Skip to content

Pro Production 2005

Share this Post:

Maybe I've got our old friend Hunter Thompson on the brain, but that phrase kept popping into my head throughout the proceedings of Pro Production 2005. Between economics of scale, changing client demands, technology advances and the creeping corporatization of the live event production world, the going has indeed gotten weird. But while those outside of our world certainly see us all as a bit on the weird side, we have all gone pro and it showed. In addition to the ancillary events like the Industry Jam and the Parnelli Awards, the seminar sessions had the mix of total professionalism and Little Rascals "let's put on a show" ethos that one can only find in this business. Audio company participation was way up over past sessions, with companies including D.A.S., Harman Pro (with fully-outfitted demo room), L-Acoustics, Masque Sound, NEXO, Renkus-Heinz (who provided loudspeaker systems for the Industry Jam, Parnelli Awards and seminar rooms) and TC Electronic joining Pro Production stalwarts like Westone on the show floor and in the seminar rooms.

Again, the seminar rooms are what really set Pro Production apart from the competition. Imagine a panel on digital consoles where you get to hear from a group of industry hot-shots including moderator Dave Shadoan, president of Sound Image, Paul Simon/Steely Dan/Bette Midler engineer David Morgan, and Harry Witz of db Sound. Or maybe biz panels on everything from bidding strategies to growing your company to making a graceful exit when the time comes. Many of these seminars will be the subject of articles in FOH over the coming months.

Last year, we started a new tradition at Pro Production–a high-profile keynote speaker–and this year we actually doubled that commitment with two keynotes. First, Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman gave us all a big reality check about the changing economics of the touring industry and how that affects all aspects of live event production, from theatre to corporate gigs. His big push was for all of us to be willing to accept a pay scale based on incentives for meeting certain work goals. He is doing this with everyone from artists to promoters to crew on his current "Warped Indoors" tour, and says that as of the seventh show of the tour, he had been able to pay those incentives on five shows, and everyone in the food chain was making more money than they would have under a more traditional system. For example, the crew said they needed three hours to load the system in and set it up. Lyman said that every night they got it done in two hours everyone would get an extra $75. They have gotten the bump almost every night and have put the system in and up in as little as 90 minutes. Something to think about…

Star-power was provided by Todd Rundgren, an artist who has been on the bleeding edge of production for most of his career and who reminded us all of two very important things: A) it is important to dress things up and make them look good, and that can be done without spending a lot of money; and B) the radical changes in the music world have made live performance an even more crucial area for every artist out there. This offers some major opportunities to those of us whose bread and butter is the live event.

Overall, Pro Production offered a broad array of product information, educational sessions and networking activities. Attendees and exhibitors reconnected with old friends, picked up some words of advice and made new business connections–again proving that Pro Production is all about quality time with quality people.

Rick O'Brien Memorial Golf Tournament: A Silver Lining Amid Stormy Weather

When PLSN/FOH national Advertising Director Greg Gallardo called the Long Beach Recreation Golf Course on the morning of the Rick O'Brien Memorial Golf Tournament, the golf pro advised him to postpone the tournament or cancel it all together. The problem, it seems, was the deluge of rain that besieged California for a fortnight leading up to the kick-off of Pro Production. And now, amid the mudslides and impassable highways, the roster of industry professionals was descending on Long Beach for the charity golf tournament just as the call was made not to call it off.

Despite the threat of more rain, the sun came out, the participants showed up and the tournament went on. As the players splashed their way through the standing water, the golf balls flew and the weather held, much to the delight of the duffers and scratchers alike. When it was all said and done, the team of John Zajonc (Legacy Power), Anthony Giordano (Rock-It Cargo), Bob Brigham (Nocturne Productions) and Doug Masterson (Rock-It Cargo) brought a 16-under par to the clubhouse for the tournament title. In second place was the team of Buford Jones (Meyer Sound), Jim Shearing (Masque Sound) and Kyle Wilson (Meyer Sound) with 13 under. The third place prize was claimed by the Speed of Sound Worldwide team of Keith Mitchell, Micah McFonlone and Donnie Lee. Lee also took home the prize for the longest drive, and Dave Thomas of Thomas Engineering won the prize for closest to the pin.

Proceeds from the annual golf tournament benefit the O'Brien Children's Education Fund. Bob Brigham of Nocturne matched the tournament's donation, adding his own $1,500. Kate Bruner O'Brien, the widow of Rick "Parnelli" O'Brien, was on hand to encourage the mud-

splashed golfers.

Music, Memories and More at East Meets West Reunion and Industry Jam

One change from Pro Production events past was the combining of the Corporate Culture Reunion with the Industry Jam, which, until this year, was always the final event of Pro Production. The Reunion had moved from the night before the conference (following the Rick O'Brien Memorial Golf Tournament) in its first year, to the first night of the show last year. Combining it with the Jam drew a greater turnout to both events.

"Instead of looking at the Jam as the 'end-of-the-show, let-your-hair-down' event, we thought that the relaxed atmosphere would help set the tone for the entire show," said Pro Production Executive Director Terry Lowe.

