About Pixels in Progress and the author
Davis Green is a photographer, a videographer, a graphic designer, and a drone operator commercially licensed through the Federal Aviation Administration. He joined SNA Displays in 2020 and works out of the company’s downtown Los Angeles office.
Davis runs SNA Displays’ Pixels in Progress series which features in-progress, behind-the-scenes stories showing what it takes to build and install LED display systems. Pixels in Progress aims to put a spotlight on the skilled technicians in the field and the often-overlooked complexity of bringing high-profile video experiences to life.
In this episode of Pixels in Progress, SNA Displays’ Production Specialist Davis Green takes us to Circa Towers in downtown Los Angeles to a massive LED refresh underway. Davis gets into the middle of the action onsite to capture some of the tough work of removing the previous DOOH platform.
Davis got with SNA Displays’ Installation Manager Torry Heard, a veteran in this space, to discuss the massive LED mega-spectacular upgrade.
Demolition of the 3-Screen Circa Towers LED spectacular
SNA Displays is overhauling one of the largest and most recognized LED video installations in Los Angeles: the Circa Digital Spectacular. It’s owned by an investment and ownership group including Hankey Investment Company and Jamison Properties.
We’re transforming this massive platform from a huge three-screen spectacular to a single, continuous, and even larger LED mega-spectacular. Next door to Crypto.com Arena, LA LIVE, and the Los Angeles Convention Center, the reimagined Circa Digital Spectacular will feature 20,000 square feet of LED canvas, a tightened pixel pitch, and 55% more pixels than its predecessor, also built by SNA Displays. Once completed, the new LED mega-spectacular will take the crown as the largest continuous LED video display on the West Coast.
PICTURED: Demolition, Crane Work, Onsite Technicians
It’s Personal
Born and raised in the LA area, I’ve been shooting SNA Displays’ LED installations around the city for several years now. In fact, the original Circa Towers Los Angeles display system was one of the first SNA installations that I shot photos for. With more time and experience behind me, it’s very rewarding to revisit an existing site with a fresh perspective.
While documenting installations, I look for unique challenges faced by SNA Displays’ field service and installation crew. In this case, our team and subcontractor PS Services had to figure out how to stack oddly shaped decorative cladding pieces on a flatbed for disposal, with both safety and efficiency in mind. They talked it through, tested how the pieces might slot together, and changed the way the crane operator was laying the pieces out. The day ended with a happy truck driver and more crane picks completed than originally expected. Nothing groundbreaking, but a notable example of well-seasoned, creative thinkers at work.
Being behind the scenes on these iconic commercial properties has taught me a lot about the complexities of our line of work, and I’m grateful for the teams I get to spend time with onsite—not just the SNA team, but PS Services in this case as well.
Visit Limelight: The SNA Blog for more Pixels in Progress coverage as well as industry and SNA Displays content.