Jan 08, 2008, Posted by Mike in the category, 0 Comments

Tales of cellos, organizational performance, and Lavado de manos

One of the best things about this business is the broad range of businesses and topics you have to get to learn about during the course of any given day/week/month.

I wish I could remember who said it, it may have been Harry Beckwith, it may have been Tom Peters!, but “you never know where your clients will take you business.” Case and point(s): December 2007 – January 2008:

Organizational Performance

Altus Training Solutions
We just completed the web site for this training and organizational development firm in Camp Hill, PA. Earlier in 2007, we did the logo design for them. In the market for a little team building? Give Susan a call at Altus Training Solutions… and yes Susan, I think you have the coolest business cards in all of Camp Hill as well.

Cellos

Ashley Bathgate
OK, so this one is still technically in the works… We just launched the web site for this amazingly talented young cellist in advance of her Carnegie Hall debut in February 2008. In addition to the web work, we’ve designed the concert poster, post-cards, and are currently working on the program for the evening. Check out a few of her performance videos on her YouTube Channel.

Lavado de manos

Perhaps the most challenging (in a good way) project has been the translation of the Hartz Mountain Corporation cGMP video for the Bloomfield, NJ facility into Spanish. Since the last time I read this much Spanish was 5th period in St. Thomas Aquinas HS my Sophomore year, we were lucky to find a great partner in CTS LanguageLink. Oh, BTW… Lavado de manos = Hand Washing.

and the rest

As they say, meanwhile back in the studio…
- Currently working on the finishing touches to a promo video for a totally rad, local 80s cover band Amethyst
- Localized a few TV spots for the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ.
- Assorted ongoing projects with various organizations great and small…

Gotta run and do a press check, shoot a couple of scenes, debug a javascript, and whatever else comes up today.

Dec 09, 2006, Posted by Mike in the category, 0 Comments

Of Rock and Roll and Such

After you’ve added up all of the hours in a day that are accounted for by one thing or another, many of us realize that we’ve already jammed 25 hours of stuff in a 24 hour day. Here at Brunswick Media Services, its often that we’re working on a video or some other project all hours of the day and night to meet a customer deadline. Combine that with having to all of the other things throughout your day, you’re overbooked.

I got into the audio and video business through my love of music, lets just say that a Fender Guitar got me into all of this. My first Fender still sits in my studio staring at me saying “I’m still in tune…let’s play!” But there’s that whole time thing. video to edit, kids to coach, gutters to clean. But every once in a magical while I get the chance to warm up my tube Peavey amp and still crank out a few chords. You have to pay your dues to the guitar gods once in a while to keep your chops, but with my schedule lately, you could call them pork chops instead of guitar chops.

But I really believe its still important to get back to your roots once in a while and remember how you got to where you are and what got you there. Without music, I wouldn’t have ever recorded and edited audio, and without that I would never have gotten into video editing and production. You become what you love and what you believe in, not what the world thrusts upon you…unless you let it. So go ahead…take a few moments and do the things that you love to do and which got you to where you are today. A little Rock and Roll cranking from a honkin’ amp does the soul good. Who cares what the neighbors say!<

Aug 24, 2006, Posted by Mike in the category, 7 Comments

Good Enough Ain't Good Enough

At the risk of becoming one of those blogs that just tells you what’s on other blogs, I’ve the good and the bad from Seth Godin (we’ll save the ugly for some other day.)

I’ll start with:

The Good:
With Tuesday’s publication of his book small is the new big, Seth’s been on a new media blitz. He’s been interviewed for blogs and podcasts across the marketing web, and in my humble opinion, the best of these was on Mark Ramsey’s blog hear2.o with Seth riffing on the future of radio, as he sees it.

Seth Godin on Radio’s Future

Best quote:

If you’re in radio today, you have a spectacular asset: The ability to communicate to people directly who want to hear from you. But it’s a wasting asset. And big media companies refuse to acknowledge the fact that their licenses are gonna be worth less in ten years than they were ten years ago. And they’re trying very hard to keep their head in the sand and ignore that.

