Have you ever wondered how the entire world has media coverage from the Super Bowl? Each year the amount of media increases with the increase in popularity of the Super Bowl. The NFL wants media coverage for the Super Bowl, but they do not want a chaotic media mess. NFL Films has helped to create an organized system that promotes quality shots for all of the media-the domestic compound.
Beginning at Super Bowl XXVII in Pasadena, NFL Films took charge in organizing the domestic compound. NFL Films manages all broadcasting, world feeds, cables, phone systems, etc. for the Super Bowl. The domestic compound is filled with all the media production trailers and trucks. It will be within the domestic compound crews will work tirelessly producing highlights and features for this year’s Super Bowl XLII.
Over 100 employees from NFL Films will be coming to the Valley to assist with the domestic compound. NFL Films organizes where all media will be located. Prior to game day, NFL Films organizes specific locations within the compound. The compound is located outside of the stadium in a large marked parking lot area. The area is broken down and numbered off for each specific media outlet. Prior to the Super Bowl, all the media crews know exactly where they can park and film coverage. Each media spot is provided with pre-run cables and a phone system to troubleshoot any problems.
In addition to the pre-marked parking areas, NFL Films also organizes a large scaffold for shots 12 feet above the ground. Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta, Georgia was the first Super Bowl to provide a scaffold for the media. The scaffold is also divided into predetermined areas for each media outlet.
NFL Films also organizes the entire after game field shots. Following the game, each media group is assigned a number that correlates to a section of rope on the field. The media must stand on their specific predetermined location. This organization helps the media groups determine beforehand how many feet of cable they will need inside of the stadium. Before the NFL took charge crews had to carry excess amount of cables into the stadiums.
So, this February 3 when you watch all the Super Bowl highlights and news just think of the massive organization that went into getting that great story!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Super Bowl Media Coverage
Friday, January 11, 2008
The Road to the Championship
The University of Phoenix Stadium parking lots are being transformed this week for the NFL Experience and for Super Bowl XLII. We will be posting pictures and comments from the stadium staff involved with the construction process.
Centerplate Executive Chef Sean Kavanaugh Prepares for Super Bowl Sunday
Halftime Show Entertainment and Production
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, one of America's greatest rock and roll bands, will perform in the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLII Halftime Show on FOX at University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona on Sunday, Feb. 3, the NFL announced today during the FOX NFL SUNDAY pregame show.
The halftime show is one of the most anticipated musical events of the year. Nearly 140 million viewers in the U.S. watched last year's show.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their debut album in 1976. Since that time, they have sold more than 50 million records and earned a reputation as being among the most successful and exciting touring acts in the business. Between the Heartbreakers' recordings and his solo work, Tom Petty has received 18 Grammy nominations. Honored with lifetime achievement awards, including Billboard's Century Award, MTV's Video Vanguard Award, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Tom Petty, with the Heartbreakers at his side, has achieved the status of legend among his fellow musicians and listeners worldwide.
Petty and the Heartbreakers are responsible for one of the richest deposits in the history of American song, with hits including "Free Fallin'," "Breakdown," "Refugee," "I Won't Back Down," "Mary Jane's Last Dance," "American Girl," "Don't Come Around Here No More," "The Waiting," "You Don't Know How It Feels," "Runnin' Down A Dream," and more. Petty is a founding member of The Traveling Wilburys, playing alongside George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne, and is recognized as one of rock and roll's most distinctive voices. For young bands looking to capture the authentic spirit of American rock and roll at its best, the Heartbreakers are the gold standard. The band's story, captured as never before in the recent Peter Bogdanovich documentary Runnin' Down A Dream, is a centerpiece in American musical history.
Joining an esteemed list of recent halftime acts that includes the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Prince, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers bring prestige and undiluted rock and roll to the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLII Halftime Show. The game and halftime show will be broadcast worldwide in more than 230 countries and territories.
This year marks the first time the Bridgestone brand has sponsored the Super Bowl halftime show. Bridgestone will also sponsor the Super Bowl XLIII halftime show in 2009.
The Bridgestone Super Bowl XLII Halftime Show is an NFL Network Production and will be executive produced and directed by White Cherry Entertainment and Don Mischer Productions. This same team produced the NFL Opening Kickoff 2007 special from Indianapolis. In addition to the halftime show, they also will produce the Super Bowl XLII pregame show. Don Mischer Productions will serve as executive producer and director, while White Cherry Entertainment, led by Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss, will serve as executive producers.
The NFL has worked the past four years with both Don Mischer Productions and White Cherry Entertainment on Opening Kickoff and Super Bowl shows. Last year's Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show starring Prince earned the producers two Emmy nominations.
(Courtesy of NFL.com)
Check out Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers NOW! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofwPKcnEOdE
Unique Retractable Roof
The University of Phoenix Stadium can be seen from miles away. This architectural masterpiece stands 206 feet above grade. One of the most unique aspects of this stadium is the state-of-the art roof, designed by engineers Walter P. Moore and Associates, Inc. This design is the first retractable roof that retracts along an arc, compared to other retractable roofs that operate on a single, flat plane. When open, the design provides the right balance of sun on the field and shade in the seats.
