BET: UnCONVENTIONAL

Producing BET’s UnCONVENTIONAL Convention Specials Across Field, Studio, and Creative

2One-Hour Studio Specials

3Production Markets

2National Conventions Covered

2Distinct Graphics Packages

4ENG Crew Roles Across Each Convention Market

1Unified Series Brand

In This Case Study:

Services
Challenge
Solution
Impact
Deliverables
Key Information
Photo Gallery

Creative Services for BET

BET brought in BMG to provide live production, technical management, production staffing, editorial support, and creative services for UnCONVENTIONAL, its 2016 coverage of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

The project included field production at the RNC in Cleveland and the DNC in Philadelphia, editorial support in New York, and two 60-minute studio specials produced at the Newseum in Washington, DC.

BMG also developed the creative identity for the series, including convention-specific graphics packages, animated show opens, lower thirds, bumpers, branded set elements, and social media creative.

The result was a full production and creative workflow that connected field coverage, fast-turn editing, studio production, and branded design across multiple cities.

There are not many folks who would think it possible to produce such an incredible program in such a short amount of time. But I am so proud of what you were able to produce.

James Blue — Director of Current Affairs and Special Programs, BET

The Challenge: Producing a Multi-City Political Series on a Fast Timeline

BET needed a production partner that could support convention coverage in the field, turn that content into edited packages, and integrate it into two studio specials with a consistent creative identity. The project had to move quickly across multiple teams, locations, and formats while still feeling like one cohesive BET series.

Field Coverage in Two Convention Cities

The RNC took place at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, while the DNC took place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

BMG needed to support field crews in both markets, capturing interviews, news packages, and daily news briefs that could be used in the studio specials.

Fast-Turn Editorial Workflow

Content from the field had to move quickly to the editorial team in New York.

That required a workflow for organizing incoming material, managing media, editing packages, and preparing finished content for the Washington, DC studio productions.

Studio Specials Built Around Field Packages

The final programs were two 60-minute specials shot at the Newseum in Washington, DC.

Each special included a host, co-host, guests, and edited field packages from the conventions, requiring tight coordination between editorial content, studio production, graphics, and technical execution.

One Brand Across Two Conventions

The creative package needed to support two distinct political events without making the series feel disconnected.

BMG had to design separate treatments for the RNC and DNC while tying both together under the UnCONVENTIONAL identity.

The Solution: An End-to-End Production and Creative Workflow

BMG supported the series across field production, post-production, studio execution, and creative design.

Convention Field Production

In Cleveland and Philadelphia, BMG booked local ENG crews to capture interviews, news packages, and daily briefs.

Each market was supported by field producers and a production manager to keep the coverage organized, on schedule, and aligned with the needs of the final studio specials.

Editorial Support in New York

BMG staffed the New York editorial workflow with an executive producer, three editors, and a media manager.

The team organized content coming in from the field and edited packages for inclusion in the live studio programs.

Studio Production at the Newseum

The studio portion of UnCONVENTIONAL was produced at the Newseum in Washington, DC.

BMG booked the local DC studio crew and supported the control room staffing, technical management, and execution needed to produce the two 60-minute specials.

The studio format included a host, co-host, multiple guests, and field packages from the conventions.

Broadcast Graphics and Show Identity

BMG’s creative team designed and integrated the full graphics package for the specials.

The package included:

Animated show opens
Intro animations
Lower thirds
Bumpers
On-screen graphic elements
RNC-specific visual treatment
DNC-specific visual treatment

Each package reflected its respective convention while maintaining a unified visual language for the UnCONVENTIONAL series.

Set Signage and Social Creative

BMG extended the creative direction beyond the broadcast graphics.

The team designed branded set elements and on-set signage that matched the graphics package, helping the physical studio environment feel connected to the on-screen identity.

BMG also created social media graphics for BET’s platforms leading up to the specials, giving the series a consistent look across broadcast and digital promotion.

Impact

BMG helped BET produce a multi-city political coverage series that brought together field reporting, fast-turn editorial, studio production, and creative design.

The workflow allowed BET to capture convention content in Cleveland and Philadelphia, edit packages in New York, and produce two studio specials in Washington, DC.

By combining live production, production staffing, editorial support, and creative services, BMG gave UnCONVENTIONAL a complete production foundation and a cohesive brand across both convention specials.

Deliverables

Turnkey editorial and technical production for two specials

Two 60-minute studio programs

Field coverage at the Republican National Convention

Field coverage at the Democratic National Convention

ENG crew staffing in Cleveland

ENG crew staffing in Philadelphia

Field producer support

Production management in each convention market

New York editorial workflow

Executive producer

Three editors

Media manager

Control room staffing

Studio production crew in Washington, DC

Technical management and execution

Off-site news package production and editing

Creative design and execution of graphic elements

RNC-specific graphics package

DNC-specific graphics package

Animated show opens

Lower thirds

Bumpers

Branded set signage

Social media graphics

Key Information

Category	Details
Client	BET
Event	“UnCONVENTIONAL” – 2016 Republican and Democratic National Conventions
Locations	Cleveland, OH Philadelphia, PA Washington, DC New York, NY
Venues	Quicken Loans Arena Wells Fargo Center Newseum
Year	2016
Services Provided	Multi-Camera Production Studio Production Production Staffing & Operations Creative Services Consulting