The Bad

That same day, Seth also posted a piece on his blog that has me wondering:
a. Is he kidding?
b. Is this just a ploy to have everyone who reads it pull their hair out, so Seth won’t be the only bald guy in the room?

In his post, titled Good Enough, he says:

I wonder, though, if “good enough” might be the next big idea. Audio players, cars, dryers, accounting… not the best ever made, not the most complicated and certainly not the most energy-consuming. Just good enough.

Umm, Seth, have you heard what an iPod (or any MP3 player for that matter) sounds like? Have you used a cell phone lately? The makers of the audio devises we use every day are already getting by with good enough. I could rant for hours about the whole sound quality issue, and never get past the “yeah, but my iPod only cost $100, and I can take it wherever I go, and I don’t have to listen to stuff I don’t like” argument.

Being in the audio business, we see it every day, whether it’s the home recorded voice over demo MP3 that’s been compressed incorrectly, and gives the artists’ voice that tell-tale “gummy teeth” sound, or whether it’s the prospective client who wants to save a few bucks, and record his own voice over for a video, we’re surrounded by “Good Enough”.

From a business perspective, is “Good Enough” really viable? The Yugo was good enough, haven’t seen one of those lately though. There are dozens of companies that manufacture audio equipment that’s good enough, just check the shelves of any MegaLowMart and you’ll find the least-common-denominator, good enough approach, hell, check the shelves of any eletronics retailer, and most of what’s on the shelf is “good enough.”

There will always be companies that use “good enough” as their strategy, and many will do well, but fortunately, not all companies will follow that creedo. Just take a look at some of the companies that Seth has riffed on in the past, Starbuks, hell look at one of his best selling books, Purple Cow, the subtitle of which is: “Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable”. Hopefully Seth’s post isn’t clue to his next book: Just Another Cow: Good Enough for Whatever.

May 05, 2006, Posted by Mike in the category, 1 Comments

Little Investments

No, I’m not here to tout the latest shooting star on the NASDAQ or start blowing out quotes from Fortune magazine. Let me explain…

Almost 5 years ago, we started Brunswick Media Services over countless cups of coffee and cigarettes in a booth at a diner. All we had was a handshake and a dream. (and a crappy old Gateway computer, a couple of mics, the phone number of the place where we could rent a video camera, an office in the basement of my house, a tripod which we found in someone’s trash, three rolls of duct tape, an old VCR which didn’t really like to play VHS tapes, and some demo software that I downloaded from God knows where.) But we had an idea and we were convinced that we could make it work.

…Which makes us no different than anybody else who ever started a business…

Everything you do in your life is like a little investment. Invest wisely, for example go back and finish that degree or learn a new skill, or not so wisely and watch TV for a week straight while choking down beer and Fritos.

We chose to invest in the tools that would bring us to the next level. From diner booth to editing station, little by little we took the cash that we earned and plowed it back into Brunswick Media Services. (And we’re proud to say that we don’t use any of that crap that I listed a couple of paragraphs ago any more!) There were other investments too…like taking the time to meet new people and forge new relationships both business and personal. I finished my second degree, my partner learned just about as much as I ever thought you could learn about html, and then some. All the while, we continually plowed these “investments” into our business.

Which all brings me full circle to remind all that you only get out of any endeavor what you put into it. During the editing phase of “Blazing Saddles”, Mel Brooks hemmed and hawed about whether or not to include the the now infamous fireside scene with all of the burping and flatulance and such. He thought it might be too over the top (even for him). While speaking to a friend, his friend told him ” If you’re gonna go up to the bell…RING IT!!” The scene stayed and now is one of the movie’s most memorable.

Its these little “investments” that take careers to the next level. Invest in yourself, invest in the tools that add quality to your endeavors, invest in friendships. Life isn’t about the destination, its about the journey.

