In the last few months, we’ve seen “what it means to gather” undergo a seismic shift. From live concerts to live stream, conference rooms to conference calls, individuals and companies are rapidly shifting how they communicate and what that communication looks like. It’s a period of enormous change, fueled by a growing understanding that social distancing may keep audiences online for a lot longer than originally anticipated. Rather than cancel and postpone their events indefinitely, our clients are searching for ways to bring their events to their audiences by turning to online experiences and entertainment. And while this may feel new, it’s not the first time that entertainment has been presented remotely. Even before the internet age, humans have been creating “remote experiences” for a millennia. Take the 17,000-year-old Lascaux cave paintings, or the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Or fast forward to July 20, 1969, when mankind landed on the moon — arguably the greatest remote experience in history watched by 600 million people. Humans intuitively understand remote experiences because we understand storytelling as a visual medium. So when companies are considering how to reach their audiences, a lack of interest isn’t the problem. It’s the sheer size and volume of the competition. At Lightswitch, we help our clients tell their story in a visually compelling way that captures the new marketing currency: the attention span. From assisting C-suite executives with lighting their conference calls to building completely remote, large-scale events, Lightswitch possesses the range and experience to provide value to events of all sizes.

As companies strategize how to pivot to meet more remote audiences, there’s a variety of scales and arrangements available to fit their specific needs. These range from a temporary set up for broadcasting all the way to a fully-produced remote broadcast, and everything in-between. Take the first tier, the temporary set up. Lightswitch has transformed regular rooms — from conference rooms to cafeterias —  into fully-equipped sound stages, reimagining the space from boardroom to broadcast. From green screens to lighting fixtures, we source and set up everything necessary to produce excellent results for background composition in post-production or remotely off-site. Our work with a video game developer shows just how powerful this solution can be. We were tasked with taking an existing boardroom on campus with small square footage and low ceilings and transforming it into a broadcast studio. Our solution not only needed to equip the room for broadcast capabilities, but it also needed to fit within the technical parameters of the existing infrastructure and be operable without requiring a large amount of expensive equipment. We were able to utilitarian Unistrut from the existing ceiling and ensured that all lighting equipment would fit into the client’s existing 2-20 amp wall outlets. And while we programmed the space with the GrandMA lighting control platform, we were able to download it to a $300 button station that was easy to use by our clients. The final space has multiple areas for tables, stand up weatherman-style broadcasts, and player desks for live video game demonstrations. The control room was kept mindfully small and ensured that the whole production could be run by three people.

The second tier is adding a permanent broadcast space. While this requires slightly more time and investment, it also becomes an asset for companies to use for years to come by expanding programming and audience engagement options. Nintendo decided to opt for a more permanent broadcast solution, adding the install into an existing, large multi-purpose room on Nintendo of America’s corporate campus. We installed new theatrical and broadcast lighting to transform the space into a functioning broadcast studio for both internal and external broadcast events.

Finally, the third-tier is a full-on remote event with all the production value of a live performance — just without the live audience. Not only does this option offer companies a way to continue their momentum with product launches and corporate events, it could also be an important transition tool as some gathering and travel advisories are lifted but large-scale audiences are still inadvisable. Our work with Martin Brinkerhoff Associates for the Hyundai 2021 Elantra Launch worked within these exact parameters.

Originally designed as a live audience and webcast car launch, the event pivoted during production as the COVID-19 crisis was unfolding. Producers decided to cancel the live audience portion and adjust the show to broadcast only. The final event was designed as a “production show,” containing many of the elements that would be found in a large-audience general session, including car reveals, executive introductions, lighting, scenery, and live performances. While these large events could take place in a designated broadcast space, they could also easily be scaled up once theater and other performance venue spaces become available. They also can be produced for the fraction of the cost of a large, live audience event. By removing the logistics, security, and infrastructure needed to support a live audience, the cost of producing an event on this scale is drastically reduced. 

Lightswitch is committed to readying our clients for whatever the future brings with engaging, impactful remote event and broadcast solutions that bring value to all scales. While we can’t predict how the future will unfold, we do know that audiences and their appetite for great entertainment are here now, and will be here when we are able to go back to our normal routines and lifestyles. In the meantime, we’ve already seen the creativity that is bridging this new space. Designers are not only helping businesses bring their events to their audiences, they’re inventing entirely new types of experiences. And although these new experiences are a direct result of the current environment, they could also be here to stay. We see our work as not only responding to the needs of audiences today but also as preparing our clients for a new wave of remote opportunities and an investment in the future of audience engagement.