RNC Green Screen Challenge: Make McCain's Speech Exciting

ST. PAUL -- John McCain delivered his acceptance speech on Day 4 of the RNC while standing in front of a "big-ass plasma TV," as it is known to industry insiders. Technically speaking, the backdrop was comprised of 561 four-millimeter Chroma LED panels seamlessly mounted together to form one of the world's largest hi-definition video monitors.

What dazzling images appeared on this mighty screen? For the most part we saw innocuous scenics and billowing flags that did a decent job communicating the show's theme, "country first," in long shots. But as for close-ups...was the director asleep? For the first few minutes of the McCain speech, the candidate appeared against a bright green background that made him look like an entry in Stephen Colbert's "Make John McCain Exciting Green Screen Challenge!"

I tried to focus on McCain's opening remarks, but the green screen kept reminding me of the Colbert Show. Remember McCain as a school bus driver in Ride The Straight Talk Express...To School? McCain dancing like Elvis in Blue Suede Shoes? McCain dancing with Madonna in Gray Ambition? I swear there was an auto speedway entry that showed McCain's version of America going around and around in circles, on the brink of a fiery crash.

The Xcel Energy Center stage was built in just six weeks, atop an NHL hockey rink. Before the McCain speech, the center dais was torn down and replaced by a simple catwalk extending into the crowd, to give the candidate and his delegates a direct sense of each other. It was a nice touch.

"With the economy the way it is, we thought the stagecraft should be simple. It's not the time to be lavish, not when people are losing their homes," said executive producer David Nash. Then 200,000 balloons merrily floated down from the ceiling.

Did the Xcel Energy Center Stage work for or against McCain?

Keith Goldberg, creative vice president, George P. Johnson Experience Marketing, Auburn Hills, Mich., told OffTheBus that "ideally a set serves as a window into a candidate's life experience, enabling the audience to connect with him in a deep and meaningful manner."

In this respect, the McCain camp succeeded. The candidate recounted his days in Vietnam, including the moment his philosophy of life did a 180 turn, in as intimate a setting possible with 20,000 people. When McCain said "I fight for real Americans. I fight for you," the side-view long shots of him speaking out on the catwalk looked terrific. Standing in (not above) a sea of voters, McCain took on the persona of the un-politician.

Stagecraft fails when it goes off-brand, meaning it doesn't represent well the message being articulated. During his acceptance speech, McCain rebranded his campaign on the fly, announcing that "change is coming!" However, nothing about the event's production design suggested change. The videos were old school. The balloons were fun, but old school. The crowd was old school, too, especially in that they were Republicans, just like the eight-year White House incumbent.

When it was over, McCain and Palin left the stage to the song "Barracuda," by Heart. It would have been an inspired choice except it's rumored Ann and Nancy Wilson may not have sanctioned the use of their song. It wouldn't be the first time the GOP "forgot" to get the rights to a popular song. The GOP just doesn't like change.

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Comments

[DRaymond]

My impression is simple...Didn't they run a test? This is television! You test your stagecraft before you go live. You have a stand-in of the same height with the same general skin tone and makeup and You TEST your lighting, color tone, and framing. If they had actually conducted a test they would have known immediately that what was going to come across on the TV screens across the country was solid lime green.

Vetting the VP? They didn't vet their own backdrop.

And never mind whether it was a middle school or a hospital, what came across the TV screens when they did a wide shot and you finally saw what the green was read Mansion.

[GunneraGirl]

You know, i really question this man's patriotism. Why does John McCain use that green backdrop? Is he some kind of communist ecology nut? What's wrong with the good old red, white and blue, like that Obama kid uses? That's patriotism. Does McCain think I can't figure out what he's up to, just cause I'm not one of his elite friends? I'm not dumb you know.

I just don't think I can vote for this McCain guy. Nope. No way. I'm sorry but I'm for the red, white and blue, and if it's not good enough for ol' Johnny boy then ol' Johnny boy ain't good enough for me. See?

It just ain't right. Ain't right at all.

[BAVirago]

Oh, what a joke the staging was. That long stage that McCain doddered up was a painful reminder to everyone watching of just how truly old and frail he is. That was a mistake. I just looked at what should have been a triumphant stride to the podium and thought, God, if he slips, he'll break a hip and then what? They'll just reverse the names on the ballot, I guess, and we'll face a Palin/McCain ticket.

[TXOBAMAGIRL73]

The Hulk was exciting in Green , John in Green not so much!!!

[afgail]

Me thinks that there is a sabatoeur in the McCain organization. After the hullabaloo about the first green screen you would have thought someone would have caught this second green screen blunder. I think it must be the guy who told the media that "McCain doesn't speak for his campaign". The vetting of Palin was completely Bush league. Is his campaign staffed by graduates of Liberty College where tenents of the Christian faith are confused with the Republian party platform? Like the Mariliyn Gooldings of the Bush Department of Justice.

[Skua]

"Old school" .... was that the subtle message behind the rear-projection of the Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, CA (the building with the big green lawn, so identified by TPM - no it was NOT one of McCain's houses)? (How old is it?) Or was TPM's specultion on the mark - that some assistant, possibly the same one who vetted Palin, was Googling for an image of the Walter Reed Medical Center and came up with this by mistake.