Mar 10, 2006, Posted by Mike in the category, 0 Comments

Keep It Simple

In our business, we all know that certain someone who could make opening a jar of peanut butter complicated. Whether its audio or video or life, I believe there’s a certain value to keeping it simple. I deal with customers and vendors all the time that just make things way too difficult. Let’s face it, its a mic, a recorder, an amp or a camera. That’s it. There’s no amount of hocus-pocus that goes on…

But STOP THE PRESSES!!!! If this was so easy, wouldn’t everyone do it? Well I hope not because then I’m out of a job. Lots of people know how to drive but taxicabs still stay in business. And I believe that they’re a good lesson for all of us. Lets look at the details:

As a video professional, you shouldn’t define yourself by your equipment…you should let your results speak for themselves. I’ve said it before and I’ll gladly repeat it: I can make a good video with lousy equipment and I could just as easily make a lousy video with good equipment. What sets us apart from the pack is our ability…not just our equipment.

So how do we as professionals excel and separate ourselves from the rest? By taking all of the tasks that make up any production and making them look easy. How do we do that? By keeping it simple. More stuff = More stuff that can go wrong. A professional knows how to keep it to a minimum and still get spectacular results. A gearhead or an amateur on the other hand knows how get really good results by jamming as many plugs into one outlet as possible because he defines himself by the equipment he has.

Where’s the lesson in all of this? I’m not sure either! Bottom line: More does not always mean better, newer doesn’t always mean higher quality, complicated does not always equal professional. Your clients will appreciate your ability to keep it simple and make them feel like they actually know what is going on. And it might even make your life a little easier in the process.

Oct 17, 2005, Posted by Mike in the category, 0 Comments

Welcome to state of the art?

Go to any high end audio/video store (think B&H in NYC) and tell someone you’re looking for a Canon XL2and note the funny look you might get. Why?? Because immediately the gent (or gal) behind the counter figures you’re a wanna be “wedding video guy” or you’re planning to shoot video that’s unacceptable for eyes under 18 years of age if you get my drift. But let me tell you something: the XL2is one kick ass piece of technology. As the proud owner of an XL1 (its predecessor) I can tell you with all honesty that I’m convinced that you have to spend at least 2x as much on a competing camera to get the same quality that the XL2rolls up into a neat little package. And to think they actually call it a “prosumer camera”!
But what really is “state of the art”? I’ll make the argument that the state of the art is as advanced as the hands that the technologies are in. I’ve seen great quality work done with the cheapest of equipment and really lousy stuff done with really good equipment.
So what are we trying to say here? I know I’ve been harping on and on about analog equipment like someone stuck in the 1950′s but I think its worth saying again…You might only be as good as your equipment but your equipment IS only as good as you are. Period. I’ve become so tired of listening to everyone’s idea of what state of the art is for one reason: Its a lot easier to drop some cash than it is to sharpen your skills through practice and dare I mention it, education. Do you want to be state of the art? Take a couple of photography or audio or video classes at your local community college. Then go out and hone your skills with any quality equipment you have at your disposal. Good is good no matter what you shoot/record/photograph it with. Then when you’ve got equipment that matches your new found high level of skills, you’ll be state of the art too.

Jul 31, 2005, Posted by Mike in the category, 0 Comments

Its all Digital Dude…or is it? (Part 2)

I recently repaired an old turntable for a friend of a friend and it had me thinking about analog vs. digital and how much there is still a lot of love for those old LPs sitting in people’s collections. Here was someone who was willing to pay me to repair a piece of equipment that still brought him a lot of enjoyment even though some may call it “obsolete” and some others just told him not to bother and just rebuy the music on CD. How sad…..
In the process of locating parts for his turntable on the web, I located a great resource for turntable parts and advice: Turntable needles.com. They had a needle, cartridge, belt and accessory for just about every turntable I had ever heard of and some that I had never heard of. And it made me think “If there is still enough support for this old technology to keep people like them in business, then why?” In this age of MP3s and CDs and such, why do people still enjoy their LPs?
I think the answer is pretty simple. LPs just sound better. Try this test at home: Cue up a CD of one of your favorites that you also own on LP. Play them both at the same time and switch back and forth between the two trying to get them just about in sync. Listen closely and you’ll hear the difference. Trust me you’ll hear it. Sure you’ll hear a crackle or two from the LP, but listen to the bass, listen to the subtle differences. The LP will just “sound” better.
Why??? Put simply, the CD is limited to 16 bit words and 44.1khz samples. The needle is limited by virtually nothing. Therefore, (get this) the needle can actually process more of the sound information at any given point in time than the laser! So the CD actually does not contain all of the music that the LP does. The CD only contains zillions of samples of the original recording whereas the LP contains the entire recording.
But there’s no denying that the CD is certainly a much more user friendly medium. Try to use your turntable in the car or at the beach. Try to make an LP. Its not quite as easy as burning a disc. As in life…easier and more convenient isn’t always better.
There’s much more to come as we explore the digital and analog worlds. But here’s the bottom line for today: As an audio professional, your clients want convenience AND sonic quality. Use all of the tools at your disposal and don’t think about analog vs. digital. Just make good sounding stuff!

