A Lively Report

If you watched Grease: Live last night, you loved it, hated it or came somewhere in between. I've read reviews from theatre nerds, film buffs and video geeks. And I agree with most of them.

From a theatre standpoint (I have been involved in theatre since I was 9 years old), they did a very nice job. There were some stand-out performances (Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens to name two) and some not so great performances (I won't go into details there). There were iconic moments (when Frenchy meets Frenchy, and Boys II Men) and some let downs (why did they change Sandy's last name...Sandra Dee just doesn't have the same double meaning when her name is Sandy Young). **edit - the original movie had her as Sandy Olson...it was the stage show where her last name did in fact start with a D...Dombrowski**

But this post is more about the production from a live television point-of-view. It was AMAZING. The steady-cam work was top notch. There wasn't a moment of shaky camera work (ok, there was one shot that was obviously not ready yet).

The size of the set was incredible. 100 cast members and 200 crew members pulled together for an almost flawless event. Ok, there was some audio trouble. But isn't that why we watch live events? To see what might go wrong? Did you catch a wrong name in the sleepover-party scene? My son was very excited to see a "professional" goof. In a 3-hour live event that has so many moving parts, 1 minute of lost audio and some crackles are (almost) overlooked. I'm sure the production team doesn't think so, though. I'd sure hate to be in that production booth at the time!

It's not like goofs don't happen in live theatre...just in front of a much smaller audience. My husband and I saw a production of Cabaret on Broadway in the historic Studio 54 where they actually had to stop the show because the Emcee had to leave the show and the understudy had to come in! It happens - we are all human after all. (Side note, he was fine, just had an injury that had to be seen by a doctor.)

Grease: Live comes just days after the EVP crew orchestrated coverage of a 7-camera event. While it wasn't being broadcast live, we were recording it happened live. I just love the feel of working a live event - I guess that's why I do what I do, both in video production and in community theatre. Here are 5 things that I feel make a live event go off with minimal goofs.

1.  Communication. There is nothing more important than communication. Not only do the crew members need to communicate with each other, but the cast members need to communicate with the crew members and vice-versa. It is extremely important that every single member of the production be on the same page and have the same goal in mind. Everyone should know what is happening, when there is a delay, when there is a last minute change, who is doing what and when and how the producer and director envision the full event coming together.

2. Team Work. If all 100 cast members and over 200 crew members were each in it for themselves, the production would be a hot mess. You could see the comradery between the cast members in the final scene when it was all over and they were just relieved that they made it! You saw the real people having real emotions, not the characters "acting". This comradery has to extend beyond the leads. Each person involved in the production has to be part of the team. Everyone has their role and it contributes to the whole. No matter what the role - producer or stage sweeper, everyone has an important job. And if each team member treats all other team members with respect, then the production will show it.

3. Preparation. Of course, the old saying fits here - how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, Practice, Practice. No production can go off without a hitch without endless hours of practice! I heard somewhere that 1 minute of production of a stage show requires an hour of rehearsal. You can do the math...and not every production requires the same amount of preparation, but you can be certain that ANY live performance requires SOME preparation.

4. Patience. Thing will go wrong. Let me say that again. Things will go wrong. Nothing is ever 100% perfect. You must have patience when doing a live production and stay cool when things do go wrong so that you can fix them immediately. If the audio crew gave up and got frustrated when the audio went out on Grease: Live, the we would have missed the last hour of the production! Patience and a cool head are important.

5. Have Fun! Anyone in production - whether on stage, television, movies, or somewhere else - does it because they love it! It's easy to get caught up in the frustration of the small things going wrong or the personality clashes that inevitably come with creative types, but the important thing is to take a step back and remember why you are doing this. Have fun! When the EVP crew did the live event last week, I had a blast! Yes, things went wrong. Yes, it was stressful at times, but all-in-all, the rush of having to get it right the first time made my adrenaline pump and I had an amazing night.


Darcie King
Executive Producer
E Video Productions, LLC
darcie@evideoproductions.net
732-349-4762

And in case you are a theatre nerd or video geek like me - here are some interesting stats from Variety.com

Run time of the show: 3-hour broadcast

Days of rehearsal: 52

Number of song/dance numbers in the musical: 23

Number of stages: 2 sound stages, plus the entire Warner Bros. backlot and built-out exterior locations throughout the lot

Number of sets: 21 

Number of cameras: 20

Number of cast members: 24 principal cast members, 20 ensemble and dancers

Number of extras: 60

Number of live audience members: 650

Number of costumes: More than 600 — 407 for principal cast, Boyz II Men, DNCE and Jessie J; 226 for background ensemble and dancers

Breakdown of costumes: 60% vintage; 40% custom made

Number of quick changes during live show: 392 quick changes — just for principal cast alone!

