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AV Systems
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White House renovates press briefing room
Sep 19, 2007
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by Mark J. Pescatore
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The West Wing Terrace area of the White House has been utilized for many purposes, including an ice house and servants’ quarters. President Franklin D. Roosevelt converted much of the area into an indoor swimming pool in 1933, but apparently President Richard Nixon wasn’t much of a swimming fan. In 1970, he covered the underutilized pool with a wood deck and turned the space into press area.
Besides the addition of a low stage and fixed seats by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, the briefing room had not been renovated since its creation. It was infamous for being cramped and unkempt, with cables haphazardly spread across the floor.
After almost a year of renovations, the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room was reopened in July. According to Drew Thomas, associate director, White House Office of Communications, the heavily used area was long overdue for a facelift.
Thomas’ role within the White House is all about image -- his responsibility is to make sure President George W. Bush is well lit and that sound reinforcement is sufficient when he appears on television.
“It was just time to upgrade and do it right,” he explained. “We want to have a state-of-the-art facility that best represents the government of the United States. It’s a nice, neat, clean space now.”
Starting Over
Gil Solorzano, a freelancer who has worked in the press room since 1988, said the difference between the old setup and the renovated area is amazing. “It’s completely different,” he said.
Thomas said the area was stripped down to its original bare walls -- 30 years of wiring was replaced by fiber optics, old electricity was upgraded, and new air conditioning was installed. The renovation was designed with future administrations in mind by providing a space that can be adapted to new technology. “You want to build a lot of flexibility into the room,” Thomas noted.
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| Renovations to the White House press briefing room include LED lighting. |
The wood deck was pulled up and replaced by concrete and steel. The swimming pool is still there, but today it’s more like a high-tech basement. The walls are covered in bundled wires, and there are several racks of equipment for both internal and external communications.
On the stage itself, there have been some cosmetic and functional changes. Thomas said the idea was to get away from a standard “blue drape with seal” setup. “We now have a backdrop that can change,” he offered. “We tried to add a little styling of the White House itself, along with a more modern backdrop.”
The stage now features two 45-inch LCD monitors, one on either side of the podium. Thomas said they can be used to show video, charts, and even videoconferencing. Colored LED lights illuminate glass panels in the background with a suspended, centered White House logo. A second backdrop features the presidential seal. The podium features two AMX touch screen controllers and two Shure microphones.
Another major change was the adoption of LED lighting instruments. Thomas said LED technology was the preferred choice because it uses significantly less electricity and generates less heat. Though there are still a few ARRI fresnels in use in its current configuration, the press room is loaded with more than 40 Litepanels 1x1 LED light fixtures, which are set for daylight, not tungsten. “It’s been a bit of a learning curve for the cameramen that work in the room,” Thomas admitted.
Not all of the lights are for the stage -- a number of the LED fixtures provide lighting for the reporters in the audience. As a result, broadcasters can provide a quality reverse shot of reporters asking questions. “No matter which direction you point the camera, you’re lit,” noted Thomas.
There are a number of robotic cameras installed near the ceiling of the press room, including several to the left of the stage that can be used for reverse shots. Other robotic cameras are installed in the back of the room as well, which can provide wide shots of the stage.
Saving Space
Audio was another major focus during the renovation. “We added more microphones in the room to pick up reporters’ questions,” Thomas explained. Some sound reinforcement was added as well, so reporters could better hear briefings and presentations. And a sound system was installed to provide audio to the audience as well as the press offices located behind the briefing room in a separate area. Each office has its own sound control.
Back in the briefing room, between each seat in the audience is an audio feed from the podium or other presentation plus Internet access, so there’s no need to run cables throughout the room. Because newsgathering agencies have assigned seats, many have put the infrastructure to work by adding AV boxes on the floor below their seats for IFB connections and more.
Despite the renovations, the press room is still not a particularly large area. With space at a premium, the White House and newsgathering agencies worked together to maximize productivity and minimize potential hazards. Newsgathering agencies also shared some of the costs of the renovations.
The networks have their own racks of gear grouped together in a raised section in the back of the room (to shoot over the heads of reporters seated in front of them), with space enough for an operator to sit and monitor the recording of the briefings. According to Thomas, an engineering pool from the networks chose to install stationary monopods with Sachtler heads next to their equipment racks. The heavy-duty, fixed monopods eliminate the use of tripods, thereby saving significant space.
Thomas added that the President is very happy with the improvements. “When you’re in the room during the briefing,” Thomas said, “it’s just a very refreshing place to be now. You don’t feel so much like you’re in a studio.”
MORE INFO
AMX amx.com
ARRI arri.com
Litepanels litepanels.com
Shure shure.com
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