Gateway Studios & Production Services (GSPS), a leader in full-service production solutions, delivered a show-stopping experience for Will Ferrell’s Ultimate DJ House Party at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena. Tasked with creating an immersive nightclub atmosphere in a 10,000-seat arena, Gateway’s team provided comprehensive lighting, audio, and video services that elevated the event to a new level of technical and creative excellence.
The event was organized to benefit Cancer For College, a charity offering scholarships and support to cancer survivors and showcased Ferrell’s passion for making a positive impact, blending humor, music, and philanthropy. It’s one of many initiatives highlighting his dedication to giving back and creating meaningful change in the lives of others.
Transforming an Arena into a Club Experience
The event presented a unique challenge: to make a large-scale arena feel intimate while maintaining the high-energy visual and auditory impact of a top-tier DJ performance. Gateway partnered with G4D Productions and Lighting Designer, Chris Ragan to conceptualize and implement the technical solutions that would meet these ambitious goals.
“From the outset, the goal was to make this feel like a club experience in a massive arena,” said Jon Dindas, Production Director for the event. “Gateway’s team, led by David Haskell and Andy Gerber, was instrumental in bringing this vision to life. Their adaptability and technical expertise allowed us to navigate last-minute changes, spatial constraints, and a demanding production schedule.”
The Gear That Made It Happen
Gateway’s extensive inventory of state-of-the-art equipment gave Ragan the tools to execute his vision without compromise.
- Robe Forte and Robe Spider fixtures dominated the rig, chosen for their power, versatility, and ability to adapt to the arena’s unique layout.
- Robe BMFL FollowSpots, controlled via RoboSpot systems, solved one of the arena’s biggest challenges—lighting the performers evenly in a center-stage configuration despite limited spotlight positions.
Gateway’s video team rounded out the experience with massive ROE CB5 LED walls, which displayed vibrant visuals throughout the lineup. Danny Clark, Art Director for the show and Creative Director at Gateway, worked closely with Ragan and the production team to ensure the content elevated the energy in the room. “Danny was the bridge between the creative vision and the technical execution,” Ragan shared.
Overcoming Challenges in Real-Time
While the design was ambitious, the execution was not without its challenges. The Wintrust Arena, while billed as an arena, felt closer to a college venue in size and rigging capacity. “We realized pretty quickly that rigging this show was going to be tough,” Ragan admitted. “The trusses had to pass through the scoreboard structure, with only inches to spare. It took an incredible amount of coordination to get it just right.”
As the show date approached, creative changes required the team to adapt on the fly. A thrust stage with LED panels was cut just days before load-in, and lighting positions were adjusted to make room for pyro and lasers. “That’s live production,” Ragan said. “Things change, and you roll with it. Gateway’s team handled it like pros.”
A Night to Remember
When the lights dimmed and the first beats hit, the transformation was clear. The lighting, visuals, and audio came together seamlessly, turning the arena into a high-energy club. Every detail—from the deep bass to the vibrant visuals—kept the audience engaged and the energy high.
“For me, it’s always about the audience,” Dindas reflected. “If the people in the crowd are smiling, dancing, and having the time of their lives, we’ve done our job. Gateway helped us deliver that—and then some.”
Crew List
Creative Director — Chris Henchy
Production Manager — Jon Dindas
Chris Ragan — Lighting Director
Max Blackman — Lighting Programmer
Stage Manager — Andy Jones
Art Director — Danny Clark
Gateway Studios & Production Services
Account Representatives — David Haskell & Ben Lawson
Project Manager — Adam Ellis
Lighting Crew Chief — Gary Curtis
Video Crew Chief — Gil Martin
Director of Media Servers — Lance Duvall
Video Engineer — Andy Glomski
Lighting Techs — Steve Grzejak, Brian Marks, Daniel Tadiello, & Chazz Malott
Network/FOH Tech — Ryan Garner
LED Techs — Jeff Hoyle & Jordan Tarquino
Media Server Op — Steve McClain
Head Rigger — Matthew Hannon
Rigger — Alex Walden
Gear List
Lighting:
56 ACME Pixel Line IP Strobe
56 GLP JDC1
80 Robe Forte
8 Robe Esprite
80 Robe TetraX
16 Robe Spiider
36 Robe Spikie
16 Robe MegaPointe
5 Robe RoboSpot
3 grandMA3 Console
Video:
158 ROE Visual CB5 LED Panel
1 Disguise GX2C D3 Media Server Package
1 NovaStar H5 LED Processing Rack
4 Panasonic AW-UE150KPJ 4K PTZ Camera
1 Ross TD3 Director Bridge
