Content Marketing & Film Resource

How Practicing My Skills Have Allowed My Creative Work To Evolve

Nick Clarke May 25, 2016 Creativity, Animation, Video production, Creative Process Leave a Comment

"I know you've heard it a thousand times before. But it's true--hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don't love something, then don't do it."

–Ray Bradbury

The saying 'practice makes perfect’ can apply to many disciplines –sports; music; art.

But it also applies to your work. Whether you are a master at spreadsheets, a whiz at making calls, or a commander of the conference room, the more you practice your role in the workplace the better you become. No matter your title.

I view every project we take on as an opportunity to hone my craft and to practice at it.

I’m proud of every piece of creative work I’ve produced because every piece of work is my best to date.

A unique dynamic of my job the ability to go back and see my past work. A quick search on Youtube and I can find our client’s past videos. Or I can search backup drives to find graphics and animations I’ve created.

Here are a few examples of transparent improvement in the work that I have done here at MEDIABOSS.

These past projects range from graphic lower thirds to full character animations.

Character Design:

Learning to draw characters takes lots of practice. The more you draw, the better your characters will turn out.

The key to creating dynamic characters is to draw them in strong poses. But drawing strong poses is much more difficult and takes considerable practice.

As you can see, the character on the right has a much stronger pose than the character on the left.

Character Animation:

Animating characters takes time. Exactly how much time depends on the amount of detail you're able to put in - and the budget with which you have to work.

The clip from 2014 is a less detailed character animation. The budget was smaller and the client’s timeline meant that I needed to animate quickly and under a strict deadline.

The clip below from 2015 has much more going on. This character has complex facial animation, as well as body language and attitude. It took several hours to complete this shot.

Logo Animation:

Logo animations can come in all forms. Whether it's a flat 2D style, or a complex and dynamic 3D design, each has their place, depending on time and budget.

3D designs are exponentially more complex and time consuming, but give a feeling of reality. 2D designs are simpler than 3D and can be completed in a tighter time frame, tools and expertise considered.

Above, you’ll see several examples of the 2D and 3D animations I’ve built over the years.

Lower Thirds:

Title lower thirds are essential for letting your audience know who, in your video, is on screen. Many lower third designs are either boring, or bought from a graphics template package.

At MediaBoss, we like to go above an beyond with our lower third designs. We even go a step further and animate them, rather than just fading them up in Avid.

These two examples show my creative growth and skill level over the course of 3 years.

The improvement in the way they are designed and animated is very clear. In my opinion, the graphic elements in the first one look like they were made by a toddler (haha.)

The example from 2016 shows my ability to create frame by frame animation. It is also line with Jack's Abby's branding.

CONCLUSION:

It doesn't matter if you work in graphic design, animation or any other creative medium, the only way you will get better at your job is if you practice.

The most important piece of advice I can give to anyone looking to improve their skills is to love what you do. Because when you love what you do, practicing feels like play.

Creativity Animation Video production Creative Process

Our Top 10 Favorite Halloween Movies

Erin Hayes October 29, 2015 Creativity, Fun, Video Leave a Comment

Welcome to our super spooky Halloween Episode of Beer & Gear!

What's your favorite Halloween movie? You've got to have at least one.

MediaBoss Animator/Graphic Designer, Nick Clarke and I share our top 5 favorite Halloween movies. And because there are two of us, you get 10 great flicks for the price of 5.

And if you're not a fan of scaring the sh** out of yourself for fun, don't worry. There's something on this list for you, too [full disclosure: Goosebumps still gives me nightmares].

Here's the list written out. For our ridiculous commentary on why we like these movies, you'll have to watch the video!

Nick's #5: The Evil Dead

Erin's #5: Curious George's Boofest

Nick's #4: Beetlejuice

Erin's #4: Shaun of the Dead

Nick's #3: Night of the Living Dead

Erin's #3: Young Frankenstein

Nick's #2: Scream

Erin's #2: Witches of Eastwick

Nick's #1: A Nightmare on Elm Street

Erin's #1: Hocus Pocus

Let us know your favs in the comments!

Creativity Fun Video

Making the Pilot: A No Nonsense Guide to Pilot Production

Ian Barrett October 27, 2015 Creativity, Production, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

Pilot production is tough.

There’s a lot riding on the pilot. This single episode needs to present all the unique characteristics of your production and sell sponsors or networks on your idea.

