ANAHEIM, CA – The Pro Production sessions are returning to the Winter NAMM show for a third consecutive year. This series of casual conversations, set for Jan. 17-18, 2020 at the NAMM U Education Center within the Anaheim Hilton hotel, will once again serve as a treasure trove of industry insights, at no extra charge to NAMM attendees. The full listing of seminars and speakers follows.
Pro Production Sessions at NAMM 2020 Schedule
All sessions in Room A5 – 4th Floor at the Anaheim Hilton unless otherwise noted.
FRIDAY 1/17
Tour Support
- 10:00am-11:30am
- Speakers: Lindsay Scola and Steve Richards
In Fall 2019 music industry heavyweights from Live Nation, management company Friends at Work and WME along with artists including John Legend, Steve Aoki, MARINA, Grace VanderWaal and Rick Springfield, banded together to launch Tour Support, a division of LightHopeLife, is a new nonprofit program providing mental health support for the touring community. The music industry is experiencing a mental health crisis and an alarming number of suicides among touring professionals (artists, crew, vendors, etc.). Many are in need of support services that help them deal with difficult feelings surrounding life on the road and the changes and adjustments they face once they get home. Learn more about tour support at this informative session with Steve Richards, who conceived of Tour Support and Lindsay Scola from Friends at Work.
On the Road With Michael Bublé
- 11:30am-1:00pm
- Speakers: Dean Roney, Craig Doubet, Craig Finley, Brian Levine, Michael Maxson
This session offers an informative presentation looking at a tour from the production viewpoint—lighting, video, audio and production management. Without question, the success of the An Evening With Michael Bublé tour has created a lot of interest within the entertainment production industry, especially looking at bringing together the music, the artist and the overall production elements into a cohesive whole. Hear how it was done in this panel discussion with the production team.
10 Years of Spectacular Creativity at Silent House
- 1:00pm-2:30pm
- Speakers: Baz Halpin, Tamlyn Wright, Cory FitGerald, Alex Reardon
This session offers the rare opportunity to hear from all four partners of the venerable Silent House production company—Baz Halpin, Tamlyn Wright, Cory FitzGerald and Alex Reardon—in this insightful look at their work and approach to production and design in today’s music industry. Taylor Swift, P!NK, Cher, Katy Perry, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, Halsey and Bruno Mars are just a few of the impressive artists who have worked with Silent House. Known for some of the most spectacular concert touring, live event, award broadcasts and music industry productions, the team from Silent House have created iconic visual and musical experiences that have engaged audiences globally while offering a new model for the music business at the same time. Founded in 2010, Silent House is a full-service production company, providing production and design for television and live entertainment. It brings together, under one roof, an array of services, including creative direction, live event production, lighting design, scenic design, video content and stage direction.
On the Road with Paul McCartney
3:00pm- 4:00pm (*In California Ballroom A – 2nd Floor at the Anaheim Hilton)
Speakers: Mark Spring, LeRoy Bennett, Paul Becher, Wally Lees
This session is an unprecedented opportunity to go inside Paul McCartney’s Freshen Up tour. This session will focus on the design and technology elements of the lighting, video, audio and production management. One of the Top 10 tours of 2019 on Billboards’ year-end chart, audiences and the entertainment industry alike took notice of this production and the Pro Production Sessions at NAMM give you the chance to hear Production Manager Mark Spring; Production & Lighting Designer LeRoy Bennett; Lighting Director Wally Lees; and Video Director Paul Becher share stories about how Paul McCartney and the production team together brought audiences this acclaimed show.
Keynote: Kevin Lyman
- 3:30pm- 5:00pm
- Speaker: Kevin Lyman
Kevin Lyman offers an informative and forward-thinking look at the state of the industry and the future directions he sees for musical artists, managers, and producers, youth culture, festivals and socially conscious brand engagements. Lyman’s session is sure to again be standing-room-only.
SATURDAY 1/18
All sessions in Room A5 – 4th Floor at the Anaheim Hilton
Everything Is for Broadcast
- 10:00 – 11:30am
- Speakers: Stan Crocker and Seth Robinson
You will be judged on the quality of the Instagram photo someone sent to your client. You will be judged on the quality of the live stream that production forgot to tell you about. You will be judged on the quality of the tour video they shot on the seventh day of a nine-in-a-row. As professional designers, it is important for us to understand where and how our work will be viewed and to consider all scenarios as we build a show. But how do you light for camera AND live? What do you do when the client says they don’t care about the broadcast? During their tenure as lighting designers for the Apple Music Festival, Crocker and Robinson developed some simple methods to capture live shows for broadcast without hurting the live experience. In this presentation, they will reveal some of their hard-earned secrets, which include not only the technical processes but also tips on how to talk about cameras with your clients and collaborators. This session is co-presented by ESTA and Pro Production by PLSN & FOH.
For Musicians and Managers: How to Work With Designers
- 11:30am- 1:00pm
- Speakers: Stan Crocker and Seth Robinson
Merging the artistry of the music with the creativity of the right design team can lead to some of the most engaging and innovative visual experiences for audiences. Designers Stan Crocker and Bobby Grey will discuss how designers and musical artists can best collaborate to realize the musicians’ vision of their work and bring to life the experience they want to give their audience.
One on One With Michael T. Strickland, 2020 Parnelli Visionary Award Honoree
- 1:00pm- 2:30pm
- Speaker: Michael T. Strickland
“If a kid from Kingsport, Tennessee, can go this far, anything is possible,” notes the 2020 Parnelli Visionary Award honoree Michael T. Strickland. Join Strickland, founder and chairman of Bandit Lites. During this one-on-one conversation about how he went from “borrowing” the high school’s lighting gear at 12 years old and began working with acts, such as The Beach Boys, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Grass Roots, and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, to establishing an industry-leading production company with more than 400 employees based in multiple locations in the United States, Europe and Asia. It will be an inspiring conversation and chance to get some visionary advice.
Designing from a Challenge
- 3:00pm- 4:30pm
- Speakers: Gordon Droitcour and Erik Anderson
Join creative producers Gordon Droitcour and Erik Anderson of Cour Design as they discuss how they work with artists providing lighting design, creative direction and video content, among other offerings, to solve with design the challenges of today’s touring, event and audience experiences. Droitcour and Anderson credits include working with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Billie Eilish, Kacey Musgraves, Madeon and more. This is sure to be a great opportunity to consider were design concepts begin and how they are realized. This Pro Production Session is presented in coordination with 4Wall.
