Anderson Cooper 360, one of CNN’s flagship shows, premiered from Hudson Yards on May 20, 2019.  As part of the move, the full show was revised to give it a cleaner and more modern look.  LDG worked with Clickspring Design to establish the crisp contemporary aesthetic and the state of the art studio.  Studio 21L and Anderson Cooper 360 were lit by Executive Lighting Designer Steve Brill, Senior Lighting Designer Niel Galen, Lighting Designer Josh Cutler, and Systems Designer Richard Hoyes.

Cooper sits at a gently curved anchor desk in front of video walls where his logo rotates in a toned down bright blue.  Cooper’s position at the desk moves depending on how many guests are in the segment.  If there are multiple in-studio guests, another desk is seamlessly added to the curved desk.  A classic CNN red band is painted across the floor which is accented with pools of light.  The red band is mirrored in the LED wall behind Cooper and the cutout edge of the desk.  In the corner of the set a clean white circular column pokes through a cut out ceiling element.  The ceiling posed all kinds of challenges for lighting who had to negotiate for space to place critical fixtures in the already saturated grid.  The clean studio design puts the focus directly on the host with its meticulous lighting.  Lighting Anderson Cooper was the first and foremost important task.  His features, including his sterling blue eyes, require careful placement and focus to reduce erroneous shadows and carefully balance his face in all variations of his desk.  Many thanks to all of the people whose hard work crafted this elegant studio with its specific lighting.