If you are talking to networks, they generally fund the pilot. You would have already attached a director and talent to the production and the network would generally set you up in one of their studios to create the pilot.

To be clear, this blog isn’t about that.

It’s about you.

You don’t have a network budget, but you do have a great idea and some money. And you really believe your show idea can go somewhere.

It’s time to put that script and that budget on the line and get it made. But where do you start?

First, let’s dig a little deeper.

Many show pilots go on to become the first episode in a series. ‘Great!’, you think. ‘One out of the way.’

Well, yes and no. Because of this, there’s quite a bit of pressure to immediately engage and capture an audience.

Now, Netflix released some interesting data this fall that shows the pilot is rarely the episode that hooks a viewer. In fact, according to their data, that magical episode is usually between episode 2 and 8!

However, that doesn’t mean that the pilot can be phoned in. A 22 episode story arc won’t mean anything if the pilot falls flat on its face. Because chances are, you won’t be given the chance to either:

a) produce the remaining 21 episodes or

b) air the remaining 21 episodes.

Another obstacle is that your pilot really needs to look as much like a typical episode as possible.

That means it’s necessary to work as hard as you can to nail talent, locations, costumes, props, lighting and camera all at the same time.

What’s changed about the business is that web series have become the new concept development hot bed.

This means you can make a successful web series and get the attention of anyone from Producers to Network Execs to the actual Agents who are looking for vehicles for their clients.

That’s how “Broad City” came to the attention of Amy Poehler. She stepped in as Executive Producer and got them their deal.

1. When do I know I need to make a Pilot?

When people approach us about producing their show pilot, it’s usually because people have expressed interest in their show idea.

Whether it’s an unscripted or scripted program, they need a pilot to fully pitch a network or sponsor and get the series funded.

Thanks to the rise of online video series, we’ve seen a spike in interest in pilot production in recent years. This is largely due to the fact that the number of outlets has gone from a few to hundreds.

And there is an entire business for branded web series (sponsored original content) outside of any network or distributor.

2. How much does it cost?

That’s always the first or second question people ask us, and we respond the same way every time:

How much does a car cost?

How much does a watch cost?

How much does a stroller cost? (new dad, here.)

It’s absolutely relative. But the important factors are the scale of the production: i.e. the number of days of shooting, locations, props, costumes etc.

What’s important is that your pilot looks like you are invested (read: you spent a lot of money).
Good production is absolutely the key component to making the people who watch your pilot go, “Wow” instead of “Ummm, we’re not interested.”

On our end we do everything on a fixed budget. This means you pay us and you get a guaranteed broadcast quality pilot that you can show to networks and sponsors alike, with no post-production surprises.

In addition, every element of the production will meet broadcast standards. This is critical, because in many scenarios your pilot becomes the first episode of the series.

You don’t want to do this twice. And in most cases, you won’t get that second chance, anyway.

3. What’s involved?

Well, MediaBoss is a production company that produces unscripted and scripted television shows. We have created hundreds of hours of television and we bring that experience to the client. Our pilots are award-winning and have resulted in broadcast programs.

That’s important because making a pilot is a lot harder than shooting an episode that is part of an established series.

Everything is brand new in a pilot: the music, the graphics, the shooting schedule, the actors and crew and their relationship with the director.

It’s really difficult to make it look like this is Episode 100 and not Episode One, or the first time everyone has worked together.

But that’s the job we love and it’s where our experience pays off.

First, you bring in your script and meet the team. The team includes the producer, director, production manager and staff writer.

After a reading we do a script breakdown and figure out what needs to be done to make it happen. That’s where our budget comes from.

5. When does the shoot happen?

The first shoot happens after the budget is agreed on, a production agreement is signed, and a deposit is delivered.

The production agreement will outline the shooting, editing and delivery schedule.

But first, we get into the pre-production stage. Casting, locations, makeup, props, legal clearances are just a few examples of things that need to be locked up before you can start shooting.

Then there’s the conversation with the MediaBoss production team about your show’s “look”.

How will it be lit, shot and edited. The color palette, acting style, production style, etc.

The whole team needs to be on the same page with all of these elements. In the end, that’s what the director is responsible for on set.

So when that’s lined up it’s time to shoot.

6. What’s the shooting like?

It’s hell on wheels. I think the fantasy of the ‘set life’ and the reality are pretty far apart.

Filmmaking is blue-collar work. Period.

