Jeff Ravitz designed the lighting for the final, thrilling Victory Party sequence in The Manchurian Candidate, Paramount Pictures’ summer political hit by Oscar-winner Jonathan Demme. The producers and cinematographer, Tak Fujimoto, ASC, needed a designer with experience lighting sizeable spectacular events, but who also had an eye for the needs of the camera.
Emmy-recipient Ravitz has spent over twenty-five years crafting televised and touring arena and stadium shows for some of the world’s biggest concert acts, such as Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain, and Cher, as well as for traditional studio TV projects.
"I had also created the television lighting for the 2000 Reform Party political convention–another point in my favor," comments Ravitz, partner and principal designer with Visual Terrain, Inc. The scene, shot in a large New York City hotel ballroom over a five-day period, required over four months of design and planning and five round-the-clock days to set up. Two hundred conventional and automated lighting fixtures were used to cover the 15,000 sq ft space.
Ravitz work has been seen recently in a series of stand-up specials on Comedy Central featuring Ron White, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy, the stars of last year’s Blue Collar Comedy Tour.
