For the Yellow Pages Association “Masters of Transformation” 2007 Conference & Exhibition (pictured, produced by Blackstone Media Group of Irvine, CA), AV Concepts had to provide lighting, video, scenic, and audio gear and solutions. What were the biggest challenges?
The largest challenge we had was to come up with a cost effective scenic element that would fit the Yellow Pages theme. The Crescendo scenic element was purchased by AV Concepts for this project because of its ability with lighting to have many looks, and that it resembles pages in a book, hence a Yellow Pages book!
What are the biggest challenges in the corporate/industrial market right now?
The biggest challenge I see is to balance new and exciting presentation technology with budgetary issues. Ultra-wide screen projection, LED video wall technology, and high-definition video are three new and extremely versatile technologies that produce stunning results but are more expensive than older technologies.
What idea did you have that looked good on paper but not in reality?
Staggered screens look awesome on paper and renderings. In reality, by staggering screens, the audience does not have a good view of some of these screens.
What inspires you in your creative goals?
I very much like to see a theme built for programs. Tying together all aspects of a program to one specific theme that matches the client's vision and goal of the project is really exciting.
What piece of equipment can you absolutely not do without?
Projection seems to be the main item for any production. I would say it would be not a single type of projector, but a range of projectors that would fit the needs of the project: brightness, resolution, format, type (DLP, LCD), reliability, and price all need to be taken into account.