You have a job to do and it has to be done to these specs. And it has to be good.

I’ve meet a lot of well-dressed directors on set and I have to say that on a managed budget production, you better see some sweat and a team of people hustling otherwise your not going to make your shot list for the day!

When you are shooting on a tight schedule with a lot of set-ups, you don’t have time to screw around.

You can’t afford one part of the production to hold any of the other parts up.

So, no you can’t take all day to light that cutaway. It needs to be lit and shot in 15 minutes. And you need to move onto the next thing and the whole crew has to be in synch with that.

Sets can go from chaos to ‘We are shooting this now, action!’ in a couple of minutes. It’s so important to have a good experienced crew, because they all know what’s needed and they do it.

The director also needs to get the best out of the actors and that rapport can’t take all day to develop. He also needs to know when to take an alternate shot or move on even thought something isn’t perfect, because time is the enemy and when you run out of that, there is no more production.

That’s not to say that the mood on set needs to be tense.

In fact, it should be the opposite and everyone should feel like they are on the same team working a very long series of days to an amazing goal.

A good director can make that happen, too. If you hear yelling on set, it’s not a good thing.

The best crews just know what to do instinctively.

7. What’s next?

Next is the post-production phase. This where all those pieces are edited together to create a program.

It’s important to remember that post-production is actually the bigger part of your budget.

There are no ‘simple’ edits. Everything needs to be done to the highest standard, from audio to color correction and effects to graphics.

It’s about a 5:1 ratio. Five days of post for every day of shooting. That’s not a fixed number. There are a lot of companies that can spend a month on a :30 second spot. But that’s not the world of pilot production.

Generally people want to start sharing a pilot as quickly as possible.

8. And then what?

And then it’s done!

Now you take meetings, put it online, share it in festivals and try to get the series made.

We are happy that all of our pilot work has been so well received, regardless of budget. When people see a MediaBoss produced pilot the reaction is always, “That looks great!” We never want to hear that someone lost a gig to a poorly produced pilot. And trust me, we have met more than a few people who blew a budget on a pilot that they couldn’t even share with anybody when it was finished. This extends to the network level.

9. How do you prevent that?

Do your research. Find a good team. Manage your budget and be ready to show it to everyone you can.

Ask questions:
Are they insured?
How many things have they done?
What kind of cameras will they be using?
Audio?
What do they use for post-production?
Do they rent or own?
Do they have a studio?

Ask to see a reel of their work.

We have over 400 television shows and nearing a thousand videos under our belt. We pride ourselves on producing award-winning products for our clients. We are fun to work with and we get the job done, on budget.

We’re really proud of what we do and we are dedicated to making each product better than the last.

Check out MediaBoss’ pilot for the show “Partners”.

Creativity Production Tips & Tricks

Monsters of MediaBoss: Our Creative Work Space Comes Alive

Nick Clarke September 15, 2015 Creativity, Design Leave a Comment

We built the ultimate creative work space when we moved into the 8,000 square foot industrial space MediaBoss now calls home. We have lime-pop support poles, a Koi pond, exposed brick and the Shoppers World sign hanging from our 13 foot ceilings.

But we can't stop there.

In the spirit of the upcoming Halloween season, I started to see the every day objects in our studio a little differently.

Here's a look at The Monsters of MediaBoss!

The Terror-able Trash Eater

This guy loves to munch on your paper towels and candy wrappers. Just don't get too close to his mouth!

Fluffy Glowing Ghouls

These three love to hang about our Koi Pond, keeping the fish and Domino the Turtle looking bright!

Goodbye-Bot

After a long day at the studio, this guy always says goodbye with a smile.

-----

If you need custom graphics or animations, I'd love to chat. Email me here:

Creativity Design

I'll Write You A Symphony: Behind Jared Dylan's Music Video

Erin Hayes July 30, 2015 Creativity, Production, Video Leave a Comment

By MediaBoss Team

Jared Dylan, 20, is going into his senior year at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, with more than a little bit of rock star credibility.

The aspiring singer/songwriter's music video for the single "Symphony" dropped last week and he's been getting 10,000 hits a day since it premiered on YouTube.

Not too shabby for an independent artist, but there is a lot more to the story than that. The first interesting bit is that he actually wrote "Symphony" when he was 16, and this overnight success has been four years in the making.

