The Vikings on Sunday night make their regular-season debut at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Packers, and they are "mixing mystery and sizzle in an attempt to sear" the game "into the memories of their fans," according to Rochelle Olson of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Vikings VP/Content & Production Bryan Harper said, "We’re hoping that when people leave they say, win or lose, ‘that was one heck of an experience’ and that they’re not going to forget it.” Olson noted some of the details are "tightly held secrets" and will "remain so until late Sunday." The Vikings got the NFL's "permission to go a minute beyond the usual 12-minute halftime break and they've got 215 volunteers who will hustle equipment on and off the field for an eight-minute production." Harper: "We have a responsibility to provide a memorable event, not just the game, but the entertainment." To help with the "massive production for an expected sellout of 66,200 fans in the building," the team hired Event & Stage Producer Michael Shann, whose experience includes the Closing Ceremony for the '14 Sochi Games (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/15).
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: NBC "SNF" Director Drew Esocoff said that the stadium will be "prominently featured in the telecast." In Minneapolis, Rachel Blount notes in addition to "showing off its more attention-grabbing elements, such as its translucent roof," the “SNF” crew will take advantage of features "designed to make the game look as good on TV as it does from the $400 seats." Esocoff: "The sight lines look great, and the audio-visual looks like it’s going to be amazing. And the exterior is ridiculously cool." Esocoff said that Sunday's telecast "will add a 'little bit of glamour' to the usual 'SNF' template.'" The production will "employ a crew of about 175." HKS Architects Principal Designer Bryan Trubey, who designed the stadium, said the TV audience has become a "huge consideration" in stadium planning. The Vikings added other features that "maximize the production quality of both TV broadcasts and their in-house video." The stadium is the "first newly built structure in the NFL to use a new LED lighting system that provides the perfect illumination for TV broadcasts" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/16).
