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Well folks, we’ve had another big Daktronics installation in the...

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:46:00 -0500

Well folks, we’ve had another big Daktronics installation in the international market. This time, it was the Grand Rex theatre in Paris, France. (www.legrandrex.com) The new installation brought many questions about how to design content for LED displays, which is where I stepped in. I met with the President and Marketing folks at Grand Rex to discuss content creation and also offer Keyframe content creation services. Currently our content is running on the displays announcing movie release dates and upcoming events, as well as offering ambiance and relaxation to the city.

Aside from working at the theatre, I had a FANTASTIC time (insert sarcasm here) learning the train and metro system in Paris, and also learning that coffee in Paris is quite possibly the strongest on earth and can provide energy for hours.

I also had the opportunity to take the Tour of the Grand Rex, also known as Les Étoiles du Rex. It’s an hour long tour that visits the history of the theatre, lead by their spokesperson, an animated character named Manissa. There were great special effects, such as King Kong shaking the building from the roof of the Grand Rex, green screening that puts you in a movie that you watch on the tour, as well as a sound stage that puts your voice along with some of the most famous actors and actresses of the silver screen.

I’m excited to continue working with the Grand Rex project and I’m so happy that I was fortunate enough to have the chance to visit this beautiful, historical establishment in Paris.

(Post by Stef Manning)

This past weekend, a couple of Daktronics employees visited TCF...

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:42:00 -0500

This past weekend, a couple of Daktronics employees visited TCF Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Gophers, to check on the control system and LED displays. Well, those guys were nice enough to take a few pictures of Keyframe’s content during the game. Enjoy.

Today Keyframe busted out a portable green screen to record some...

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:07:00 -0400

Today Keyframe busted out a portable green screen to record some footage to be used in some of our upcoming animations. The pictures above show some of our resident workers getting in front of a camera and doing scripted actions. Now that these have been recorded, the next step is cutting and editing before replicating the cutouts numerous times to form a digital crowd. Like I said, recording is the first step and, well, we felt like sharing. Enjoy the pics and visit our website or Vimeo for some highlights of our final projects.

Here’s a quick look at what Bo Cordle, our event producer on...

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:04:20 -0400

Here’s a quick look at what Bo Cordle, our event producer on campus at Auburn, is up to these days. Stay tuned – in the near future we’ll have more quick hits of what’s going on with Bo and also how things are going in ‘The Swamp’ with Mark Eisenstadt, our event producer at Florida.

I’m a writer for Keyframe. I sit in the basement and don’t...

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:10:00 -0400

I’m a writer for Keyframe. I sit in the basement and don’t always get the opportunity to make my way up the steps to the outside world during the work day. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to help out our game-day staff at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the Vikings practice and scrimmage.

After showing up at their brand spankin’ new facility, I immediately wished my alma mater would own such an amazing field on which to play football. Pushing past my awe for the field, I headed up to the control room to see what the morning would bring. After a briefing of the control room itself and the equipment it harbors, I was the lucky one assigned to man the replay station. I felt like I drew the long straw.

I acclimated myself to creating marks – or playback time codes – in the live recording of video to return to for the replays. I learned how to switch between the camera’s that I could record from and quickly learned how to keep an eye on the developing play as seen from two different cameras – not an easy task. Seeing both camera angles, I knew which view of the replay would be better to put up on the display so that when the director called on me, I was ready. After a few plays and some practice, I got more and more comfortable with my responsibilities. Hearing the director say, “Stand by One. Camera One live. Stand by Three. Camera Three live,” soon became very familiar and almost second nature. Especially hearing, “Stand by Replay. Roll Replay.” Those were my cues. I took them in stride, loving every minute of it.

Before I knew it, I’d shown a replay of an interception, a field goal and a punt that bounced off the return man’s facemask. Then, practice was over. Time flew by and it hardly felt like work. I never really knew how fun it could be to see a football game from a control room perspective, and I agree with a fellow employee’s comment: “It was like seeing a football game for the first time.”

Take it from this humble control room servant when I say that event support is an amazing thing. If you ever get the chance to help out during a game-day production on any level, don’t pass it up. I was only recording replays during a college practice, but the experience felt like so much more.

