Katy Perry performed an eye catching show during halftime at the Super Bowl football at the University of Phoenix stadium in Arizona, US. Lighting designer Bob Barnhart chose Clay Parky sharpy amongst a large array, Mythos and A.leda B-EYE K20 fixtures for the 12-minute show.
Lighting director Jason Rudolph chose to use a grandMA2 lighting console to control the projection and inflatable illuminated orbs.
Even before the halftime talent is selected, the venue sets the scene for the production and lighting design. “It all depends on what creative options the stadium offers,’ says Barnhart. “If the University of Phoenix stadium didn’t have a roof we couldn’t have done the projection, for example. Potential weather conditions are also a factor.’
“The Super Bowl is different – the halftime show had an amazing entrance and exit and a lot of different things happening in between, all in 12 minutes stuck in the middle of the US’s largest sporting event,’ says Barnhart. “The first two and a half minutes featured 600 glowing orbs, which provided eye candy that kept viewers wondering where it all was headed. We went from end zone to end zone twice: Katy started in the north end zone, joined Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott in the south end zone then went back to the north end zone for the flying rig. The show was physically very large and very ambitious in all areas.
Rudolph manned the grandMA2 light for video projection and orb control. “The grandMA2 light is my console of choice,’ he says. “It always performs well, and the Super Bowl was no exception.’
