Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert
YE
A PERFORMANCE FOR THE AGES
A PERFORMANCE FOR THE AGES
intro
intro
role
EVENT & BROADCAST PRODUCER
venue
THE COLISEUM
production type
MUSIC & LIVE EVENTS
audience
DRAKE & YE FANS
date
DEC 2021
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Disciplines
Event Production
Technical Production
Video Production
Engineering
Content Creation
Proj Mgmt
In Partnership with
Rarely can an event be labeled as a historical milestone before it even begins.
The Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert marked such a moment, with Ye & Drake reuniting at Los Angeles’ Memorial Coliseum for one of the biggest cultural moments in recent history.
A STADIUM SHOW WHOSE MISSION WENT FAR BEYOND MERE SPECTACLE.
Ye’s grandest undertaking yet — the benefit concert would bring awareness to prison and sentencing reform while bringing attention to Larry Hoover, who’s currently serving six life sentences in federal prison.
Ye’s grandest undertaking yet — the benefit concert would bring awareness to prison and sentencing reform while bringing attention to Larry Hoover, who’s currently serving six life sentences in federal prison.
Two of the most iconic artists in the world set aside their differences to partner on a stadium show whose mission went far beyond mere spectacle.
concept
concept
As an artist with unparalleled vision, Ye has a reputation for knowing exactly what he wants.
Understanding this vision and its scale, the PHNTM team set out to realize Ye’s boundary- pushing concept with our core competency of innovative event production.
Dubbed “The Mound,” inspiration came from the only force bigger than Ye or Drake themselves — nature.
Dubbed “The Mound,” inspiration came from the only force bigger than Ye or Drake themselves — nature.
show delivery
show delivery
Renowned creative director Niklas Bildstein Zaar and his team at Sub Global delivered high fidelity renders of the show design to PHNTM, which were then translated into comprehensive engineering blueprints, technical documentation, and build plans. To achieve this feat, the 1-million-square-foot plus Memorial Coliseum was transformed to accommodate a larger-than-life stage design.
Renowned creative director Niklas Bildstein Zaar and his team at Sub Global delivered high fidelity renders of the show design to PHNTM, which were then translated into comprehensive engineering blueprints, technical documentation, and build plans. To achieve this feat, the 1-million-square-foot plus Memorial Coliseum was transformed to accommodate a larger-than-life stage design.
300,000 lbs of concrete were poured on the field to set the foundation for a 200-foot-wide mound, painted white to provide a neutral setting for projections. 5,000 lb of dry ice, 700 lights, and 72 projectors were used to develop an atmospheric environment rich with smoke and color.
Full-scale arena shows can take up to a year to produce. In this case, PHNTM realized the entire event in just 18 days.
Full-scale arena shows can take up to a year to produce. In this case, PHNTM realized the entire event in just 18 days.
Utilizing 72 projectors around the top of the coliseum, PHNTM and Dark Matter Technologies projection mapped the mound, elevating it into a truly captivating set-piece.
Utilizing 72 projectors around the top of the coliseum, PHNTM and Dark Matter Technologies projection mapped the mound, elevating it into a truly captivating set-piece.
Taking place on December 9, 2021, the production consisted of 598 production staff and hosted a live audience of 69,000 attendees.
Live Stream
Live Stream Execution
In under a week, PHNTM led a 120-person crew to produce a global live stream to over 6 million viewers in 22 countries.
The production featured 19 cameras, a cable cam, two 60’ cranes, and multiple robotic camera systems. In addition to distribution across Amazon and Twitch, this was the first concert to ever be live-streamed directly to IMAX, thrilling 18,000 viewers in 55 theaters across the United States.
In under a week, PHNTM led a 120-person crew to produce a global live stream to over 6 million viewers in 22 countries.
PHNTM helped successfully establish a new genre of live entertainment with IMAX live, turning 55 theaters across the United States into pseudo-nightclubs.
PHNTM helped successfully establish a new genre of live entertainment with IMAX live, turning 55 theaters across the United States into pseudo-nightclubs.
Overall, the Free Larry Hoover stream to Prime Video and IMAX Live set a new standard in Live Broadcast Entertainment.
LIVE PERFORMANCE
LIVE PERFORMANCE
As smoke rolled over The Mound, the Sunday Service choir emerged to accompany Ye during an awe-inspiring, spiritual section of the performance.
“IT FELT LIKE A DREAM. IT FELT SURREAL. IT WAS SOMETHING I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO, BEING ONSTAGE WITH MY IDOL AS HE’S RUNNING THROUGH ONE OF THE BEST CATALOGUES IN MUSIC, PERIOD.”
-Drake
DRESSING ROOMS
DRESSING ROOMS
Niklas and Sub Global reimagined the locker room at the Coliseum as a chic matte black wonderland for Ye and his family. With an efficient team of builders, PHNTM brought this vision to reality in under 36 hours.
CLOSING STATEMENT
CLOSING STATEMENT
The Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert shows how quickly a production team can mobilize behind a compelling singular vision. With Ye’s “what” and “why” already in place, PHNTM was naturally positioned to implement the “how” — taking an ambitious idea for a large-scale event and ensuring it would become one of the most memorable concert experiences of all time.
The Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert shows how quickly a production team can mobilize behind a compelling singular vision. With Ye’s “what” and “why” already in place, PHNTM was naturally positioned to implement the “how” — taking an ambitious idea for a large-scale event and ensuring it would become one of the most memorable concert experiences of all time.
press
press
role
EVENT & BROADCAST PRODUCER
venue
THE COLISEUM
production type
MUSIC & LIVE EVENTS
audience
DRAKE & YE FANS
date
DEC 2021
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Disciplines
Event Production
Technical Production
Video Production
Engineering
Content Creation
Proj Mgmt
In Partnership with
Credits