Executive producer talks nailing Usher's intricate Super Bowl halftime show
Eight minutes. That’s how long hundreds of crew members had to set up Usher’s Super Bowl halftime show.
“It’s such an intense, almost militaristic feat,” said Baz Halpin, the executive producer of the halftime show, “just to get everything on the field and set up in time.”
While an estimated 123.4 million viewers listened to analysts recapping the first half of the game, Halpin watched the monitors in a broadcasting truck outside of Allegiant Stadium.
“Is it going to be too bright?” Halpin worried. His nail-biting moment wasn’t the game going into overtime but whether the halftime start time would beat the sunset.
Shows he oversees, like "Awakening” at the Wynn in Las Vegas, rely heavily on illumination, in all forms from all directions. The one form of light not welcome is the sun.
More:Executive Producer of Eras Tour film, Baz Halpin, is behind Vegas show 'Awakening'
“First quarter was lightning-fast,” he said. The window of ideal darkness would be after 5:20 p.m. “First half of the second quarter was super-fast. And then it started to calm down. Miraculously, it was 5:20 p.m. when we went on.”
This is Halpin’s second rodeo at the NFL spectacular. The CEO and founder of Silent House was one of the creative forces behind Katy Perry’s 2015 performance — the halftime show with the larger-than-life lion, dynamic chessboard graphics and, yes, left shark.
The crew set the field for Usher’s show under the 8-minute mark. Halpin took a sigh of relief and got ready for lights, camera, Vegas.
“It was very intentional,” he said about Usher starting on a throne with a variety of Vegas acts including showgirls and acrobats. “Usher had such a stellar residency. It was very important to showcase Vegas. The idea of Vegas is so clear in so many people’s minds, around the world. Vegas has a look. It has an aesthetic and conjures these great visuals in peoples' heads so I think it was important to pay homage to the Las Vegas scene.”
The halftime show ran in segments, and each section was a hurdle for the crew to nail.
Laser lights shined onto the field at the start as Usher slickly slid his dancing feet in and out of the 10-yard line. In the backdrop, LED ribbons projected brilliant colors from the stands. The audience wore wrist lights that danced to the melody, similar to what you’d see at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour (which Halpin also produced).
Then there were the clock and fire graphics on the stage animated to the music. Synths pulsed during the songs, in sync with the dancers and the “Yeah!” singer. While it took the graphics department months to program, the execution only lasted 13 minutes.
“Nowadays with the pre-visualization software that we use,” Halpin said, “we can see accurately — to scale — how things are going to look from any camera angle.”
When it came to rehearsing on the field before showtime, Usher and team only got six passes. Rehearsal was crucial to nail the timing and programming, especially during the roller-skating scene.
“The skating moment is so complicated and intricate,” Halpin said, “and to have a cameraman up in and amongst all of that to make sure all the shots are as seamless as we rehearsed, makes me proud of all of the participants.”
Two other quick behind-the-scenes tidbits: The fans who rushed the field to rock out with “Lil Jon” were pre-cast, and during “U Got It Bad,” the spinning mic was not programmed or aided. That’s just a regular mic stand controlled by Usher.
“He’s a consummate professional,” Halpin said. “He’s Mr. Las Vegas.”
Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.