### Turning Keys & Costumes: The Magnitude of the TODAY Halloween Extravaganza
#### The Seamless Transition from Idea to Reality
The annual TODAY Halloween on the Plaza event presents a unique opportunity to see how an idea transforms into a visually stunning spectacle. Each year, a complex team of professionals converges to bring the concept to life, with roles spanning from costume and wig designers to set builders, makeup artists, and stylists; essentially, a proverbial village working to take an idea from inception to completion. As the 2024 edition approaches, TODAY production designer Ed Helbig provides insight into the behind-the-scenes processes.
#### Unmasking the Set Design Challenge
Ed Helbig, a 22-year veteran of TODAY’s Halloween extravaganza, shares the challenges faced annually. This year’s set design presented unique obstacles, most notably the creation of the makeshift video store. With a tight deadline of less than a week, Helbig and his team had to navigate the absence of typical video store props. Instead, they sourced store shelves from online retail and DIY stores to create a themed setting. The construction of slanted shelves and subsequent filling with old VHS tapes were intricate and time-consuming tasks.
##### Creating a Believable Video Store
The detailed concentration on authenticity was clear, as Helbig states: “We had to cost out how many tapes we needed based on the width of the shelves and realize we needed over 300 tapes.” These were sourced from multiple vendors and meticulously placed to complete the illusion.
#### The Craft of Costume Design
TODAY costume designer, Stacy Greenbaum, also detailed the exhaustive process behind creating_param_illustrative_costumes for the anchors and co-hosts. Greenbaum highlights the difficulty of honoring iconic clothes from movies like “Beetlejuice,” “Titanic,” and “Heathers,” while keeping to scale and realistic proportions.
##### Attention to Detail
For her, the focus was not just on the embellishments, but also on the weight and quality of each fabric, ensuring the costumes were both realistic and comfortable. Essentially, each outfit was individually crafted to fit each anchor and co-host.
#### The World Behind the Makeup & Hair Transformations
Artistic hair designer Jodi Mancuso, a 23-year veteran from Saturday Night Live, brings her skills to the TODAY team, transforming anchors into other characters with intricate wigs. This year, jogging alongside the set design and costume creation under the VHS Rewind theme.
##### Hours of Craft
These wigs, handmade with meticulous precision, can take up to 40-60 hours to complete. ‘Light on time, heavy on the delicious magic,” Mancuso says of the production process, “Especially with characters like Mrs. Doubtfire, careful attention to the character as well as dialogue is essential to the viability of the transformation.”
#### Joining in the Extravaganza: What’s In Store
Next year promises a host of thrills and chills under the Halloween on the Plaza banner. From the behind-the-scenese look at the video store to the character transformation in mischievous humor combined with starring roles for rising anchors like Carson Daly and Peter Alexander.
##### En registration marking to join in the fun
Are you excited for the 2024 TODAY Halloween on the Plaza? Do you have a favorite movie or character you’d line to see? Robust the ropes with us in the comments and share your costume ideas! Remember, you have to see it to begin Halloween spirit!