Ben Schiffer ’10.5 helped to create the suspended platform stages and ensure Rihanna’s safety during her Super Bowl LVII halftime show, which was the second most-viewed halftime show in history.
TAIT Towers, the performance staging company Schiffer works for as a mechanical integrator – someone who designs and develops production units – was hired by Rihanna’s show designers and production managers to help develop the floating platforms in the show. Schiffer first found out he would be working on the halftime show in late October of last year and joined the development team on Jan. 17.
“There were many ideas, people, designers and engineers involved prior to getting to the point where I was involved in the process,” Schiffer said. “I specifically worked with the rehearsal team and technical team on site getting the show built, running the show and deconstructing the show.”
Overall, the halftime show was an “amazing experience” for Schiffer.
“A lot of hard work from a lot of excellent technicians. There was so much to learn out there, from new little technical tricks to certain self-limitations when climbing around 210 feet in the ceiling of State Farm Stadium,” Schiffer said. “I guess I learned that, in some way, once you tune out 80,000 live fans and 200 million at home viewers, running a show like the Super Bowl is just like any other, but it sure is hard to not think about how many people are watching.”
Schiffer participated in a week of rehearsals in Los Angeles at the end of January before the team moved to Glendale, Ariz. After that, rehearsals were split between State Farm Stadium, where the game took place, and an off-site location. Schiffer and the development teams completed a total of three weeks of rehearsals leading up to the halftime show to test the system.
“The system was extremely creative in that it used state-of-the-art winches designed by TAIT and utilized counterweight arbor systems like you would find in a traditional theater setting. We also used a secondary counter weight system to be able to store the platforms in the air, out of the way so the game could happen,” Schiffer said.
Schiffer’s main role in pre-production was to create and write a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for any performer who would be on the platforms. This involved creating a training plan that would acclimate the performers to the floating platforms and allow them to execute choreography while having a safety tether attached at their waist. Dancers would practice riding the platforms to various heights, then rehearse choreography both at height and while moving.
“Any rig this big is going to have its challenges, but as a team, we found solutions in order to be able to keep these platforms stable and running smoothly,” Schiffer said.
During the show, Schiffer was on the field watching the performers and the system as a “spotter.” There were multiple spotters on the sidelines and field in order to ensure maximum safety to all performers on the platforms and under them.
“When Rihanna was performing, my main responsibility was her safety system, belt and tether,” Schiffer said. “It was my job to confirm she was secure on the platform at the top of the show, clear the platform when she exited and new dancers came on, then confirm she was reconnected when going back up for the final lift.”
Schiffer said his experience with the Middlebury Theater Department equipped him with the skills necessary to work on big projects like this.
“My experience at Middlebury plays into my skills at work daily; from critical thinking to being able to clearly and concisely execute those ideas — my Middlebury education fostered that,” Schiffer said. “In Middlebury’s Theater Department, I learned how to work in technical and creative teams, as well as when and how to share my thoughts on a project in a constructive manner. These are skills that I think Middlebury teaches well and are useful no matter what field you go into.”
Correction 04/08/2023 10:54 a.m.: A previous version of this article misstated Ben Schiffer's class year. Schiffer graduated as part of the class of 2010.5, not 2009.5. This error has been corrected.
Daniza Tazabekova '26 is a News Editor.
Daniza is studying Political Science and English on the pre-law track. She is an Oratory Coach, Democracy Initiatives Intern, and a member of the Korean American Students Association (KASA). She was a Journalism Fellow at the Campus last year, covering news and local stories. She interned for a federal judge this summer and hopes to be a judge in the future.