The move seems to have paid off, with industry folks who hadn't participated in the past taking the stage either in pre-determined groups or with the host band, Rev. Bill and the Soul Believers. Louise Mandrell LD Susan Rose returned after a one-year absence, and L-Acoustics' Paul Freudenberg added some soulful guitar riffs to the Dobie Gray chestnut "Drift Away." The Westone Band (Dale Douglass, Greg Morgan, Karl Cartwright and Kris Cartwright) broke away from their in-ear-only booth and showed everyone that they can also rock out loud.

The Reunion paired up East Coast pioneers See Factor with West Coast sound stalwarts Sound Image, and in keeping with the laid-back (when not on the gig, of course) personas of both companies, the Reunion was decidedly less formal than in years past, taking on more the tone of a cocktail party than a formal event. Adding the Jam to the proceedings helped cement that vibe. Still, some plan to continue to try and bring some order to the chaos. "Next year we've gotta have some kind of run-through with the Jam participants to prevent any train wrecks," said the Rev. (also known as Bill Evans, Timeless Communications editorial director). "At one point, we had three guitar players on stage, and I don't think any of us were playing the same chords," he laughs. "It was still a lot of fun, though."

Production Pros Hit the Red Carpet

The entertainment industry's elite arrived at the ceremony with hopes of receiving the night's top honors, a trophy and the critical acclaim of their peers… No, not the Oscars–at this awards ceremony, guests were just as likely to arrive in Hawaiian shirts and jeans as tuxes or evening gowns. We're talking about the Fourth Annual Parnelli Awards, the entertainment production industry's top honors, and the crown jewel of Pro Production's special events. Held at the stately Grand Ballroom of the Queen Mary, the Parnellis honored the best of the best of the behind-the-scenes masterminds.

While quality equipment is important, gear can't invent, operate or transport itself, let alone design a show, problem-solve, interact with others or inspire its peers. The Parnelli Awards differ from many "production" awards in that they honor the people who move the industry forward. Named after legendary production manager Rick "Parnelli" O'Brien, these awards recognize those who embody Rick's "four H's:" Humanity, Humility, Humor and Honor.

This year, Pro Production introduced a new award–the Parnelli Innovator Award, given to an individual or company who has dramatically impacted the event production industry. The inaugural award was presented to John Meyer of Meyer Sound Laboratories, whose many inventions have revolutionized the audio world. Meyer's early designs were utilized by such artists as Lonnie Turner of the Steve Miller Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. Today, Meyer Sound holds 35 U.S. and international patents, and is one of the world's most successful audio manufacturers, producing integrated loudspeaker solutions including transducer design, signal processing, power amplification and electro-acoustic measurement systems.

Also honored at the ceremony was Bob See of See Factor, who received the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award. See Factor launched the careers of generations of production personnel, many who have risen to the top of their fields. See's colleagues, employees, peers and friends know him to be hard-working, dependable, ambitious, innovative and inspirational.

In addition to dinner and cocktails, the 300 guests at the ceremony were treated to the sometimes emotional awards presentations and the witty banter of master of ceremonies Patrick Stansfield, chairman of the Pro Production board of advisors. Besides the Lifetime Achievement and Innovator Awards, 19 awards were presented in categories across the production spectrum, from transportation to production management. Tune in next month for in-depth coverage of the award-winners.

To see all the pictures from Pro Production, go to www.fohonline.com/showpics

Modern House of Worship: A Letter From the Director

(Ed. Note: Running in parallel with PP2005 was a set of seminars aimed specifically at the house of worship segment of the biz, presented by FOH Sound Sanctuary columnist Richard Rutherford. This is the second year of this conference within a conference (last year's was presented by Church Production magazine) and you can count on seeing it continue–and grow–in coming years.)

To some, conducting educational seminars is just a business venture, but in this case, the seminars led to the intangible benefits that can only be derived from the elusive combination of professional presentation and a passionate audience.

I couldn't be more pleased with the solid turnout of attendees for the Modern House of Worship technical seminars. It's really interesting to observe a group that has such a sincere desire to learn and yet has no profit motive. Could this truly be a healthy segment of the live event production industry? Absolutely!

As a system design and build contractor, I couldn't be more enthusiastic about this industry niche. The question is no longer "Should the pastor use a lavaliere?" but rather "How will the broadcast video look when we add a dozen moving yokes?" or "How can we do a better job at digitally routing 64 channels of post-production audio to hard drive?" Man, this is my kind of church!

Besides the fact that Randy Vaughn took a break from his post at NSCA to lecture on audio physics, we also had the pleasure of hearing seminars by Steve Grider and the ever-luminescent Richard Cadena. We offered up some of the best we had to offer, and it was much appreciated. When I think about the value of education, I bet we could have charged more! This was such a great deal for all those who participated.

I am already looking forward to next year, to making Modern House of Worship better and finding more ways to connect with those who truly are on a mission to learn more about pro audio, lighting, video and rigging. I'll probably need at least a dozen chain motors on one of my next projects… There's a lot to do…let's get busy!

Sincerely,

Richard Rutherford