When asked about the song’s origin, Jared candidly admits that he wrote it for girl he met only once. [tweet_dis]"She asked me to write her a song and I wrote her “Symphony"[/tweet_dis]. I knew her for a total of 5 hours and she still doesn't know that I wrote the song about her." Dylan admits, laughing.

Inspirations aside, writing a song is one thing, and making a music video is an entirely different animal. When Jared and his manager Jimmy Walorz of Vizion Entertainment, decided it was time, they reached out to video producer Bill Millman (now at Atlantic Records) who tapped Godsmack director Ian Barrett at MediaBoss Television for the job.

The shoot was a whirl-wind two days on location in Miami. Barrett captured the video’s performance shots on site at the University of Miami, including the iconic stage sequence overlooking the fountain at the center of campus. Additional material, specifically the sunset finale and white room sequences were shot at Miami's famous, Trendy Studios.

While the shoot was fast-paced and hectic, Dylan was impressed by how smoothly the process went. "I don’t think there was a difficult part because they worked so well together,” he said of the crew. "MediaBoss is a group of professional veterans who have done it so many times that they knew exactly what to expect. They had it ready to go. We were moving from location to location seamlessly."

That’s not to say that the young artist didn’t have his nervous moments. The white room shots at Trendy Studios were a little out of his comfort zone.

“The entire time, I’m saying (to Barrett), 'You think it’s too weird that I’m doing this? Do you think people are going to respond to this or just think I’m a lunatic?! He just kept yelling over the playback and the next thing I knew I was jumping on chairs and doing karate kicks, it was fun."

In the end, the white room shots are Dylan’s favorite memory from the shoot. He had to put a lot of trust into the direction of Barrett, and according to him, it paid off.

“Ian (Barrett) is a visionary. He is a true artist,” he said. “He was doing things for the video that I just wouldn’t have even thought to imagine. That white room, again all those different costumes and everything, that’s where I think the chemistry between me and Ian really came out. Every one of those shots that we did was a single take."

“I’m so happy with how it came out,” he said of the final edited video. "I cannot express how much I love it, it’s awesome.”

Dylan found inspiration and support from every member of the team throughout the shoot.

“Bill (producer) is probably one of the most fun people to be around. It’s like you never know what he’s going to say next, but it’s going to be hilarious and you just want to be a part of it,” Dylan said, laughing. “He also played a huge part in pushing me throughout the whole process. I was just playing through the song and he was like ‘You gotta give it more than that!’"

“I don’t think the energy of the video would have been nearly as high and as fun without him there."

As for his co-star, actress Rachel Seeker, Dylan says " She's hot." He says reflecting on the beach shot they did together, “And...She’s a sweetheart and so down to earth and easy to talk to, She was there, every second of the shoot,” he added. “She did not leave set, She was alway there to give support...I mean we couldn’t have done the video without her."

Walorz served as the “all-seeing-eye” throughout the entirety of the shoot, according to Dylan. “Having such a seasoned opinion and such a well-versed influence on the video - we owe a lot of credit to Jimmy.”

Every shoot has an unsung hero, somebody who goes 'above and beyond' and this production was no exception. Jared's good friend, Andrea Lopez, became an impromptu 1st AD and started by wrangling shots, talent and locations. She even filled in as actress to play Jared's love interest when a conflict displaced the original girl.

“I don’t know if I want to let her know how grateful I am because she’ll just hold it over me,” he joked. “She is easily one of the most supportive and just selfless and downright, just inspiring people that I could possibly imagine to be on our team.”

The video provides more than a visual asset to a song, it’s also a captured moment of Dylan’s time at Frost Music School at the University of Miami, a place that has been fully supportive of the whole process. Including his fellow students who appeared in the video.

The school assisted by not only giving approval to film, but by agreeing to share "Symphony" with their social media community, “I think the coolest part is the University of Miami is going to share it cause that really shows how much they support the project.”

"The University of Miami is a huge part of who I am right now,” Dylan added. “But specifically, it will be a huge part of who I am forever."

Dylan has great expectations for the “Symphony” video.

“We’re shooting for 50 million views,” he says with his signature smile, “Gotta set the bar high. We’ve got a lot in store."

"Symphony" is available on iTunes and you can view the video here on YouTube.

Creativity Production Video

5 Things You Need to Know About Live Stream Production

Paul Bouley July 07, 2015 Video Marketing, Creativity, Social Television Blog, Tips & Tricks, Content Marketing, live stream Leave a Comment

Live stream production is a powerful tool to get your message to the world. And it's something we love to do at MediaBoss.

