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4 Mar 2020

Is your event cancelled? We have a solution.

Did your show have to cancel because of the Corona Virus?  The Corona Virus has effected more than 90,000 people world wide and shows are canceling all over the world.

You may be feeling down but you are not out by any stretch of the imagination. 

Maybe its time to try a new approach?

Cache Media Works has been producing live events for decades and we are here to offer an alternative solution if your show has had to cancel. 

The alternative solution we are talking about is Live Streaming a show to your audience. Thats right, you can still show off your new product or service to the same audience.  Don’t lose out on sharing what’s new with your company. 

We have been Live Streaming shows for almost ten years now and we have solid solutions ready to implemented today. 

We can pack up a Live Streaming solution with a crew and be at your home office to put on a show. We can provide a Producer/Director that will help guide you through the process of a Live Streaming Show. 

We are talking about a professional solution that includes:

  • Unique landing page branded to you
  • Creative solutions
  • Director/Producer
  • Multiple Cameras
  • Playback Video
  • Use your slide deck
  • Custom Lower Thirds
  • Custom look developed

You may be asking yourself, what do I need to accomplish this?

Luckily what you need you already have and that is the message for your audience. The other things that are required are a Location to Live Stream from and internet services. 

We believe in our abilities to provide solutions that work in these trying times. 

When a show cancels it is a big deal and we want you to be prepared to win and still get your message to your audience in an impactful way. 

Call us today to discuss before its to late. 

We look forward to hearing from you.

3 Mar 2020

The Venue Choice

As a Production Company we deal with the ramifications as well as the upside of the venue choice for an event. 

The Venue choice can make or break your event.

Lets chat for a minute. If you don’t understand the ins and outs of a venue contract hire a professional. These professionals usually get paid a commission from the venue based on room nights. They are there to protect you and inform you on your choices.

If you do not know what the following terms mean, you may need a professional.

  • 24 Hold
  • Attrition
  • Room Nights
  • F&B

The above terms are critical for you to understand as well as so many more. I mention these terms because these are the most common mistakes you can make.

Let me give you an example:

A few years back we produced a 3 day event at the Hotel Del Coronado. At the end of the set up day we were approached by the venue Event Manager. She informed us that there was not a 24 hour hold on the room we were setting and that another customer would be using the room when we were not in session. 

We had set lighting, audio, cameras, projection, scenic stage elements, etc. As you can imagine the customer was surprised and we were trying to figure out an alternative strategy. 

The term 24 Hour Hold means that you have a 24 hour hold on the room and you will not be sharing it with anyone. Pretty Important.

The solution for this problem. We approached the other company that was booked while we were not using the room and we offered to let them use our equipment and scenic elements. They agreed. This allowed us to leave the room set for the three days and not have to move anything and suffer from extensive labor costs.

The other three terms mentioned are equally as important.

We believe that live events are an amazing way to motivate, inspire and move a group of people in a positive direction for any company. 

Your end customer or attendee experience is what matters. 

Call us today and lets chat about your needs. We would love to review the contract you have with you. Most of our long term customers involve us in the venue selection process because of our experience. 

We would love to hear from you.

12 Feb 2020
las vegas video production, events and live streaming services

How Many Video Cameras?

To answer the question regarding how many video cameras you need in a meeting room we would need to understand a few things about the show.

  • How many attendees will be in the room?
  • How big is the room?
  • Is it worth recording?
  • Do you have the desire to Live Stream the show to an off site audience?

Let’s dive into this. The first question asked, how many attendees is probably the most critical. The number of attendees counts for this question. 

If you have less than 150 people in a room you would not need video unless you are live streaming. The smallest groups are easier to manage and require less audio visual technology. 

I want to jump into a term before I go any further. IMAG.  IMAG stands for Image Magnification. When you take a video signal from a camera and you project it onto a screen in a room so people in the back of the room can see what’s happening on the stage.

We believe that based on the room configuration and the numbers of attendees there is a formula for how many cameras you will need and and the size of the projection surfaces or LED Wall size.

Lets start with the minimum standard for the number of cameras to have good IMAG. 

