For the 33rd annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, which is traditionally held the day before each year’s Academy Awards, IFC enlisted Mirrored Media to produce two key aspects of the show: the Facebook Live stream and the VIP-Pee interview space. The event was held in a tented space on the beach adjacent to the iconic Santa Monica Pier.

For the first time ever, IFC teamed up with Facebook to stream the ceremony live on Facebook Watch. Mirrored Media provided full production and technical support for the live stream, which accumulated well over 1 million views during its debut. We began live coverage on the blue carpet for 90 minutes, as the film industry’s most celebrated stars arrived, posed for photographs, and spoke with the media. IFC and Funny or Die hosts Langan Kingsley and Kelly Hudson had a front row seat as they captured interviews with some of the most noteworthy attendees and nominees of the day and engaged with fans live via social polls and questions.

Once the carpet coverage concluded, our team quickly moved into place to prepare for the 2.5-hour live stream of the Spirit Awards. Not only did we produce the stream of the show itself, but during IFC broadcast commercial breaks, our stream cut to live interviews from the VIP-Pee interview space located backstage next to the VIP bathrooms.

Mirrored Media designed and built this humorous take on the infamous portable bathroom trailer that sits backstage every year. The 8’x8’ interview space, co-sponsored between IFC and Funny or Die, was intended to be a classy version of the celebrity bathrooms, containing marble floors, gold rope and stanchions holding gold toilet paper rolls, and gold curtains. Additionally, a branded step and repeat served as a backdrop, featuring logos from IFC, the Spirit Awards, and Funny or Die.

Each segment featured tongue-in-cheek viewer polls, celebrity and influencer interviews, and show commentary from our two hosts, Langan and Kelly. Throughout the day, we captured guest interviews with the likes of I, Tonya’s Allison Janney, Get Out’s Marcus Henderson, Haley Joel Osment, TV personality Carrie Keagan, and various sponsors and influencers from the celebrity hospitality tents.

The blue carpet and VIP-Pee segments provided viewers with an interactive experience, as they were encouraged to post their own questions for celebrity and influencer interviews. Along with live on-screen polls, this kept social engagement active throughout the day, elevating the stream beyond a traditional broadcast.

ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

Now in its 33rd year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is an annual celebration honoring artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers whose films embody independence and originality. The Spirit Awards recognizes the achievements of American independent filmmakers and promotes the finest independent films of the year to a wider audience.