On November 19th in college cafeterias and dorm rooms everywhere, all inquisitive eyes were lit up for the mtvU 2008 Woodie Awards telecast, very much to the credit of Scharff Weisberg's eager-to-please efficiency.
In the heart of New York City, Roseland's doors swung wide-open as mtvU, the college TV potpourri, doled out the trophies to the best hot new artists, breaking bands, and even first forays into film and video.
Lighting designer Christopher Landy of Vibrant Design explains that this year's show's took on a more streamlined appearance: "The approach in year's past has been more old school, par cans and other familiar rock gear creating a grungier club environment." Landy once again teamed up with production Designer Tom Lenz. "This year Tom & I took a simpler, cleaner approach with the set and lighting. That said, video took on a dominate role." The performance stage consisted of three wood plank walls that acted as projection surfaces. "We used three DL3 Fixtures to create unique looks for each act. We certainly got our mileage out of them"
Michael Appel programmed the show on a grandMA, with Paul Sonleitner driving the content. Ronnie Skopak was in charge of a rig that consisted of 7 Coemar Infintity XL, 10 VL3000 Spots, 26 VL2500 Spots, 32 VL2500 Washes, 4 VL1000's, 18 Mac 700 Wash, 2 HES Shoguns, 8 Atomic 3000 Strobes, 22 Pixel Line 1044, 90 Colorblast 12, 6 Robert Juliat Ivanhoe followspots and 48 Source Four Pars.
Landy enjoys working closely with the staff of Scharff Weisberg. "Shows like this are filled with last minute changes as well as budget constraints. I rely on the shop to roll with those changes and to come up with creative solutions at a moments notice. Producers don't like to hear that something can't happen, with Scharff Weisberg I am not put in a position to have to say 'No', the gear works and the service is impeccable".
Scharff Weisberg and Video Applications, firms with extensive histories in the presentation and staging markets, recently announced a co-ownership agreement. While continuing to operate independently, the two companies work together strategically to provide clients with state-of-the-art audio, video, lighting equipment and services. With a strong presence on both coasts, Scharff Weisberg and Video Applications are able to deliver a large array of cost-effective services on a national level. For more information, call 212-582-2345 or visit our website at www.scharffweisberg.com. For more information on Video Applications, visit www.videoapps.com.