The roof uses more than 100,000 square feet of Teflon coated translucent fabric (provided by Birdair), which allows light to pass through. The translucent fabric reduces the need for interior lighting, saving electricity on the stadium’s daily operations and non-sports activities.The roof components were assembled on the ground, and then lifted as a single unit into place at the top of the stadium. The entire construction team worked closely together throughout the 3-day roof lift, which took place in February 2005.
The roof has two large 180-feet long by 240-feet wide panels that retract to uncover the entire playing field. The roof runs at two different speeds, operating at a maximum speed of 25 feet per minute (1/4 m.p.h.). From the open to half-open positions, the roof operates at a speed of 16 feet per minute. From the half-open to closed positions the roof operates at a speed of 25 feet per minute. These speeds take the curve of the roof track into consideration. The time to fully open or close the roof is approximately 12 minutes.
The retractable roof can be operated with up to 4 of 16 motors in each quadrant off line, and can be stopped with up to 7 of 16 brakes in each quadrant off-line. Every time roof movement is initiated, each one of a total of 64 brakes is automatically tested by the control system. In the unlikely event of catastrophic motor or brake failure, roof movement will not take place. This built-in testing and redundancy ensures that the roof will operate safely and reliably.
The Big Game Countdown Is On
As nearly 125,000 people descend upon Glendale AZ for the biggest sporting event in the world, Super Bowl XLII, all eyes will be on the University of Phoenix Stadium and its Global Spectrum staff. The facility was recently named the “Best Stadium in the NFL” in a Sports Business Journal reader’s poll and stadium employees plan to showcase its image as the NFL’s most unique multi-purpose facility.
“University of Phoenix Stadium is an amazing piece of architecture. I don’t think that any of the new stadiums coming online will approach the unique design utilized at University of Phoenix Stadium. Glendale should be very proud to have this stadium in their community,” said Frank Supovitz, Vice President of Events for the NFL.
The staff at University of Phoenix Stadium has been working for the last year and a half preparing for the game and the meetings and planning have picked up considerably in the last three months.
“This will obviously be the biggest event we have hosted so far. We feel we have a great plan in place and look forward to game day February 3rd,” said Peter C. Sullivan, General Manager. “As with any major event, it’s all in the details. Our team has been working with the NFL, the Arizona Host Committee, architects at HOK, the City of Glendale and our client, the Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority, to make sure the game goes off without a hitch. This is a huge opportunity for the building and our company and we are hopeful that this game will act as a catalyst in attracting other major events including the NCAA Final Four, WWE’s Wrestlemania, and future Super Bowls.”
It’s been twelve years since the game has been to the Valley of the Sun. Super Bowl XXX was held in 1996 at Arizona State University’s stadium in Tempe, AZ. A lot has changed since then as Phoenix has become the 5th largest city in the nation and a major tourist destination. The game has spurred incredible growth in the West Valley and will have an estimated economic impact of $400 million. Glendale has seen nine new hotels open around the facility and at least ten new restaurants and night spots are preparing to open in the city’s entertainment district adjacent to the stadium.
During the three weeks prior to the game the facility will undergo a total transformation. Inside the stadium TV live sets will be built and Super Bowl signage installed. The 14,000-space parking lot will become a sports-like park of its own with the construction of the 17th Annual NFL Experience, the ultimate football fan fest. It is pro football's interactive theme park offering participatory games, displays, entertainment attractions, kids' clinics, free autograph sessions and the largest football card show ever.
“It takes literally thousands of people of every imaginable specialty to stage the Super Bowl, from experts in logistics and transportation to technical production, hospitality, security, stadium operations, hotel management and meeting planning, and the list goes on and on,” said Frank Supovitz. “Many of these professionals work on the Super Bowl year after year, and some are added from the host community for specific functions.”
Everything at the Super Bowl is super-sized, including the media attention. Over 3,500 national and international media are expected to cover this year’s event compounding the logistics required to properly present the game. Not only will the press be covering the Super Bowl, but they will also be in town for the renowned FBR/Phoenix Open Golf Tournament. The tournament will take place in Scottsdale at the TPC Course during Super Bowl week and is the largest attended golf tournament in the country.
Adding to the preparations needed was the recent announcement that this year’s famous Super Bowl Half Time Show will feature one of rock and roll’s greatest bands, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Last year’s show was viewed by nearly 140 million viewers and necessitates the coordination of many entities.
One of the game’s many initiatives this year will be to increase efforts to “go green”. Global Spectrum staff, the NFL, and The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality will work together to include recycled materials in the production of the event. Materials used during the game, such as lumber and bricks, will be donated to local charities. The NFL will use low emission vehicles, eco-friendly fluorescent lighting, and will plant thousands of trees in Arizona to offset greenhouse gas emissions.