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Bunting & Balloons
There are just some things you just tend to frown upon when you gravitate to professional show production.
Things like bunting and balloons for example.
BUNTING
To unpack this sweeping and offensive (to some) statement, let’s first start with bunting.
When I see a village street take on this adornment during some kind of fete or festival it’s often two things to me. It’s a quaint local tradition which I love…. but this otherwise lacklustre 'lamppost bondage' is also a warning sign that people who don’t understand how to make an original impact are around.
That’s the thing with the concept of tradition…. it’s just something you do - because it’s always been done. It simultaneously brings colour to your drab high street once a year (for no cost) and it also shows a total lack of imagination.
I live in a small Scottish village and we put ours up every year for our spring gala… and I love everything (and photograph everything) that this great community event brings…. including even the bunting…. I don’t own any… but I guess I’d help put it up if I was on the committee.
In my professional life there is a fairly long list of things which I would tend to avoid for most of my clients. For example, and in no particular order… Comic Sans font, Tina Turner's ‘Simply the Best’, prawn vol au vents, clip art and of course balloons.
BALLOONS
What do balloons tell you? - They say ‘we’re having a celebration…. we’re having a good time!’ - but do they REALLY? - Yes they add colour… and colour is good - I obviously don’t want to be seen as a party popper or be criticised as an over inflated snob but balloons, as an aesthetic, sort of exist as a staple add-on that people reach for without imagination. They’re not original but they are garish, they are not classy but they are cheap.
Some people say they are fun. But I would say, unless you’re a young child, I would love to see how much fun you can really have with a balloon. Do they lift your spirits? I mean really?
A Balloon archway at your wedding. Woop, woop. Some helium and they can attach to your table centrepiece…. now we get the party started!
THE KITSCH EXCEPTION
I suppose Kitsch is a respectable genre when it’s celebrated within its boundaries. Most festivals for the masses like Christmas, Mother’s Day, Hen Nights and Valentines etc all belong to the world of cheap plastic things from China - and I guess this could be a similar exception to the same traditional purposes surrounding my bunting comments earlier.
But when a client approaches me, they never say ‘I want a show that just looks like every other show please - don’t make any special effort’. It’s my job to pull off proper ‘wow’ and class.
Whenever we start the creative process, we would just never entertain the idea of balloons for a second. And yet, they just keep cropping up!
AND THEN LAST NIGHT...
This picture shows the moment (last night) when I cued a 500 pink balloon drop on Will.I.Am and friends at the Albert Hall.
I wasn’t the creative behind the decision, but I was directing the show. I needed them to come down on him and his band during the second chorus. Which means I cued them toward the end of the first chorus, coz the Albert Hall’s ceiling really is quite high up!
In the end, as they floated down on to the stage and the crowd danced and cheered…. I ended up really quite liking the whole thing.
So, I don’t take back my earlier diatribe - but I guess I need to bite the bullet here and say that, at Night Train, I might occasionally entertain the idea of balloons on a show… but there are no shortage of caveats surrounding this statement.
And please note, despite this small compromise, I absolutely refuse to allow Comic Sans to show up in any invite, signage, slide, logo or document. It’s contractual!
Fun on the Nasdaq!
Preparing to ring the bell....
This was great fun to watch.... there's always more to learn about how the markets work. Let's do this again sometime soon!
New York City
Killing it in New York!
It's been a good fifteen years since I've been to New York..... and what hasn't changed is the lovely people I've met.
I'm doing a financial show for Imagination... and it's going just fine.... but perhaps I'll find a bit more time in the next couple of days to go and photograph stuff... coz my guess is you won't especially want to see shots of the stage set!
EYOF - Opening Ceremony
For those of you following the work we were doing in Tbilisi, here's how the opening ceremony turned out.
How Many Salvationists Does it Take to fill the O2?
Just back from London where we produced a somewhat healthy sized International Congress for the Salvation Army... 10s of 1000s of them.
Was a little too busy from time to time to photograph all the very beautiful costumes and performances that showed up from around the world but here's a quick snapshot of some of what I did capture...
More images can be found here (opens in new window)
Tbilisi Flooding
I've loved going out to Georgia to work with the crazy people putting together the European Youth Olympic Festival.
Tbilisi is a great city and the people there are lovely!
Many of you will have seen the news about the flooding there over this last weekend, and it's sad since 12 people (or so) and lots of zoo animals died when a normally quite small local river burst its banks in the city centre.
My friend and colleague is out there at the moment working on the Opening Ceremony and he sent me this short YouTube link..... there's no doubt about it, things are pretty nuts out there currently. This isn't a sight you normally see!
Do you have a £0.50p foam pop guard? - I do!
microphone pop shield - don't leave home without one!
I'm off in a week or so to London to do a massive show at the O2. It's an event that has spared no expense and will be attended by thousands of delegates from around the world.