Whether it's a presentation for your national offices or a product demo across the world, a well produced live stream can be an excellent communication tool.

That's why today, I'm going to share 5 things you need to know about Live Stream Production.

[Check out the video above or jump down to read the transcription]

1. Connection is Everything.

Beautifully shot, HD video means nothing if you don't have the bandwidth to properly send it out or keep a consistent stream. The last thing you want is for your feed to drop in the middle of your broadcast. Make sure you have a good connection to keep your stream up and uninterrupted!

Beautifully shot, HD video means nothing w/o proper bandwidth or a consistent stream.

2. Preparation is Key.

Yes, we can integrate your old commercial. Sure, we can manipulate your slide deck. Of course we can create and run custom graphics. But everything takes time and last minute changes can compromise a broadcast.

3. Remember, this is Live TV.

Think about your live webcast like the news. There is a show clock. Things need to happen at a certain time. If your production team doesn't have all the information something is bound to go wrong. Share the details with your production team and your broadcast will go off without a hitch.

4. Your event is more than just the Live Stream.

Think about your live stream as a series of stand alone segments. Everything we do is recorded to High Res files on solid state drives that can be edited down to individual videos however you'd like. Content creation is the name of the game and a live stream has legs well beyond the live event.

5. Why Have 1, When You Can Have 5?

Filming a single camera stream can be efficient, but it is likely to bore your viewers. Think about how many cameras a typical news program has. Now think about an NFL game. You want a one shot? Done. Back to a wide? Sure thing. Product close up? We've got that.

The additional costs for extra cameras won't break the bank. But a poor broadcast may cost you even more.

Those are the top 5 tips. If you have any questions about live streaming an event, we'd love to talk to you. Feel free to email me anytime: paul@mediabosstv.com

Video Marketing Creativity Social Television Blog Tips & Tricks Content Marketing live stream

5 Reasons to Run a 5K with your Coworkers

EricaLeBlanc June 30, 2015 Creativity, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

Looking to strengthen employee relationships? Convince them to do something they don't want to do on their day off! These are the 5 Reasons to Run a 5K with your Coworkers.

5. A company that runs together…runs together.

Bonding outside the workplace can strengthen relationships inside the workplace, leading to better communication and efficiency.

4. A post-5K with coworkers typically includes beer.

Beer is a staple in a constructive business environment.

3. Winning means you can finally be better than your, admittedly, exceedingly impressive boss at something.

2. Letting your employees win can make them feel like they’re better than you at something.

This builds their motivation for better productivity in the workplace.

1. Some of you may end up falling in love with running and move on to 10Ks together!

[starbox]

Creativity Tips & Tricks

MediaBoss Selected Winner in the 36th Telly Awards for Ready, Set, Snow!

Erin Hayes June 25, 2015 Marketing, Creativity, Press, Video, Content Marketing Leave a Comment

This winter we sat down with people behind Framingham's Public Works. They wondered if we could produce a video that showcased their snow clean up and removal operations. Of course!

Although the Public Works story may seem mundane, we were up for the challenge to prove otherwise. A strong DPW is the key to any successful community. And the key to great video is great storytelling. Great storytelling is what MediaBoss does best.

We were honored to tell their story as their dedicated team worked around the clock to keep Framingham's roads safe and clear in the midst of the worst recorded winter in the history of Massachusetts.

And the best part is, we kept our word and we did produce an award-winning video.

Ready, Set, Snow! won a Telly Award for online informational video.

Check out the video below. The full press release follows.

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Framingham, MA June 24, 2015 - The Telly Awards has named MediaBoss Television as a Bronze winner in the 36th Annual Telly Awards for their piece titled Ready, Set, Snow!. With nearly 12,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries, this is truly an honor.

Ready, Set, Snow! follows the intrepid team at the Framingham Public Works through the snow clean up and management during the worst winter in Massachusetts’ history, the winter of 2015.

"When we sat down with Framingham Public Works we said we were going to produce an award-winning video that showcased their hard work and dedication,” Ian Barrett, MediaBoss Creative Director said. “We’re so excited that this story of an epic winter was captured and shared and that people have responded so positively to it."

