Live Design Award Winner: Full Flood

Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images.

For a second year, Live Design recognizes outstanding individual designers and teams for excellence in design achievement. This year, six winners are honored: Abe Jacob, for a legendary career in sound design; Beowulf Boritt, for innovation in scenic design on and Off-Broadway; Laura Frank, for technical excellence in media technology for television, special events, theatre, concerts, film, and corporate; Full Flood for the best in live broadcast lighting for awards shows and special events; Natasha Katz, for sustained achievement in theatrical lighting design; and Seven Design Works (LeRoy Bennett, Cory FitzGerald, and Tobias Rylander), for creativity in collaboration for concert tours, film, and television. The awards will be presented Monday, June 13, 2016 at Upper Story by Charlie Palmer in New York City.

Full Flood

Full Flood, a consortium of award-winning lighting designers and directors of photography who specialize in television and live events, has supported myriad projects since its inception in 1990. In all, the Full Flood team has garnered 24 Emmy Awards and represents over 150 years of industry experience. Ranging from the 1993 Super Bowl Halftime Show featuring Michael Jackson to Conan on TBS, over 25 Academy Awards broadcasts, and Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies in Vancouver, Athens, Salt Lake City, and Atlanta, the firm has designed lighting for many of the world’s most celebrated television specials, series, and live events, generally behind the scenes rather than in the spotlight.

Production designer Bruce Rodgers and scenic designer Derek McLane comment on working with Full Flood as they are honored with a Live Design Award for the best in live broadcast lighting for awards shows and special events.

My career would not be what it is today without Bob Dickinson. He opened many important doors and introduced me to great producers and network executives, giving us the chance to do big and exciting projects together. It’s been rewarding to work with both Bob Dickinson and Bob Barnhart after all these years, and I have learned a great deal from them. Along the way, I have gotten to know everyone at Full Flood, and I find the level of professionalism second to none. At the same time, it’s always a fun experience. I’ve had the honor and privilege to design with both Bobs on multiple live televised events, such as several Super Bowl Halftime Shows, starring Prince, The Who, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Tom Petty, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, and Coldplay. Other live televised events that we have collaborated on include the 2008, 2012, and the current 2016 Democratic National Conventions as well as President Obama’s Nomination speech at Invesco Stadium in 2008. In every case, I was fortunate to sit next to one Bob or the other and observe calm professional skills mixed with a sense of humor in the midst of sometimes terrifying live television. Congratulations on a well-deserved honor! 

—Bruce Rodgers, President of Tribe, Inc.

The 88th Annual Academy Awards. Photo by Kevin Winter, Getty Images.

Bob Dickinson and Bob Barnhart are a funny pair. Bob is as enthusiastic as Bob is dry (and if you know them, you will know that Dickinson is the idealist, and Barnhart is the dry one). Both are driven, exacting, and very talented men. They make an incredible, if somewhat unlikely team, each having his own different role, and with Barnhart able to fill both roles when Dickinson is stuck in traffic. I will say that what makes the two of them so indispensable to a projectand I have now done the Oscars with them four timesis their passion to make the show better, not only from a lighting perspective, but also to push the overall quality of the event. They have exquisite taste, and they are never afraid to advocate for the highest quality. I hope I have the good fortune to do many more projects with them.

—Derek McLane, Scenic Designer