New York-based design/animation boutique Mr. Wonderful transformed historic Carnegie Hall into a theatrical CBS spectacular for the network’s 2013/2014 season upfront. Consultants on the event’s animation design for the last two years, the Mr. Wonderful team was called upon once again to elevate the presentation to a new level by entirely engulfing the audience in CBS imagery from the moment they set foot in the iconic theater.
Click HERE to see the 2013/2014 CBS upfront cut down.
Collaborating closely with the CBS Creative Team, the event Set Designer, Lighting Designer, Watchout Programmer Keith Tromer and the World Stage/Video Applications projection team, Mr. Wonderful utilized trompe l’oeil style projection on screens covering the Carnegie Hall proscenium in order to design graphic transitions that would change the whole space and create a variety of moods and theatrical stages throughout the presentation. The massive projection operation required 18 overlapping projectors and took 2 ½ days to set up. Notes Mr. Wonderful‘s Executive Producer Damien Henderson, “Until you actually see the animations projected, you really cannot fully visualize the experience. When we first saw them, it was unbelievable—so enormous and transformative.”
Mr. Wonderful worked with CBS Executive Producer Jane Gottlieb and CBS Creative Director Lacy Daigle to incorporate the CBS branding into the historic venue, utilizing CG projections to depict transformative moments in the show, essentially delivering scenic changes through shifts in the graphic animations.
For this year’s Broadway theme, Mr. Wonderful transformed the space into a virtual Broadway set in carefully timed sequences. For example, the entire cast of “How I Met Your Mother” performed a theatrical musical spoof with rising, animated cityscapes towering behind them. When David Letterman took the stage, Mr. Wonderful transformed it into The Ed Sullivan Theater where “Late Show with David Letterman” is famously taped. The casts of “NCIS,” “The Big Bang Theory” and actor Robin Williams also made appearances.
Notes Mr. Wonderful‘s Creative Director Beirne Lowry, “Bringing the CBS branding into the entire space highlights the power of the network’s current #1 ranking. And the imagery came to life in a multidimensional way. This wasn’t like watching a movie projected on a flat screen—it had real depth and appeared amorphous. It was a joy to see how the graphics truly transformed Carnegie Hall into a home for CBS.”
About Mr. Wonderful
Mr. Wonderful is a creative-production studio specializing in concept-driven motion design, branding and effects for television, film, interactive and environmental media. The studio was founded in 2005 on the simple principle that everything can be enhanced with good design. Our backgrounds are diverse, as are our clients. We are illustrators, animators, writers, musicians, painters, sculptors, wood carvers, photographers and directors. We love the creative process. We hate boilerplate. And we look forward to making something wonderful with you. www.mrwonderful.tv
