Canon Hosts a Picture-Perfect Show
Producer Chris Virtuoso of MC2, a presence-marketing agency, hired CSSI to help with Canon’s DSF show (Digital Solutions Forum) at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The annual show gives Canon the opportunity to demonstrate their new products in real business environments. Chicago Scenic created the two major scenic environments for the event. Project Managers Ross Hamilton and Rick Boultinghouse worked closely with Production Designer Paul DuPass and Technical Director Duane VanderWerf. Tim Steimle was the primary job lead on the project, which sped through the CSSI shop in less than three weeks.

Mark Rubinsky of MJM Creative was the executive producer for the first major scenic element at the show, which was a theater and stage set. To create the space, CSSI’s Andy Lemerand welded a 22-by-44-foot solid wall that served as a backing for space, in addition to three 22-by-44-foot steel frames that were covered with transparent graphic vinyls to add depth onstage when theatrically lit.

To enter the theater space visitors had to go through what appeared to be soundstage doors, finding themselves in a tiered theater with a stage. This space was used for an opening video module, and when it was over, the steel wall was dramatically flown up in the air and the transparent graphic vinyls slid to the sides allowing guests to walk through the set and into the main exhibit space.

The second major scenic element CSSI created was a 6,000-square-foot support deck and seven office vignettes representing Canon’s multiple commercial business markets including health services, color publishing, legal services, financial services, education, law enforcement, and general office applications. Paul DuPass designed these vignettes to give the impression that the guests had just stepped into a TV commercial for each business area. Mike Zaremba led the construction and installation of the office vignettes and Kevin Taylor and Amy Holsman were the principle painters on the job.

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