Hawk Nelson Pt. 1

My second experience with New Day was not for some time after the Mark Chesnutt concert. This time, I helped with the set up as well as the event itself.

The date was April 21st, and it was the week of Spring Fling. I believe Mr. Ray asked in one of his classes if anyone wanted to help set up for the Hawk Nelson/Tom's Shoes event the next evening, so I volunteered.

We met at the Bank Center the morning of the 21st, and I helped with load in. I learned quickly that live events involve many pounds of heavy equipment and more miles of cable than one cares to think about.

For the event itself, I ran a spotlight for the Hawk Nelson show. I had never run a spot before, so I got a brief rundown before we went live. The show went very well, and I learned for the first time how to be an effective spot op.

I helped with load out after, and learned that as much fun as it is getting things out of the trailer, getting them back in was even more fun... I was definitely sore the next morning. The soreness was worth it, however, as Joe from New Day got my contact info and said that he would be in touch for future events.

Mark Chesnutt

On December 11th of 2010, I got my first gig working for New Day Productions. I was asked if I could run a camera for a live concert, and luckily, I had some experience running a camera from WTTV Live Crew, so I said yes.

I had only barely heard of the artist, Mark Chesnutt, so I didn't really know what to expect going into the show. This was also the first time I had run a camera for a live concert.

I learned quickly that running a live camera was at the same time amazingly fun and very tiring. I had a shoulder camera on my back for four hours straight, and I was completely wore out by the end of the show. I couldn't have been happier.

I leaned that tight shots on the performers are very important. I also learned a lot about framing on the move and following a moving person, which was different from the camera experience I had coming in.

My adventures as a PA

Who would have thought that long, sweaty hours of hard labor would be something I would enjoy? Not me, that's for sure, but it turns out that working as a production assistant for an audio/visual production company are really fun.

I have been working for New Day Productions since December of 2010 as a part time employee. In that time, I've had the chance to work with several big name artists, and have learned a lot about what goes into making a live event happen.

This blog will share my experiences I've had on the job, as well as some of the things that I've learned.