(Post by Justin Ochsner)

How many people can say they got to play hooky from work for a...

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:07:23 -0400

How many people can say they got to play hooky from work for a day to go to a College World Series game?! I never thought I would be so lucky, but on Monday, June 22, as a Keyframe Intern accompanied by my supervisor and another co-worker, off I went.

So it wasn’t exactly playing hooky, but it felt like it when we arrived in Omaha – the atmosphere was wild. The temperature was in the upper 90’s with a heat index nearing 110. We had to drive around the stadium a few times until we got our parking situation figured out, but that gave us a great opportunity to check out the tail-gaiting parties. These were the die-hards determined not to let the intense sun spoil their good time. One group even had a small swimming pool under their tent to beat the heat where they dipped their feet and sipped their beverages. Others were not so lucky, and had to fight their way into the general admission area where they waited for hours in long lines. Their dedication amazed me. There was no shade in sight for these committed fans as we listened to repeated announcements that if we “started to feel dizzy, please head towards one of our emergency tents.” We headed up to the control room (equipped with A/C) to visit our Daktronics/Keyframe colleagues who run the scoreboard for the games, dropped off our bags and went back out into the heat to tour the stadium before the game started. On our way back up through the press elevator, I bumped shoulders with Erin Andrews, one of ESPN’s sportscasters who is no stranger to the College World Series. I couldn’t resist doing a little bragging as I sent out a mass text message to some of my sports-minded friends back home.

Out of the heat and back in the sanctity of the control room, I got a run-down of the equipment and did my best to stay out of the way as the operators went to work after the first pitch. This wasn’t always easy since I’m sometimes known to get a little camera happy! Lambert, the organ player, got us in the mood with “Take me out to the Ball Game,” and really got the crowd going with “God Bless America,” during which four jets flew directly above the stadium. He was entertaining to watch with his 70 year old sheet music that he doesn’t really use…he plays from memory. Lambert has been around since the very beginning and has seen multiple renovations to the facility. He is as much a part of the College World Series as the stadium itself.

Unfortunately, we had to cut the game short, say goodbye to the operators in the booth and start the long drive home. We kept track of the score on the way and realized we missed some pretty exciting moments. In the end, LSU took the prize. It was a good fight, a great game and an incredible day.

(Post By Jessie Wienhold, Keyframe Intern)

In-Stadium Creative Media Interview With Account Manager At Keyframe, Ryan Pederson | StadiaTech.com

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:05:00 -0400

In-Stadium Creative Media Interview With Account Manager At Keyframe, Ryan Pederson | StadiaTech.com:

I was asked by the folks at StadiaTech to share my thoughts on digital signage and content. Click through and enjoy. Make sure to browse their site - there is some great information on the sports industry.

(Post by Ryan Pederson)

As Keyframe Manager, I am responsible for ensuring that our...

Thu, 28 May 2009 10:13:37 -0400

As Keyframe Manager, I am responsible for ensuring that our entire operation runs smoothly and as planned. This entails occasional visits to our various outposts. With studios in Tampa, Las Vegas, New York and Shanghai, I really can’t complain.

On a recent visit to our Shanghai facility, I was treated to wonderful food and a visit to the Harmony Times Square mall in Suzhou, China, which is just a short trip from Shanghai. Our Keyframe Shanghai team produced some amazing content for their huge Skyscreen LED display, including a couple of 5:00 animated short films. One of those short films (shown above) is about a UFO mother ship releasing smaller spaceships to descend on the Suzhou Mall and beam up innocent bystanders.

This video was shot with an HD camera, turned on its side so that the content can be viewed on the level. As you can probably tell, the Skyscreen is a long, narrow display that faces down from above the sidewalk in the Harmony Times Square mall. Next time you’re in Suzhou, I recommend checking it out.

(Post by Pete Egart)

Event Producers constantly joke about how their productions...

