Event planners know how to have fun
How the biggest night in event planning left us amazed and...dancing!
Me and my fellow intern Garrett were given the ultimate task of taking the reigns of this lucrative event. Our bosses Tim, Phil, and James all gave us guidance of course; but it was my task to do the layout, plan and create the idea of the event while it was Garrett’s job to film.
As soon as we got there we were ready to go, prepared with notes, ideas and a basic layout of what we were looking to accomplish. I think much to our bosses delight, we were able to scope things out and get a feel for the event while they were happily enjoying hors d’oeuvres. And much to our surprise I don’t think Garret or I were the least bit nervous. I must say the best part about this job is that we both know we have creative license to make mistakes, and create errors without the fear of being yelled at or scorned. And starting out in an industry like this, the frequency of that happening can be high. Zerosun’s team is the rare and wonderful one where we are always given the freedom to grow more and make mistakes while not being afraid to try new things. And while we may not get it right the first time, at least we learned something.
Also, learning how to work well with someone else is a very important skill in the world, especially in the creative industry where ones creative vision needs to be transposed over to another’s. Luckily, we both worked really well together and had a great time. From the elaborate decorations and calculations it took to create each event and the overall theme was amazing. For the desert, as an example, each server went around to each table and at the exact same moment “smashed” open a golden chocolate egg to reveal chocolates inside. How creative! Only event planners….That aside, we really hoped to capture the elaborate designs and creativity of this event. And to our joy, I think we got just what we wanted.
-Ainsley Shannon
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Have you ever been “thrown into the fire”? No, I’m not talking about your last drunken camping trip. I’m talking about being given the reigns to something that you’re not at all familiar with. Given the opportunity to show what you’re capable of. Given the chance to make mistakes…and learn from them.
Friday night, at the 12th Annual ICON Awards, I was thrown into the fire with Zerosun’s Sony XDCAM, a tripod, and my imagination. As I meandered through the lavish crowd, exquisite décor, and delectable food and drinks, I lined up shot after shot of what I thought would make our production the best it possibly could be. I quickly learned that the documentary-style camera work that Zerosun is so well known for is a whole different animal than scripted camera work.
I’ve had experience (though not much) of being a cameraperson on sets of scripted productions, mainly my own. If something wasn’t just the way I wanted it, I’d tweak a few things and make it right. I did this at my own leisure. No rush. I could shoot at my own pace. This couldn’t be any further from my experience Friday night. As soon as I’d find a shot that I thought might be a keeper, the lighting would change, the ambiance would change, or the opportunity would simply pass.
As I fumbled with a tripod that I wasn’t very familiar with around a bustling crowd of guests, I realized that this wasn’t a Kubrick production. I didn’t have the time or power to make everything just perfect before I started rolling. If I wanted to capture the energy of the event, then I had to be ready at the drop of a hat to shoot an ever-changing environment.
Sure, Phil, Tim, and James told me this before they ever gave me the camera, but actually being there, failing miserably so many times shot after shot to capture on camera what I saw in my head, made me realize something: sometimes, being thrown into the fire, is the only real way to learn. I’d had similar experiences before as an up-and-coming pharmacy technician, but this was much more eye opening for me.
The guys at Zerosun are giving me the chance to learn by doing. Opportunities to mess up. To explore my creativity. To fail. But most importantly, Zerosun is giving me opportunities to learn and to succeed. If it takes being “thrown into the fire” a hundred more times for a hundred different aspects of video productions, then I relish the fact that I will be a much better filmmaker for it.
I’ve made mistakes my whole life and I’ve learned that a person is defined by how they react to their errors. I look forward to struggling again and reflecting on my shortcomings in order to make the best of them. Bring on the fire and the failure!
-Garrett Cypert
“Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple.” –Willy Wonka-
