of aerial affects. Rich colors and a variety of textures enhanced each awards category. Heavy backlight and deep contrast also defined performers and gave each segment its own realm. The precisely time-coded musical numbers, including the opening, were achieved with incredible attention to detail and a fantastic cast of performers.

An element that was of utmost importance to me was the incorporation of creative video content into the scenic and lighting design. As LED screens are expensive and a dime a dozen – I wanted to opt for something more creative. After nearly two months of research, the idea of a video wall came to fruition. The wall was made of High End Systems ShowPIX in a 4 unit high by 8 unit wide grid, equalling 32 fixtures. The wall stood 15′ tall and was over 32′ wide. The content for the wall was all custom created between the lighting and graphics teams and was pixelmapped and distributed by High End Systems Echo software. The wall not only provided an enormous segmented and creative video wall, it also provided eye candy and endless backdrop possibilities. The movement of the ShowPIX only added another dimension to the creative content.

With limited time and a pop-influenced soundtrack and performances, I opted for a fully automated rig. The show was largely pre-visualized in GrandMA 3D with a GrandMA2 Ultralite, swapped out for a GrandMA2 Light for the broadcast. Creative Stage Lighting (NY) and Adavanced Lighting Production Services (MA) provided the main rig, while United Staging and Rigging (MA) provided the rigging. The majority of the ShowPIX fixtures were provided by Mainlight Industries (DE).

The 30th Annual Evvy Awards was an unbelievable experience and  truly embodies the work and talent of Emerson College. A sold out audience, widely viewed broadcast, Kevin Bright and all involved agree 100%.