Ok, so I’ve been around awhile. As a high school graduation present, I received a typewriter. It wasn’t until much later that word processors came along and changed the nature of writing. With a typewriter, one had to think out the words, sentences, and story ahead of time and then put it down one keystroke at a time with the proper spelling, punctuation and spacing all correct. Today, writing is a matter pouring all the possible ideas and words into the screen and then combing through and rearranging until it all makes sense. And spell-check is there to make it make grammatical sense. I much prefer the new way to the old but there is a skill that is rapidly being lost -planning ahead.  When you have one chance to put it onto paper, you don’t start typing until your story is ready in your head and the structure well thought out. And when you do start, you tend to be more focused. I believe that pre-planning makes for a more efficient process and better story.

I’ve seen a similar evolution with TV and video production.  In the early days, cameras and recorders were very expensive and there were very few around. A single camera approach meant that every shot was planned and executed within the context of how it would be edited. Videotape editing was linear which meant that you played a shot form one tape while recording it onto another in the sequence you wanted. You started with the title and worked your way through one scene at a time. If you wanted to change a scene later, you had to go back and re-edit and re-record from the fix on. Developing a good solid script ahead of time was essential and made for a more efficient process and better story.

But the world has changed. Cheap cameras with superior images are everywhere. The cost of production is so low that it’s not unusual to see multiple cameras shooting everything in sight. Non-linear editing means that any part of the video can be changed at any time. And I haven’t even touched on the ease of electronic effects and motion graphics.

This is truly a wonderful development but what is being lost is the value of a solid script. This notion of pre-planning, thinking it out and taking a point-of-view ahead of time is being drowned out in a cacophony of choices. Perhaps this is why quite a few of today’s flashy bright shiny object videos grab my momentary attention but are unmemorable in the long term. I yearn for substance underneath the style, structure that makes sense. I yearn for story.

The script is the thing.

-Brad

Old school. Start at the bottom. Go to the top. During my years in the advertising music business at Griffiths/Gibson Productions in Vancouver B.C., we had some high-octane gas in the tank. When we built our own recording studio, Little Mountain Sound, things got interesting.

Bob Rock, Metallica producer started out in the dubbing room, then he learned sound engineering. Ultimately he became a producer extraordinaire. Not bad for a young kid with a mullet.

Local Vancouver talent David Foster co-wrote and played piano on a bunch of spots. David went on to greatness and always stopped by the office when he was in town.

Bryan Adams hung around the studio all the time. We had him sing lead vocal on a Pontiac TV spot. It rocked. The drummer on that session was Jimmy Vallance who went on to co-create with Bryan for years to come.

Aerosmith, Metallica, Bon Jovi, Loverboy and dozens of other chart busters did their thing in one studio. All the advertising guys worked in another. The ad business was 9 to 5. The rockers started showing up around 4:00.

There were some real good years at Little Mountain.

Once, not long ago while being vetted for a drug trial in State Supreme Court, the prospective jurors were asked if they had any experience around recreational drugs. I said, “Your honor. I spent the 70’s working in a rock and roll studio.” After laughing he said, “You may be excused.”

-Charlie

As part of the Fluor centennial project we’ve collectively had the opportunity to travel to 6 of the 7 continents. It’s been an incredible experience. On the trip to China we were lucky to have a little down time with our cameras. First stop – Shanghai, a diverse, bustling megacity and the center of all things modern in China – architecture, fashion, commerce, culture, technology, etc. By contrast, the area of Xinju City we stayed in was built to accommodate hoards of people who haven’t yet arrived. Our gigantic hotel loomed over an intersection of massive boulevards, parks, and unfinished developments that sat empty except at rush hour when a lone traffic cop would guide a mix of scooters, water buffalo, and trucks through the intersection. It was an oddplace with an ever-present hint of communism in the air, especially inside the hotel. I enjoyed Nanjing most, particularly the old tree-lined streets. There I found people gathered around makeshift tables playing cards in front of tiny storefronts, and more bicycles than scooters. It was a respite from the hustle and bustle, as was walking through Xuanwu Lake Park. That particular morning it seemed that everyone in Nanjing was unwinding there with their family enjoying the gardens, tree-lined paths, and boat rentals. The only strange thing was that I could hear birds chirping constantly, but I couldn’t see them. Ultimately, I realized the chirping was being piped out of little speakers! Only in China.

This is a collection of images from China taken by me and David Godwin.

- Kaija

Kickin’ It in Greenville, SC – as part of the Fluor 100 world tour.

Wing contests, minor league baseball, roadside BBQ, giant green monsters and one random guy with a real affinity for Mark!