I'm working principally as producer..... but I'll also be showcalling..... plus a bit of directing..... and, because of my silky voice and beautifully crafted RP British accent, I will no doubt be doing a bunch of voice over announcements too.... it's not that the client aren't prepared to spring for a professional and dedicated voiceover artist... it's more that we can't really justify the cost and infrastructure required... it really is best that I do it.
That's why I carry one of these in my kit bag.
Below is what happened in 2004 when I introduced Prince Charles to Wembley Arena WITHOUT a 50p foam pop shield on my mic. Just found this video on Youtube last night and although I'm kinda proud of the moment, I'm not too impressed with how many times I popped the microphone - about 40 seconds in. Shan't happen again!
Athlete's Parade... how long should it take?
Why would you spend 2:24 seconds watching this? - Well that's the question we ask ourselves too as we plan out a televised athlete's parade and the journey they take across the stadium "field of play". Here I run backwards in the wind filming Nina and Nini (yes really!) - behind them by ten paces are the next athlete team represented by Nuki and Nino (I am not joking!) Once you've watched this I need you to imagine the crowd cheering and lots of flags etc and then I'll think you'll get the full picture.
Pete's 4K Drone
So Pete and I headed up to a few Scottish Water installations with our esteemed client yesterday to shoot some 4K footage with one of SkyPod's drones...... a very pleasant and sometimes quite beautiful way to shoot water treatment works, dams and bridges.
European Youth Olympics
Then this happened.....
Just back from my first stint in Tbilisi, Georgia.
They are hosting the European Youth Olympic Festival - and they've hired me on the team to deliver the Opening Ceremony.
Lots of fun - Normally I have to keep things like this secret - which isn't too good for my blogging habit, but in Georgia they don't mind. I guess the press there are significantly less brutal than they are in the UK.
Ever been to Georgia? - You should! - It's beautiful, culturally rich and with the loveliest of people. Below are some of my shots from my time there in May. The Opening Ceremony is on July 26th 2015.
Happy New Year.... nearly!
Remember The Hoog!? - We designed, produced and owned this show for three years running here in Edinburgh. It was the largest public indoor Hogmanay party in Scotland with three stages, six bars and tons of entertainment and dancing all night .... Yay!
Music Makers at Whitespace
Some of the combined musicians and engineers that showed up at Whitespace the other night
All work and no play etc etc..... so, those of us that still had some life and creativity left inside of us actually got together the other day to create a musical "album in a night" recording session at Whitespace's offices in town. Talent? For sure... the raw variety. Wanna hear the results? - Well you have to wait. Phil says, each time he does this, it takes him about a year in post production. Slightly different deadlines than our usual client requirements!
Me!
Spike Allibone
I know, I know, the years have treated me well!
It rained every day during the build at Buckingham Palace but it cleared up for the concert which was great news.
All I can say is that we had a first rate crew to make this happen, and, when you're at an internationally huge rock concert built on a central London roundabout going out to a live audience of millions, it certainly helps if a few people on site actually know what they're doing.
A lovely show! Looking forward to the Platinum Jubilee already.
On Top of the World
Had to do this selfie - just coz I was standing.... well you can see where I am.
Yes, I wore a Mr. Men badge when I went to the Palace.
We had considered putting The Queen's National Beacon on the roof of the palace during early discussions - but it just wasn't going to cut it.
We left Madness to do the roof stuff - and everything regarding the National Beacon came back down to earth in the end. Good decision.
Just how do you put an F1 car on a shop roof?
An F1 Lotus Renault served up on a shop roof in Edinburgh 2011
Here's how! - I never did get to find out why we did it. But it was cheap, quick and dirty!
What made me smile was that I was told I would never get permission for the stunt and I would also never be allowed to close off a main Edinburgh road during rush hour during Festival time.
My friends, I can do ANYTHING I want. Just so you know.
Orientation for all Medics
Crew and medical training for the G20 in Excel, London, April 2009
Field hospitals need proper on site training - Here we see familiarisation with equipment and procedures as directed by our medical doctors for the G20 (Obama's first ever presidential trip to the UK) in Excel in London.
Because we designed and built the whole hospital, we ensured that, as well as nurses and all normal medical support staff, our production staff and engineers underwent the same training.
Julian in Makeup
Julian Clary
Here's a sight I rarely see since I'm always a little busy elsewhere in the venue at times like this. Julian Clary made this particular year of Strictly very entertaining for all of us. The perfect "ying" to Craig Revel Horewood's "yang".
Direct and Shoot!
Christina - that girl really can sing!
Yes, it's true that when I'm directing a big show, I have no time to check my mails and alter my FB status.... but I can sometimes take a good picture!
Here, with my old Canon G11, I managed to capture this great shot at the Albert Hall.
I feel that Christina owes me actually. During rehearsals, one of her special flightcases ripped my Versace jeans!
Does Night Train blog?
Well yes.... except my industry does tend to require a fairly professional level of discretion surrounding some of the things that happen... and not just backstage either.... for example, I worked for over a year on the Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies... and couldn't really tell anyone what was happening throughout, and even after the events.
But hey, here's my "professional" Night Train blog nonetheless. You'll love it!