Oprah Winfrey takes her show to Washington for inauguration

As one of Barack Obama’s most famous supporters, it was no surprise that Oprah Winfrey planned to attend his inauguration. To further celebrate this historic occasion, Winfrey brought her show along for the ride, too, broadcasting live from the Kennedy Center the day before the big event.

For the set designed by Harpo Studios’ Dustin Efird, CSSI repurposed some columns and railings from 2007’s “Favorite Things” episode that was filmed in Georgia, and built new headers, pedestals, and pediments to fill out the massive stage. New low-profile casters were engineered for Steeldeck®, allowing the rolling stages to stand as low as eight-inches from the floor, thereby avoiding the use of extra steps from the stage to the rolling set pieces.

CSSI Project Manager Gary Heitz and Carpenter Mike Zaremba traveled with the set, assisted in the show’s installation and production, and then dismantled the set before returning to Chicago.

Health company airs closed-circuit broadcasts to health professionals

Chicago Scenic has developed an ongoing relationship with HealthSTAR Communications Inc., a network of organizations that provide innovative marketing solutions to healthcare corporations.

HealthSTAR’s services include private satellite broadcasting, an effective way for healthcare corporations to reach their audiences. The broadcasts look and feel like a television talk show or news program, but they target leaders in the healthcare industry via closed-circuit satellite transmissions.

Chicago Scenic’s responsibilities have increased over the course of several jobs. The initial project was the installation of an existing set.

Next, CSSI stepped in to add components such as LED-lit logo graphic and light boxes with removable logo panels. CSSI designers also created background panels to complement each individual broadcast set.

Most recently, Tom Ryan, CSSI’s design manager, stepped in to design the large 30-foot set to represent an office, complete with a backdrop “view” of Chicago’s impressive nighttime skyline. CSSI also built and installed the set at a Chicago studio for HealthSTAR.

“The advantage of this set,” Ryan said, “is that the background graphics can be changed quickly and economically, giving the set a completely new look. Project Manager Jean Burch said, “It’s been exciting. I’m definitely looking forward to our next project with HealthSTAR.”