“Out of Bounds” was a daily sports talk show hosted by former Washington Wizards player Gilbert Arenas and social media star Mia Khalifa. The hosts blended sports knowledge with brash, authentic, and humorous commentary.

Senior Art & Scenic Director

Described as an “anti-sports show sports show”, it was critical to convey this concept without alienating a key demographic – sports fans. The set, which would have to be built from the ground up, needed to represent the duality of both the sports world and the hosts: the polished surface vs. the salacious grittiness underneath.

Since the premise of the show was to offer the kind of sports commentary you might hear off the field or in someone’s living room, a locker room-inspired setting made the most sense to convey that informal and honest vibe. To appeal to viewers of traditional sports shows, familiar elements such as the curved desk and high-gloss floors were included.

We decided on the “X” symbol as the key icon for the graphics package – it was bold, simple, and tied into the concept of “out of bounds”. Simultaneously, for the set, we established the fence as our main structural element. Not only could t be seen as a tiled out format of x’s, it was also a common connection among all athletes – any child will remember being fenced off in whatever sport they played.

The main colors, a shiny gold and a muted gray-purple, were selected for two reasons: they didn’t align with any particular sports team and they reaffirmed the “gloss meets grime” theme.

Challenge: Designing and building a set from the ground up in under 90 days

Building the set from the ground up with such a short turnaround required us to think quickly and be creative with problem-solving. With just enough time to order the custom furniture, we sourced props to fill in the rest of the space to make it appear lived in. This including finding vintage trophies, and printing custom jerseys.

Challenge: Maintaining symmetry in a set meant to look like a functional, authentic locker room

The organic nature of the locker room design posed a challenge in achieving symmetry for the camera. After repositioning the hosts and trying out different setups, we were able to find balance without it seeming too “perfect”.  We also made the set’s arrangement diverse enough that in the tight shots, each host had their own unique world.

Personalized cubbies and brandable props gave sponsors and guests a seamless way to incorporate logos or merch.

Out of Bounds premiered on October 16, 2017, and continued for two seasons, ending on June 5, 2018. After cycling through different hosts and moderators, the show is indefinitely on hold.