We always start with two cameras. Based on the budget and need one camera could be powered on and locked off with no operator. This shot would be a wider angle shot of the stage that shows the entire stage. 

The second camera would have a tighter shot and would require an operator to follow the action on stage. 

The signals from both video cameras would be sent to a video switching device that would allow the operator to change what signal goes to screen based on the action.

For instance, someone is being announced too stage by the MC. The tight shot is on the MC until he announces the next speaker. At that time the wide angle camera would show all of the action on stage until the tighter angle camera can get a shot of the speaker. At that time the tighter shot would be used until something else happens. 

That is a very basic explanation of a two camera IMAG set up and how it works. 

You can add many cameras that have many different uses. Here are a few:

JIB – A JIB is a device that has a long steel arm that is usually 20’ to 30’ in length and it allows the camera to float above the audience. These are very impressive shots based on using wider angle lenses and are very common for bigger shows. Bigger shows meaning 2,000 plus attendees. This camera set up also is great if you are Live Streaming because it gives the viewer a better sense of the room and environment.

Lip of the Stage – Having a camera setup on a moving tripod at the lip of the stage gives a unique vantage point for the attendee. The other use is if you are showing off a new product and you want to get some close ups during the show. We use this camera setup often.

Hand Held Camera – We often use a hand held camera set up on the stage with an operator. We do this when we know there are lots of products being revealed and we know we need good live close up shots. We also use these with our clients that like a show to be a little more fluid. We have had many presenters use this type of camera for effect, I.e. walking right up to the camera and getting the face close to the lens. This is a fun camera to add.

If you would like a recommendation for the number of cameras or true type of camera please reach out to us. We are here to serve you.

23 Nov 2016
las vegas video production, events and live streaming services

Are You Ready To Take The Stage

Last night I was watching a televised event that was revealing the new name and logo for the first Las Vegas professional sports team ever. This event was highly anticipated by the residents of Las Vegas; we were all anxious to see what the new NHL hockey team’s name would be, and what the logo would look like.

As the owner of the team took the stage and started his presentation, I made some critical observations of the stage design and all of the production elements. I thought the stage design, lighting, video, and audio were all well done. I also knew there would be some special effects and fanfare to accompany this presentation.

As the presentation started, everything was going well—until the owner called for a three-minute video to play that would explain how and why they chose the name of the team. Well, the video did not play on cue, and the owner was now in unknown territory. He left the stage and the MC came on and did a good job of covering up the dead air. The owner came back to the stage and called for the video to play again. Once again, the video did not play. I immediately became uncomfortable for the production team, and started to think about all of the things that could lead to a problem like this.

The MC asked a few questions of the owner, and he hesitantly called for the reveal of the logo. The reveal happened on cue, showing the audience the new logo and name, as well as confetti cannons, lighting, and audio effects.

The new name: the Las Vegas Golden Knights. As a resident of Las Vegas, I didn’t quite understand how they came up with that name, and neither did many of my friends. The importance of the video that explained the “how and why” was a critical piece of the reveal. If you go watch the video, you have a better understanding of what I am talking about. I saw many Facebook posts that said, “We are the Silver State, not the Golden State; that is lame.” This miscue even made the local news.

Now, on to the reason for my post. I own a production company, and I have had my share of miscues—but nothing like that. I want to take a minute and explain how a production crew can get to a place where something like this happens.