“We’re proud to have partnered with MediaBoss Television to produce this award-winning video for Framingham’s Public Works. Their gifted and talented approach to informing the residents on our technology, equipment, and personnel, and the combined services that they provide to the Community, has achieved a high standard of excellence that is apparent in the quality of this video production, ” said Peter Sellers, Executive Director of Framingham Public Works.

[tweet_box]We’re proud to have partnered with @MediaBossTV to produce this award-winning video for @DPWFramingham[/tweet_box]

The Telly Awards was founded in 1979 and is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online commercials, video and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world.

“The Telly Awards has a mission to honor the very best in film and video,” said Linda Day, Executive Director of the Telly Awards. “MediaBoss Television’s accomplishment illustrates their creativity, skill, and dedication to their craft and serves as a testament to great film and video production.”

About MediaBoss Television

MediaBoss Television is a full-service television and web video production company that produces compelling video content for broadcast, corporations and start-ups alike. MediaBoss Television is based out of an 8,000 square foot converted industrial studio in Framingham, MA.

-END-

Marketing Creativity Press Video Content Marketing

Let Your Hair Down - Adam Ezra Group's Music Video Release

Erin Hayes June 24, 2015 Creativity, Video, Design Leave a Comment

This winter, in the midst of record-breaking snow fall, our friend Adam Ezra, of the Adam Ezra Group, reached out to us about producing a music video for his single "Let Your Hair Down."

He had lined up an incredible crew of talent for the project: Director Ben Tishler, Director of Photography Jason Thompson, Camera Operator John Cole and Editor Neil Miller. We were honored to join the team as a producer and were thrilled to open up our studio for the location of the video.

We've had the pleasure of working with Ezra for the last 3 years, live broadcasting his Ramble benefit concert. He's smart and talented guy and we just knew the team he had put together would be A-List.

We were right. It was an honor to work with Ben Tishler, Jason Thompson, John Cole and Neil Miller.

"Ben is an incredible guy to work with," Adam Ezra told us of Ben Tishler. "I'm always amazed by his work ethic, his vision, his talent, and most of all, what he ultimately is able to create on screen."

The vision for the video was a visual celebration of living in the moment and the "power of community and human spirit." Ezra reached out to cancer survivors and volunteers from some of the cancer organizations they work with every year and asked them to participate in the video. He wanted to capture the life and energy of this crowd as his band performed "Let Your Hair Down."

In 24 hours, our studio was converted into the ultimate music venue. We built a stage, we strung lights and we dressed the rest of our space in line with Tishler's artistic vision. Our favorite static visual for the video was the 'World' section of Framingham's historic 'Shopper's World' sign. The Framingham History Center put the sign in our care this fall and we couldn't be more pleased to see it in "Let Your Hair Down"!

[tweet_box]The vision for the video was a visual celebration of the "power of community and human spirit." [/tweet_box]

The video was officially released Sunday, June 21st, during the after party for the Adam Ezra Group's annual Boston Harbor boat cruise.

"I feel so honored, just to have been able to be a part of what happened that day," Adam Ezra told us. "I couldn't be more proud of what we created together."

When fans download "Let Your Hair Down" track or watch the music video, the proceeds are donated to The SAMFund. The SAMFund helps cancer patients and families who are struggling to make ends meet while recovering from treatment. Learn more about this on AdamEzra.com

Watch the video below. And for a Behind-The-Scenes peek of the Making-Of "Let Your Hair Down" take a look through our photo gallery!

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Creativity Video Design

Tony Awards: What You Can't See on TV

EricaLeBlanc June 12, 2015 Creativity, Social Television Blog Leave a Comment

Did you know you can actually buy tickets to the Tony Awards? It’s true, I did it! My friend and I spent $334 each (including fees, no shame) to watch the 69^th Annual Tony Awards from seats in the third from last row of Radio City Music Hall.

We all know the flow of an Awards Show. The witty hosts; the build up to an award; the acceptance speeches; the seated celebrity cutaways.

I wanted to share what happens when the cameras aren’t on during a live awards show.

First: Arrival

After getting all dolled up at a friend’s apartment in the middle of the Bronx, we took an Uber to Radio City Music Hall. As we were not “officially” deemed celebrity status by the “people who matter”, we got out of the car at the end of the blocked street.

We were a couple of hours early so we grabbed dinner in our black tie attire at a convenience store. Then attempted to spot celebrities on the red carpet.

