Screen Magazine - Index

Screen Magazine - Screen Magazine: Vol. 29, Issue 6 - Index

Wheel Of Fortune Spins Chicago By Katie Willis
Thousands braved bitter weather for “Wheel of Fortune’s”
taping in Chicago during the weekend of March 8 at Navy
Pier. Three hours before the show was even to begin, hundreds
filed down the halls of Navy Pier toward Festival Hall, where the
show had temporarily settled in Chicago. “Wheel of Fortune”
taped three
weeks’ worth of
episodes that
will air in late
April.
The episodes
took place with
three different
themes: Family
Style Week,
College Week
and “Get in the Game” Sports Week. New things always
draw a huge turnout, according to “Wheel” producer
Steve Schwartz. Wheel always tries to tour in places that are
unique, he added. As “Wheel of Fortune” always tours for
three weeks, Chicago is a great place to keep coming up
with fresh views.
Hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White don’t have much time
outside of taping episodes when on tour. “I’ve pretty much
been on set and in my hotel room the entire time,” said
White. However, the workday isn’t bad. A 30-minute show is
taped in exactly 30 minutes. Generally, preparation starts at
noon and the crew wraps up at 6 p.m.
Pat Sajak, who is from the Chicago area, said it was nice
to tape at Navy Pier, as he doesn’t often get to come
Kaboom Offers Supercharged Team For Infineon Raceway
Diversification is an essential part of the current production
landscape, and for Kaboom (San Francisco), that means
offering clients access to production options. When Kaboom
was approached by advertising agency Engine Company 1
(formerly Grant, Scott & Hurley) with a campaign for Infineon
Raceway, Owner/Executive Producer Lauren Schwartz saw
the project as a perfect opportunity to present them with a
Kaboom collective as a complete creative solution.
“Clients come to us for our resources and sometimes that
means packaging our talent to give the biggest results for
the scope of the project,” says Schwartz.
Performance and pacing are Director/Editor Doug Werby’s
forte, making him the natural choice to helm and edit the
project. DP Joe Meade - represented by Kaboom for specialty
projects - was ideal for capturing the visual sensibility of the
campaign. This duo was joined by Designer/Director Jory Hull
who united the images with high-energy graphics.
Werby, Meade and Hull worked hand-in-hand with the
agency to produce a bombastic campaign that combines
the street stylings of a poet, a DJ, and a deaf fan who can
“hear” the action to make the raceway an experience like
no other.
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downtown when he visits his family throughout
the year. The hosts also had the opportunity to
meet many locals, since most of the contestants
were from the area. Sajak informed us that, several
months in advance, contest coordinators hold tryouts to
get as many local contestants as possible. But White said
that the contestants really haven’t changed much over
the 25 years the show has been on the air. Some things just
never change.
The set was definitely designed with Chicago in mind,
with faux models of Chicago’s skyline rising above the
stage area. The audience certainly appreciated the local
contestants. Every move, every spin, every successful solving
of a puzzle let out “ooo’s” and “ahh’s” from the packed
seats. Everyone took full advantage of the cameras turning
upon fresh audience faces. Cheering and applause were
frequent sounds inside the hall.
But everyone agreed that traveling around the country was
a great way to see new things. White said seeing the country
from a new perspective was her favorite part. For example,
she described her exciting adventure of being on top of the
Space Needle in Seattle. Producer Steve Schwartz expressed
that getting to see all of “Wheel’s” fans is great. He explained
that the normal audience in Los Angeles is fairly small, but it
was fun to tour because of how many fans turn out.
For those thousands of fans who were unable to secure a
spot, “Wheel of Fortune” still tours two to three times a season,
according to Schwartz, so there is plenty of opportunity for it
to come back in the near future, and hopefully more tickets
to see the wheel up close.
//www.wheeloffortune.com
“When I saw the
boards I immediately
knew I wanted to
direct the project,”
says Director Werby.
“Then when I had
a meeting with the
agency and saw how
creative they were it
really reinforced my
desire to be a part
of the campaign.
Add to that my
collaboration with
Joe and Jory, and
it really was an ideal
experience.”
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“We hand picked a
group that shared a
vision and enthusiasm
for the campaign,”
Schwartz adds, “and
knew how to collaborate in a limber and strategic manner
every step of the way.”
//www.kaboomproductions.com