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Lighting Designer Christopher Landy Engages “Lip Sync Battle” with Support from WorldStage

SpikeTV's "Lip Sync Battle" debuted to high ratings with lighting designed by Christopher Landy of Vibrant Design LLC with support from WorldStage for the series' New York shows. Based on a premise that originally appeared on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," the musical game show is hosted by LL Cool J with color commentary from Chrissy Teigen. Its debut on Spike, with Jimmy Fallon squaring off against Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, was the highest rated non-scripted premiere in Spike's history.

SpikeTV’s “Lip Sync Battle” debuted to high ratings with lighting designed by Christopher Landy of Vibrant Design LLC with support from WorldStage for the series’ New York shows.  Based on a premise that originally appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” the musical game show is hosted by LL Cool J with color commentary from Chrissy Teigen.  Its debut on Spike, with Jimmy Fallon squaring off against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, was the highest rated non-scripted premiere in Spike’s history.

“It’s such a high energy, feel-good show, that is just fun,” says Landy.  “For each show the talent performs two songs each, with round two featuring full-blown performances complete with choreography and dancers, wardrobe, sets, props, special effects and of course spectacular lighting.  Our goal is to make every performer feel like a rock star! We shoot two shows a day live-to-tape, so that’s eight performances a day- that’s a lot of looks and a lot of cueing.  To say my programmer Matthew Piercy is busy would be an understatement.”

Terry Jackson, WorldStage Vice President, Director of Lighting added, “The process of putting this show together was very collaborative among the designers, programmers and producer/creators. We were running full tilt, adding and subtracting gear, wrangling talent and juggling schedules. Chris and his team had to react to many different set-ups and guests while trying to make each episode fresh and dynamic.  It was very impressive and I believe it shows in the finished product.”

Landy says “speed is the key” to keeping up with the pace of a show of this magnitude.  He designed the rig in New York to offer “as many dynamic and diverse looks as possible.”

While it’s obliviously a heavy moving light show, conventional lights, such as Source Four lekos and PARs are combined with VL3500 to light the talent and audience, Landy says. Speaking of incandescent lamps he estimates that there are over 1,600 marquee lights are built into the set. “they never stop moving and add yet another layer to the show”. 

The moving light package consists of VARI*LITE 3500 spots, VARI*LITE 3000 washes, Clay Paky Sharpie Washes and Spots, Martin MAC Auras, Chroma-Q ColorForce LEDs, Color Kinetics TRX ColorBlazes and ColorBlasts.

WorldStage also provided a grandMA2 full-size console with three NPUs for lighting control with a grandMA2 light as a back up.  “We couldn’t keep up the pace without them,” Landy reports.

“Lip Sync Battle” has been renewed for a second season and will continue to evolve its lighting design, says Landy.  “Every day is a new adventure, as producers and talent get creative and competitive with their performance.  They keep Vibrant and World Stage on our toes!”

At Vibrant Design Abigail Wells is the associate lighting designer, Mike Covino the gaffer, Matthew Piercy is the Lighting Programmer and Bill Hopkins the second programmer.  For more information, visit www.vibrantdesign.tv.

WorldStage Inc., the company created by the merger of Scharff Weisberg Inc and Video Applications Inc, continues a thirty-year legacy of providing clients the widest variety of entertainment technology coupled with conscientious and imaginative engineering services. WorldStage provides audio, video and lighting equipment and services to the event, theatrical, broadcast and brand experience markets nationally and internationally. 

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