I can to do it!

So why can't we all be event planners?

Okay I will be the first to admit I am not an event planner In fact I view my roll in creating a bigger and better event by allowing the planner to step outside the box and ask what can we do instead of what can we not do. I am passionate about creating a unique event that someone will want to come back to because it immerses them into a different reality. Why would Disney invest so much in the ride lines if they didn't believe that you would enjoy it more. Why am I not an event planner well it has to do with event planners are concerned with the overall scope and I want to specialize in the event from a staging standpoint.

Running an event is a complex maze of challenges that are not for the faint at heart, and just when you think you have them all under wraps a few more pop up and usually 5 minutes before the event. There are a lot of very great event planners out there and that is why I like working with them because they now what to look for. I am a live production person and know what to look for when it comes to production challenges, but I have no idea when it comes to food or beverage.

If you want your event to come off well you owe it to yourself to at least contact a good planner and see how they can help you out! Email me at pinnacleevents@gmail.com to find out ways to get a list of great event planners.

Happy New Year!

Future plans?

So as I scan through site after site of staging equipment as well as video equipment I am struck with an odd sense that no one vendor from a video side completely understands or wants to take on the daunting tasks of integrating all of the elements of producing a live show. It strikes me as odd because I come from a broadcast model that in recent years showed more and more vendors working on the overall automation goal. As event production people we would love to find a turn-key solution that was fault tolerant as well as automated. Barco/Folsom collaboration comes close, but no one has looked at the playback side in conjugation with a switching and routing platform. I know there are some companies like Medialon working on the automation side, but I long for something like the Optima switchers from Echolab. The ability as a production person to cue up and trigger the next event all in one place is priceless.

Okay so those are the big boys, but more and more the economy of scale comes down to how you can use your tools in an economical way. After spending 10 years at a Cable Company doing Local Origination programming I tell you I appreciate doing things as cost effectively as possible, and I am excited with the technologies I am seeing. Of course the leader for some time is a company called Newtek who basically took the economics of scale to heart and invented what truly was the first studio in a box with their Video Toaster for the Amiga computer. Yes for you technophobes out there the Amiga! It was truly liberating what I was able to do on this box ten years ago. It would seem that they are doing that same thing today with the PC version. I have spoke on this Blog about the Toaster, but they have a new version that even has an internal frame buffer that would allow say a PowerPoint show to be running and be able to use it as an actual input on the switcher. Event production just got a lot easier.

So if 7000 lumen projectors would come down to $7,000 instead of 15K plus we all could do events.... Well not exactly.... Come back tomorrow and I will tell you why it would be good to hire the experts!

Time of reflection.

It seems that when we get to this time of the year we often reflect on the past year and look what we have or have not accomplished. I know for myself that it has truly been a year of change as the business continues to grow in new and unique ways that constantly amaze me. Also at this time we realize how important friends and family are to life. I am truly blessed with a very supportive family as well as some great friends out there that are helping me keep going on this truly Grand Adventure.

Thanks to all of you! Happy Holidays and to a prosperous new year!

The proof in ROI

In a nod to more and more companies looking at experiential marketing comes this from Ad Week:

Shockwave, H-P Rock With Warped Tour
SAN FRANCISCO Entertainment site Shockwave.com today named three winners of the "H-P Music Video Awards," an interactive promotion that combined Hewlett-Packard technology and music from the Warped Tour.

The promotion began in the fall and challenged aspiring filmmakers to create original music videos for one of five songs from bands that were featured on the Warped Tour. Hundreds of submissions poured in from across the country, a Shockwave spokeswoman said.

Michael Estrella, 32, of Los Angeles won the grand prize of $15,000 for his slow-motion video for The Vandals' "I am Crushed," the rep said. First and second prize, respectively, went to Oklahomans Eric Lee and Sam J. Stanton, both 23, for Sugarcult's "Memory," and Michael Horowitz, 29, and Gareth Smith, 28, both of Los Angeles, for the same song.

Estrella's winning submission and the two runners-up can be seen online at hpmusic.
Shockwave, based in San Francisco, has a track record of innovative branded entertainment programs, said Mary Bermel, senior manager of global brand advertising at H-P.

The winning videos have already attracted notice within the music industry, Shockwave said. "It's amazing that these videos were created by up-and-coming producers rather than veteran directors," said Kevin Lyman, founder of the Warped Tour.

--Celeste Ward


This is just proof that by looking at your product and staging some sort of event around it you can build a wider buzz than if you just stuck to traditional marketing. Experiental marketing at work for you!

The days of glamour!

Okay maybe not so glamorous, but it was fun and very useful. What was you may ask? Well last night I went to a high school dance and took the laptop to do some VJ stuff. We projected probably an image that was about 50 feet by 50 feet on a wall where the dance was being held. So what implications does this have for staging? In a way it was an experiment to see how images can be projected to add some texture to events and abiance. I think it was successful and it was fun seeing reactions when I put a live image of the dance floor on the wall as well. So I learned a lot and will continue to use this technique in different ways as I feel this is truly the future of staging as a whole.

I also would add that as a video person it is pretty amazing seeing the power of what the software can do in real-time. I do think I am going to have to get one of those cute little cubes to use as my laptop doesn't quite have the throughput to handle everything I was doing.

More stuff this next week!

What is VJ anyway?

The beginning is always the best place to start... So after a slight absence from posting I thought I would put another photo on what I was doing tonight which was helping the guys from Avenue H. We are also working on using VJ software to start creating the mood with images projected behind the band. We unfortunealtly ran out of time, but we will be doing it in the coming weeks. I will really be trying the VJ stuff out when I go help out with a DJ on Saturday. Should be fun and unique!

The long awaited piece...

So it is a bit on the large side (83mb), but if you are interested here is the link to a quicktime for the Ave. H DVD piece we are working on. Also a link to the finished COVA spot. Well have a good weekend all!

Home away from home 2...

Another day in paradise! Well at least having some fun at the LJ3 Studio. What you see here is a complete mobile live multi-track recording studio. If you ever need any audio work from live sound reinforcement to studio recording Conor and LJ3 can definetly do it. Give him a call for more information 541-788-3385. Okay shameless promotion, but he really does have some of the finest gear from Nexo, MOTU, and even a digital O1V from Yamaha. Stay tuned for links to the DVD coming tomorrow....

Avenue H DVD coming soon.

So in the long awaited saga of this piece it is finally in its final stages of remix by LJ3 Entertainment. We multi-tracked the entire project, so Conor will be mixing it down for a 5.1 mix. I will post a rough copy on this post by the weeks end.

On another note I have been asked to do a promotional spot for Central Oregon Visitors Association for their annual Gala at the Riverhouse in trade for my logo on all of their print materials. I hope this is another way of creating a big splash with little cash.

I also am working on a promo piece for my kids school. Nothing like an easy subject, kids having fun. This will be a long term use video for them with the premiere at a silent auction the opening night of WinterFest here in Bend.

Any thoughts for the day?