This season's opening introduction for NBC's Sunday Night Football once again starred Carrie Underwood in an extravaganza fans are calling the best SNF intro yet. Directed by Tripp Dixon with production design by Evan Rohde, the video intro for the network's top television show captures Underwood's performance of 'Waiting All Day For Sunday Night' to the tune of Joan Jett's classic 'I Hate Myself For Loving You', irrevocably linking the sport with the spirit of rock n' roll. Lighting Designer Benoit Richard was also back on the creative team; he employed High End Systems' SHAPESHIFTERs and Hog 4 lighting control to create looks that continue to wow viewers with its concert atmosphere.

Richard used 24 SHAPESHIFTER C1's and 12 SHAPESHIFTER W1's in his design, spreading out the fixtures for max impact and eye candy on camera. Benoit comments, "We went back and forth on the SHAPESHIFTER fixture count, because I really wanted to feature the C1's prominently during the regular season Intro, and push the W1's for the special Intro that will air before a big game later in the season. In the air, we had a 60' straight truss with six groups of three SHAPESHIFTERs arranged in a C1-W1-C1 configuration. On the floor, we used the same arrangement, but split them left and right on the sides of the stage.

Having worked as a lighting programmer for High End Systems in the 1990s, Richards has unique insight into the creative process at the company. "Having been a part of the High End family in the past, I've kept in touch with Richard Belliveau and others at HES. A few weeks before the SHAPESHIFTER was unveiled at this year's Frankfurt Musik Messe, Richard shared a video of his new creation with me. I was very impressed by the originality of the fixture and knew that I would use it on the SNF Intro right away."

Richard gives high marks to the fixture's output and color rendering capabilities, as well as the macro programming functions. "Both the C1's and W1's look really great on camera and are very useful tools, and yes, I definitely used the macros on that one, because my programming time was fairly short."

Benoit programmed the Intro's lighting cues on a Hog 4 desk, which has long been his preferred console format, first in the touring world, and more recently through his film and television work. "I've been racing for the Whole Hog team for many years," says Benoit, an unabashed Formula 1 fan. "I truly believe that the Hog 4 is the ultimate control solution when it comes to handling several universes of DMX -whether it's only dimmers or complex multi parameter fixtures. The wireless control possibilities are very useful on big movie sets as well.

A combination of lighting vendors provided the various pieces of Ben's design. He adds, "Hats off to Craig Burross who orchestrated a great deal with Pilar at Grace Audio in Temecula, CA. We had a really strong team, and as we did last year, the performance part of the intro was shot in a soundstage with black curtains covering the stage walls. The outdoor concert environment, all video elements, lasers, pyro and most of the audience was all added in post by Rodeo FX, a Montreal visual effects company, under the supervision of our creative director, Haley Geffen."