Jul 24, 2005, Posted by Mike in the category, 0 Comments

The Sun will come out…Tomorrow

I had the treat of watching a local non-profit theater troupe put on their version of “Annie” last night at the local high school and I must admit that it was one of the best put on local performances I have been to in a long time. For a small troupe staffed with volunteers the sets were minimal and effective and get this: There was a live pocket orchestra in the pit (or at least in front of the stage). You always seem to forget just how much talent is located right in your backyard.

Jul 18, 2005, Posted by Mike in the category, 0 Comments

The Responsive Chord

One of my favorite pages in Tony Schwartz’ “The Responsive Chord” has a black & white picture of a factory with smokestacks billowing out smoke. On the page previous the explanation is as follows:

“In the 1930′s, a picture of a factory with smoke billowing from several smokestacks meant “prosperity.” Today, the same picture means “pollution.”

Why would the man who the New York Times called the “King of Sound” even touch this? For advertising folks, it says “Know thy audience”. For audio professionals it says “Know thy audience”. Why would an audio genius claim to know anything at all about the similiarity between audio production and advertising. He understood the basis for good communication and its simple…You’ve got to know your audience. Remember, he was the guy that first put the “fizz” in soft drink commercials, he certainly understood.

If you were advertising a weight loss product, where would you advertise it, in Fitness Magazine or in Guitar Player ? Hopefully you picked Fitness Magazine. Similiarly, if you’re an audio engineer, shouldn’t you test your mixes in places like the car, on a boom box or in headphones before you call the mix complete? Once again…”Know thy audience”.

I’ve heard too many mixes where it sounds like the engineer didn’t take the time to “Know thy audience”. Maybe the bass sounds boomy in your car but not at home or perhaps your headphones bring out the highs that you just don’t hear in your living room. Its not your speakers, its the quality of the mix.

Which is just my point: Predict where your audience will hear your recordings (Read: Just about anywhere) and check your mixes on multiple speakers in multiple places. Your recordings will sound better overall and you will serve your music well. Maybe we as audio professionals can learn a thing or two from the advertising profession.

Jul 17, 2005, Posted by Mike in the category, 0 Comments

The Power of Music (and Good Audio Engineering)

I happened to catch the beginning of a documentary called CLOUD’S LEGACY: THE WILD STALLION RETURNS on PBS yesterday, and got completely sucked into it. Now while I tend to watch more documentaries than many people do, it’s rare that I get sucked into one and completely lose track of time. I had no real interest in the subject matter (wild horses in Montana) and no real time to watch it (that’s why the website isn’t updated John.)

About 1 1/2 hours into it, I thought “why the hell am I watching this?” It struck me that while the cinematography and camera work were beautiful, but what really got me was the music and audio production. So often in the video business, productions use music as filler between gaps in the voiceover and as a bed for the V/O, but this score was used to ENHANCE the production, and move the story forward.

If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself at Nature’s Video Database:

• View the clip titled Cloud Protects His Family first. (No music in this clip)
• Then view the clip titled Little Cloud

Hear the difference? The music (and audio engineering) really move that story along.

I checked out the production credits and came across Kelly Bryarly, the composer for the film. Heck of a job Mr. Bryarly.

So what am I trying to say? The next time that canned production music just isn’t cutting it for your production, put a composer to work.