Description:

“To inform and uplift Aotearoa New Zealand every morning” – this purpose formed the basis of the project to give Aotearoa’s highest rating morning show, Breakfast, a refreshed and revolutionised set.

TVNZ Blacksand was approached to create an inviting and conversational studio environment that the presenters would be at home in. Flexibility through the show was critical, so the set was split into three zones. This created a more dynamic pace within the show, giving different settings for content to be presented from – a bar leaner for coversations between presenters, a couch for guest interviews, and a standing presentation area for weather updates and graphics explainers.

These zones are backed by two videowalls, the largest being a 17 metre long curved LED wall encompassing half the studio.
These videowalls became the “Living Walls”, rather than housing the usual overtly branded show graphics, they feature art as a wall mural showcasing Aotearoa’s unique identity through native flora and fauna. And these change with the seasons, reflecting Aotearoa back upon itself. Murals are often found throughout the motu in cafes and other communal social spaces, enhancing the creative and social feeling within the set environment.

Wrapping the look together, a fully virtual structure was built around the set inspired by modern cafe and art gallery spaces. This fully immersed the presenters in a warm and vibrant environment, not the usual dark walls and studio lighting typical on studio wide shots. Using tight angle shots, the team can close the set set in around the presenters creating a more intimate interview setting, and the wide angle jib shot showcases the expansive virtual space.
The physical set, artwork and the virtual environment shared materials and pieces to feel part of a cohesive look. Wood tones and gardens were used both in the real and virtual, and the artwork was presented across both physical wall and as pieces on the virtual walls.
Finishing off the virtual was the integration of dynamic weather. This is fully controllable by the production team, able to adjust the time of day and the weather conditions from fine to stormy. This gives the enviroment a realistic touch, enabling it to match the weather conditions each morning.

The studio that Breakfast operates from is used by eight other productions. But this new environment has given Breakfast a home, a space and look they totally have to themselves. No longer are they stuck with the same “look” that such a busy studio creates.