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moments when you go, ‘oh, okay, that’s a step up’. For me, from an audio point of view, switching to the flown PA was a huge step. That was our big technology jump of late; it sounds so much better.” ATK also provides site-wide communications during both the football game and the halftime show. This year, the company deployed 140 Riedel Bolero wireless beltpacks, two 1024 frames and Legacy frames in a large ring, creating a comprehensive intercom system. Along with using the stadium infrastructure and a matrix smart panel, ATK brought in an additional 125 smart panels for all positions. CAUGHT ON CAMERA Delivering its 11th Super Bowl to date, Fox Sports deployed hundreds of cameras. These included 27 super slow-motion, 23 high resolution, 16 robotic, ten wireless and two Skycams, which are cable-suspended, computer- controlled camera systems, each used before, during and after the big game. More than 240 of these cameras came from Sony, ranging from the company’s pro broadcast products to its Alpha interchangeable-lens cameras. “The Super Bowl is not just the biggest game of the year, it’s also the biggest production,” says Michael Davies, SVP
want it to be overwhelming.” Ultimately, Powell’s job is to keep the producers, sponsors and audiences happy – an almost impossible task. But he’s able to do it each year thanks to a little thing called teamwork. IT TAKES A VILLAGE Collaborators for more than two decades, Powell, Rodgers, Eastland and the others have nearly perfected the Super Bowl halftime show. “We’ve been doing this for a very long time, and I think that’s one of the reasons why we continue to be successful. It’s because we all work so well together, and this is truly a team effort. It’s a big, choreographed dance to make this all happen,” shares Powell. Each department – audio, lighting, rigging and so on – relies on the other to make the show the spectacle it is today. “It’s a collaborative deal; none of us work in a vacuum,” says Powell. “That’s pretty much true from the beginning.” Each year, Powell begins planning in May for the following February, getting a head start on audio as soon as possible. “Bruce doesn’t come in until they name the artist or artists; I am already looking at the venues and weighing the options up for what I can and cannot do from a systems point of view.
“By the time the artist is announced and Bruce gets more heavily involved, I’m already ready to present him with my solutions, then he can guide me on what works with his vision.” Each year, that vision changes depending on what the performer has in mind. “People keep reaching further and further. It’s almost like there’s a contest every year to upstage the last performer,” Powell laughs. “We’ve done crazy things, like the flying platforms for Rihanna. The on-field scenery was minimal, but those moving platforms were so sophisticated.” Rihanna’s 2023 halftime show saw her perform a 13-minute medley of greatest hits, much of which she did from atop a levitating stage. Besides the creative considerations, there were also technical limitations. For instance, Rihanna’s platforms could only safely support a certain weight. “We work closely to make sure that we’re not on top of each other and not exceeding those limits,” reveals Powell. “Most of the time, it’s just making minor adjustments here and there, if at all.” For Powell and his colleagues, the past 23 years – starting with Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting in 2003 – often blur together. “There are certain aspects that stay the same from year to year,” he begins, “but then there are those distinct
People keep reaching further and further. It’s almost like there’s a contest every year to upstage the last performer”
A huge range of tech was deployed to create the halftime show experience – Pixmob’s interactive LED bracelets, Riedel Bolero wireless beltpacks and Sony cinema cameras, to name a few
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