KOMO Seattle debuted its newly designed “Emerald City”-themed set Sunday.
In designing the set, Devlin Design Group wanted to show what makes Seattle unique. A large illustrated RGB LED backlit wall of the Sinclair-owned ABC affiliate’s studio now features the Seattle skyline and surrounding mountains, forests and water. Dubbed “digital rain,” the backlist pattern is inspired by the city’s tech industry and rainy climate.
“Team DDG captured the Seattle progressive vibe brilliantly by blending a wide sweeping panorama of technology, progressive architecture, and hints of Northwest art culture,” said Mark Nadeau, director of TV production, Sinclair Broadcast Group. “DDG’s work at KOMO is why they are our premier set designer for our stations.”
Native American Northwest tribal art was the inspiration for the floor graphics, while the desk designs look like a pod of whale. A helicopter blade, a tribute to longtime KOMO News photographer Bill Strothman and pilot Gary Pfizner, who died in a crash last year near the Space Needle, looks down from above.
Pat Costello, KOMO news director, said the flexibility built into the set is “visually endless,” adding that the set “showcases our talent and content unlike anything in our market.”
“A project that’s this innovative runs the risk of being all form without an equal amount of function,” said Kartik Dakshinamoorthy, DDG’s scenic design director. “With this project we pretty quickly achieved the right balance.”