Both my friend and I (despite heels) are height-challenged. We are short. Because of our vertical disadvantage, it was through the raised screens of others' iPhones that we caught glimpses of Kathy Najimy, Debra Messing, and Dame Helen Mirren as they exited their cars. This brought a new meaning to “live television” for the both of us.

We entered through the back entrance of the Hall with the other plebeians who had spent an exorbitant amount of money for the experience of watching tourists wonder why we weren’t important enough to be on the red carpet.

Then: The Pre-Show

As ticket holders, we knew the doors closed at 7:00. What we didn’t know was it was due to the pre-show beginning at 7:05. Luckily, my friend and I made it to our seats just in time to hear the 5 minute call. This was after a trip to the bathroom with someone I swore was P!nk, and paying $15 for a glass of wine. It was not P!nk. It was wine.

The pre-show consists of the presentations they show clips of after commercial breaks.

“Earlier tonight, we presented the award for this category you should care about to this person you should probably know.” Also: “This is what the people who run this event had to say.”

So think about this. When an awards show runs a half an hour to an hour long, the theatre audience has been sitting there for an hour longer than you have. Those awards also continued during most commercial breaks. This year, the presenters of these awards were the 2014 winners for Best Featured Actor and Best Actress in a Musical, James Monroe Iglehart and Jessie Mueller.

There was a mysterious man on the God mic (the microphone used to address the whole theatre). He announced the amount of time before going live. When the 45-seconds-to-go mark would hit, one could watch a scramble of seat-fillers trip over each other to make it to their seats in time. At five seconds we were all instructed to clap and the lights rose and the show began.

Next: The Tonys

Watching the show with a production perspective was impressive.

It was clear how much the crew had rehearsed to guarantee a smoothly run show. There were five steadi cams that roamed the floor for close-ups during nomination announcements. One of those also covered the stage. During performances this camera operator would sprint from the floor, up and over into the pit. Then he'd run onto the stage, and back into the pit with the help of his back spot. They all always knew where to be and where they were going. I assume they had earpieces telling them this info, but rehearsal notes were definitely studied.

There were three jibs. Three giant jibs. Two were hanging from the third mezzanine in front of us so the plebeians were not seen on television. The third one stayed on stage. It rolled out from behind the curtain to capture performances. During presentations it stayed hidden behind the curtain.

The stage was divided into several parts. Part of the stage was lit for award presentations and bits from the adorable hosting duo, Alan Cumming and Kristin Chenoweth. The other parts had cameramen and crew running around setting up for the next “scene”. In fact, when Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale were presenting for Best Featured Actor in a Musical you may have seen Rose Byrne laughing and looking away from the camera. Maybe you assumed she found the bit Chenoweth and Cumming did dressed in gender reversed roles from The King and I, amusing. Well folks, I'm here to tell you what really happened. While exiting the stage, Cumming’s dress got stuck. Chenoweth tried her best to pull him off stage by his arms, but it was a man in the audience that reached up and freed the dress. This is what live theatre is all about, people.

Finally: Personal Wrap Up

Although we were physically there, a part of me still felt like a spectator in the same way I do when I watch it on television. We were so far away that there were only two ways to tell who was talking on stage. Through the announcement of their names or by looking at the big screens on either side of the stage.

But this awards show is not designed for the entertainment of the 3rd Mezzanine patrons, is it?

It's purpose is to celebrate those who have accomplished amazing feats in the world of theatre.

It was this detachment that humbled me. I'm a theatre junky and I've never felt as fortunate as I did witnessing my heroes' achievements recognized. Even if it was through a second screen.

I mean, I was in the same room as them. The. Same Room.

Nothing could beat celebrating the triumphs of the Broadway family in a room - and mezzanine - filled with fellow passionate theatre people.

This year Broadway had more patrons than all the major New York sports teams combined. The Award for Best Book of a Musical went to an all female writing team. The first Excellence in Theatre Education Tony went to a performing arts teacher from North Carolina. And the Award for Best Musical went to a show about a young lesbian growing up with her gay father, Fun Home.

It was an experience I am grateful for - and hope to never pay for again. #TonysInviteErica2016

Below is a poor quality clip of what it was like at 50 seconds before going live after a commercial break. Please excuse the lady who was leaning forward in her chair expecting to see more that way.

[video ogv="http://mediabosstv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/lsp_img_50Seconds_090615-081635.ogv"][/video]

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First: Arrival

Then: The Pre-Show

Next: The Tonys

Finally: Personal Wrap Up

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