How This Jaw-Dropping Event Design Transported Guests Into the World of FX's Latest Series

The premiere of FX’s Shōgun used hand-painted pagodas, 20-foot bonsai trees, hundreds of hanging lanterns, authentic taiko drummers, and more to immerse guests in Japan in the year 1600.

Claire Hoffman

February 29, 2024

For the after-party, Event Eleven built three 30-foot pagodas and hung 300 lanterns from the ceiling. They also brought in a 20-foot-tall bonsai tree and a variety of 30-foot red maples, along with other greenery and foliage. "[It all] helped create the organic atmosphere and helped transport guests into a gardenlike room," said Schubert.Photo: Line 8 Photography
LOS ANGELES—The red carpet premiere event for FX’s Shōgun took place Feb. 13 at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles. The new series—an original adaptation of James Clavell’s bestselling novel, which debuted on Hulu and FX Feb. 27—is set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war.

So for its premiere event, the team knew they had some pretty rich material to draw from. "It's not every day you get to have this much fun with such beauty, and in a time period that emulates such amazing color and detail," said Tony Schubert, founder and CEO of Event Eleven, which handled design and production for the event.

Schubert and his team felt pressure to stay true to the culture and the time period—so when Amanda Van Goethen, FX Networks' vice president of events, brought the project to him, he first thought of a Japanese garden. "Once we were able to see the episodes, the design process started with the entire vision," he explained. "The entry, red carpet, and after-party were visualized from the series."

Van Goethen agreed with the need to get it right. "The series has paid such meticulous attention to every detail, ensuring it's truly authentic," she told BizBash. "We felt we needed to take a page from that playbook in every detail of this event. Even when we steered away from feudal Japan, it was intentional and discussed with the show team."

The resulting event was a vibrant immersion in a lush, Japan-inspired setting, complete with hand-painted Japanese pagodas, 20-foot bonsai trees, hundreds of hanging lanterns, authentic taiko drummers, and much more. Scroll down to see the vendors involved in the gathering, and keep scrolling to see behind-the-scene details of the stunning event design.

VENDORS:
Audio: Modern Illumination Productions (MIP)
Catering: Wolfgang Puck Catering
Drummers: Taiko Project
Event Production & Design: Event Eleven
Fabrication: Square LA, LAB Creative Designs
Greenery: Green Set
Lighting: Lighten Up
Photography: Line 8 Photography
Rentals: Bright Event Rentals
Venue: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

When guests first arrived, they encountered an immersive forest that had been built in the Academy Museum's exterior terrace. "We reenvisioned the entire entry flow for guests, and took them another way to check in," explained Schubert. "The museum gave us the perfect canvas to create."

Photo: Line 8 Photography

Guests traveled through the lush forest, where they encountered original costumes from the show. The series' score was playing through hidden speakers to further the immersive feel. The space "allowed for great photo ops and a tease of what was to come," said Schubert.

Photo: Line 8 Photography

"The entry moment felt particularly special," added Van Goethen. "It was something out of the ordinary, and truly a first stop in immersing all guests into this visually rich world—between the costumes, the fog, and the music, it was a really inspiring moment."

Photo: Line 8 Photography

From there, the team took over the museum's entire lobby area for the red carpet, which included 1,000 linear feet of bamboo shoji screens.

Photo: Line 8 Photography

The screens were backlit and had a forest of cherry blossoms peeking over the top.

Photo: Line 8 Photography

Prior to the screening, guests enjoyed original music from authentic taiko drummers. One of the reasons Van Goethen chose the Academy Museum was due to the enormous screen in the venue's David Geffen Theater. "I felt it was imperative guests see [the show] on the biggest and best screen," she said.

Photo: Line 8 Photography

The post-party was held on the venue's Dolby Terrace.

Photo: Line 8 Photography

For the after-party, Event Eleven built three 30-foot pagodas and hung 300 lanterns from the ceiling. They also brought in a 20-foot-tall bonsai tree and a variety of 30-foot red maples, along with other greenery and foliage. '[It all] helped create the organic atmosphere and helped transport guests into a gardenlike room,' said Schubert.

Photo: Line 8 Photography

Getting the fully grown trees up to the museum's rooftop terrace was no easy feat, added Schubert. While they initially discussed craning everything in, the team ultimately opted to use the elevators—which was particularly tricky when the venue was open to the public for part of the install. "We had lots of labor and a few late nights, but we got everything up with a few hours to spare," he remembered, noting that the secret to success was having a thorough timeline, a team that performs well under pressure, and a strong venue partner.

Photo: Line 8 Photography

Each pagoda featured intricate paintings re-created from show files. "Seeing them lit was a showstopper," said Schubert.

In another on-theme touch, an on-site calligrapher painted guests' names on bookmarks in Japanese writing.

Photo: Line 8 Photography

Schubert says lighting was the key to making the venue's large, open terrace feel lush and intimate. "Our team, led by senior producer Amanda Dodge, takes great pride in every detail—and lighting is one of them," he said. "We work tirelessly to make sure the lighting is just the right temperature and the right brightness, highlighting things like food, bars, seating areas, foliage, etc."

He continued, "We want guests to find nooks to relax and feel comfortable in. It's important to take large spaces and find organic ways to create intimacy and layers."

Photo: Line 8 Photography