Record quick changes during one single number: Danny and Doody each have 5 costume changes during the song “Magic Changes”

Quickest quick change: 11 seconds for Rizzo, Frenchy and Jan

Number of people in the control room during the live show: at least 40

Number of staff members working the set the night of the show: More than 200

• 13 camera operators
• 15 stage managers
• 11 audio mixers
• 25 audio assistants
• 7 communications directors
• 15 camera utilities
• 30 costumers
• 36 riggers and electricians

Attract. Convert. Retain. 3 Videos You Need In Your Portfolio

Attract. Convert. Retain.

3 Videos You Need In Your Portfolio

1. High-Impact Attention Grabber – 30-60 seconds

2. Company Overview – 3-5 minutes

3. Customer Welcome Video – 1-3 minutes

Many of our clients come to us with a specific need in mind, but there are still plenty of customers that know they need video, but aren’t sure of exactly what their need is.  We have consulted numerous clients through the years on the best videos for their business, and while each company’s specific needs may vary, we have found three videos that are successful across the board. The individual content varies by industry & specific client needs, but this list can give you an idea of where you as a company should begin your Video Marketing journey.

The first video we recommend is a 30 to 60 second Attention Grabber. There are many terms for this “High-Impact” “Sizzle Reel” “Promo” “Demo” – whichever term you choose, this is a short, fast-paced overview video consisting primarily of high-energy music and dynamic graphics. Take your elevator pitch, add some rockin’ music and voila – your first marketing video. Of course, there are many keys to making a successful attention grabbing video that will depend on the intended usage, expected viewer response and target audience, but those can all be determined in your pre-production meeting. For now, just deciding to do one of these videos is your first step. Jot down some bullet points that you feel are necessary to get across in this quick introductory video.

The second video we recommend is a 3-5 minute CompanyOverview. This video is one of our favorites – it’s where we get to meet you & your team & watch you in action! Typically, we love to interview the owner or key personnel on your staff and shoot b-roll around your facility. If you don’t have an exciting facility or office, that’s OK! We can always use stock footage or graphics to fill the screen. There is also an awesome opportunity here for customer testimonials. The first thing you need to ask yourself when selecting this type of video is “what sets us apart from the competition?”

The final video that is important in an emerging video marketing portfolio is a Customer Welcome Video. Now that you’ve attracted attention, converted that lead into a sale, how do you ensure they have the best experience with your company possible? A Welcome Video can let them know what to expect in the early stages of working with you and can introduce them to the key people or processes that they need to know. While this video is not aimed at attracting new business, RETAINING customers is key to marketing success! When approaching a Customer Welcome Video, consider the main questions a new customer may have and aim at answering them quickly and concisely.

You don’t have to stick to these three videos when you begin building your portfolio. What other ideas do you think are important to have to Attract, Convert & Retain customers?

Darcie King

Executive Producer

E Video Productions, LLC

The Reality of Realism

Over the past few weeks, our team has been working on an anti-heroin series of videos for the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office aimed at students and parents. The reality of the topic is tough. I know I personally had to stop when writing the scripts to compose myself. Everyone on our team wrote at least one script. A few of them are based on reality. One of mine, is based on someone that I was close to. The reality is that heroin kills, and the job of educating teenagers about this is not an easy one.

When you have to spend weeks reviewing scripts, gathering props, scouting locations, auditioning talent and eventually shooting and editing the videos, words like "where did the syringe go?" and "did you bring the drugs with you?" start to seem like every day conversations. But the fact is, these are NOT every day conversations in the lives of most people, yet they ARE every day conversations in the lives of some. When I stop to think about that, I get sad. I think about how we can laugh about the fact that I have learned how to use face-paint to draw track marks on someone's arm. But when I think about the many young people that are living with REAL track marks, I want to throw up.

Every time we take on a new project, we learn something about a topic we never really thought we'd ever explore - installing a boiler in a Manhattan high-rise for one. But this topic...it really scares me. This is our third project with an anti-heroin focus. I really hope we are doing something to help this epidemic. I hope that someone sees one of our videos and thinks "I don't want to be that person" and stays away from this garbage. Or someone who is using, watches a video and gets help. If that's what we can do through video, then we've done something good. And that's what matters. That's reality.

The reality is it can affect any one of us. As our videos will show you (still in production - so nothing to see yet), heroin addiction doesn't discriminate by race, income, location or gender. One title - "No One Is Immune To Drug Addiction" rings true through all of our videos. The lesson to be learned is: pay attention. It took submerging myself in this topic for the past few weeks to really open my eyes to what is happening. Of course, I always knew there was a problem. I've never been one to try drugs or "experiment." But it has affected me in my life. And it took getting this close to it to truly understand its effect.

So, this blog post may not be production related. It is different from most of my other "self promotion" or "DIY Video" type posts, but it is important for me to get these words out there. Students in Monmouth County and elsewhere will have an opportunity to make a choice...they can watch these videos and realize the reality of heroin, or they can chose to ignore it. Hopefully, we're creating something that cannot be ignored.

Darcie King
Executive Producer
E Video Productions, LLC