Macy’s Passport 2008/ The Celebrity Catwalk Challenge (NBC and cinema release)

Jeff Ravitz and his team provided the television lighting design for Macy’s Passport 2008, the 26th annual presentation of the retailer’s mega fashion show extravaganza dedicated to raising awareness of the HIV/AIDS crisis and research funding toward saving lives. For the first time in the history of the event, this year’s show was captured by production company, Control Room, in high definition for broadcast as an NBC-TV special as well as for the inaugural Macy’s Passport Fashion Cinema, which was screened in movie theatres nationwide.

The historic fashion show undergoes a year-long creative prep, and is presented annually in San Francisco, and then in Santa Monica. Don Carone and Nook Schoenfeld have traditionally designed the show.  Due to the addition of the TV element, Jeff Ravitz was brought in to enhance and adapt the show design for the camera.

The NBC special, titled The Celebrity Catwalk Challenge, was presented as a reality program, showing five celebrities going through the training and preparation to become runway models. The show culminates in their runway debut.