  • Load-in and rehearsal time. All too often, the person who negotiates the venue contract never thinks about what the production team will need regarding load-in time or rehearsals. In the production game, if you want a smooth show with no missed cues, you need to start with a tech rehearsal and follow it with a live rehearsal. We live in a time where technology rules our lives, and at times, things happen. You need time to ensure all of your technology works and that the backup works as well. This is why rehearsal times are so critical.
  • Low budgets. Usually the first thing to go when budgets are being cut are production elements like special effects, custom scenic elements, custom video displays, backup equipment, and labor for rehearsals. Don’t let this happen to your show.
  • Presenters who are unprepared. An unprepared presenter can expect that the production crew knows the presentation as well as they do. Yes, we look and go through the slides, video or audio elements prior to them going on stage. But that doesn’t mean we know what they want or when they will want it. Getting in sync with your production crew is as easy as asking them if they have any questions. Don’t assume anything when it comes to a staged event—and I mean assume NOTHING.
  • Bad media. All too often we have encountered bad media. Many times I have said to myself, “That guy is a billionaire/millionaire; his video is going to kick ass,” only to find out his audio was blown out and the video was created in a low-res format. If your production team has time to play back all media to screen and listen to the entire video, they will be acutely aware of any problems that are coming before they happen. The production team needs the time to watch and listen to everything before it gets played in front of an audience. Ask your production team if they have seen your media.
  • Backup, backup, backup. We have been asked many times by our customers if we really needed four playback machines and my response is usually the same: “I am sure it will suffice, but I would like to have two more.” Redundant equipment can make all the difference in the world when problems arise. If you haven’t experienced any problems with your staged events, I am sure your production team has, and they had the expertise, knowledge and backup gear to make sure you didn’t realize that there was a problem. If you see a lot of computers backstage, you should instantly feel more confident that your production team is ready for you to take the stage.

Because this is a part of our daily operations, all we can do is hope that the customers and presenters care as much as we do. Our production team has the utmost respect for anyone who takes the stage, and we want to be the invisible technology geniuses behind you and your presentation. The audience experience really counts, and the lack of preparation can affect that outcome—such as the one with the team name and logo reveal I wrote about earlier. I am sure the Las Vegas Golden Knights will be a great name and the residents of Las Vegas will understand how and why the name was chosen eventually, and all will be well.

As my team prepares for an event next week for 15,000 to 20,000 people, we are watching all media, playing back all presentations, reformatting videos, preparing backup systems, calling presenters, and communicating with our customer and their teams to ensure that we can do the best job possible.

Our job is to take the audience on a journey that will be memorable, inspirational, educational, and entertaining. Good luck to all who are taking the stage or playing the part of the invisible technology geniuses behind the scenes.

18 Jun 2016

Events

las vegas video production, events branding, marketing and live streaming services
las vegas video production, events branding, marketing and live streaming services

Events

There can be few things more dauntuing and complex than planning, organizing and executing a major live event for thousands of people, unless of course you are tasked to do with only a 60 day notice.  That calls for experience and professional expertise and the confidence in a company that would eliminate any margin of error.  That’s when Cache Media Works was called.

Home Business Labs, a global home business marketing and management firm wanted to host their first sales and networking event and called CMW to see if they could help.  The only caveat was that they had nothing, other than a date range in which to base their event on.  CMW immediately went to work to find a city and a resort that could accommodate the Home Business Lab event and using personal contacts secured the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas within the date range provided.  It was here that Home Business Lab expanded on their original concept and included a request for a corporate video to promote the event, a full event documentary of the event and live streaming for those that could not make it to the event.

Within days Cache Media Works flew their film crew to the Home Business Lab corporate headquarters in Florida and successfully filmed members of their executive staff along with B-Reel footage to be used in the promo video.  Before the film crew even boarded the plane for the return trip back to Las Vegas, CMW’s film editors were at work turning the raw footage into a first-rate marketable promo video.  While at the same time the CMW Production staff went to work to tie up every detail, large and small, necessary to make an event of this scope and size successful.

In less than five weeks from accepting the job, Cache Media Works had secured a resort, arranged air travel and rooms for their guests, secured signage, food & beverage providers, floral & decor, security, and even hair & make-up artists.  On the facilities side they made arrangements for events electrical needs, internet requirements, stage crew and audio-visual needs.  From a novice’s point of view, one would look at this list and think an event of this scope and complexity in the limited time allowed would be an impossibility.  And, you would be right.  But not for a production company with the skills and experience that the professionals at CMW possesses.

In the end Home Business Lab’s first sales and networking event was a complete success and went off without a hitch.  The result was a fully satisfied client whose expectations were only exceeded by their full scope of their request.  They were so satisfied they contacted CMW and offered to do a testimonial video and admitted that they couldn’t praise and recommend CMW any higher.