Fri, 08 May 2009 16:27:21 -0400

Event Producers constantly joke about how their productions could be the basis for reality TV. This was the idea when the stars aligned and two of Keyframe’s finest shooters had a free weekend that magically intersected with Auburn University’s spring football game. A full-scale reality show was out of the question, but A-Day was a prime scene for a quick behind the scenes look at what we actually do.

So, Garland Conger & Mike Procunier slung a camera on their shoulders, wired up a couple of mics and followed “AUHD” from the production meeting to the final frame. The final result? A successful production and resulting video showing what it actually takes to run a videoboard. While this video spotlights Auburn, it’s merely a peek behind the curtain of what Keyframe does for numerous colleges and universities across the country, for hundreds of events every year.

Also, check out the brief mention by our friends at Sports Video Group (SVG).

(Post by Bo Cordle)

Here’s something a bit different. The Keyframe NYC office...

Thu, 07 May 2009 12:46:55 -0400

Here’s something a bit different. The Keyframe NYC office was asked by our Daktronics brothers and sisters to create a model of One Times Square, which was later to be used in a sales pitch. Well, one thing leads to another and soon Keyframe was asked by the client to expand on the model and highlight more of their properties. This is what we developed. Enjoy our version of Times Square.

(Post by Ryan Pederson)

Hey, folks…long time, no post. I guess that means...

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:20:00 -0500

Hey, folks…long time, no post. I guess that means we’re busy, which is a good thing. However, we did put together a new demo reel. Check it out. (If you want to see it a bit larger, click on that “Vimeo” link over on the right side of this page.)

When one thinks of Romania, they often think Transylvania or...

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:46:00 -0500

When one thinks of Romania, they often think Transylvania or Dracula. Well, I wasn’t quite sure what to think or expect when I was told that I would be heading to Bucharest and helping out with a large Daktronics LED installation at the Cocor Luxury Store. The displays installed are the second largest in Europe, so no pressure.

My first trip was in late September/early October 2008, and I worked with the client to develop creative concepts to be produced for the December 1^st unveiling. Given the language and cultural barriers, I quickly learned that visual exampleswere the best way to communicate with the folks at Cocor.

After heading back to the States to pow wow with our production staff and manage the projects to completion, I returned to Bucharest in mid-November and delivered the final content. I also met with Cocor’s advertisers to explain the difference between LED content production and broadcast and print production, as well as discuss creative ideas for ads.

Finally December 1st arrived andall of the hard work and hours spent on this project paid off as Cocor held an unveiling of Cocor Channel, their name for the LED displays (and their very own Vimeo account). The crowd response was overwhelming. There was applause after every treatment, with especially loud cheers after the Romanian flag and Bucharest/Romanian history animations played. You should have seen the amount of people taking pictures and all of the press and news cameras - heck, CNN was there! After the event, there was a lovely reception at the Intercontinental Hotel. The Daktronics representatives and I were approached frequently by those wanting to congratulate us on the amazing job on the displays and the content. Keyframe is continuing a working relationship with Cocor and their advertisers, and the Daktronics displays are already attracting a lot of positive attention (read more about the partnership here and be sure to head on over to our Vimeo account and watch a few of the treatments we created, including the one above).

This was not only an amazing experience because of the project’s size and complexity, but also because of the cultural experiences. With help from my friends at Cocor, I learned how to recognize certain words, especially at restaurants where a mistake could be catastrophic. “Pui” is chicken, which was my safety food. I also learned that carbonated water is not a favorite of mine, but is the standard there. So, “apa plata”, or still water, was added to my vocabulary.

My second trip was over Thanksgiving. They obviously don’t celebrate the holiday. However, Dan Barbulescu, the Chairman of the Board, and the other wonderful folks at Cocor entertained me and other Daktronics folks at an Austrian restaurant that day so that we wouldn’t miss out on a big feast. We had AMAZING schnitzel, potatoes, chicken, bread, sour soup, and the Romanian specialty, plum brandy (which, PS, is some of the strongest stuff I have ever encountered in my life and warms you up instantaneously).

The architecture in Bucharest and surrounding areas is quite fascinating. Styles from Baroque, to Rococo, to French and Italian Renaissance, to traditional Romanian architecture (wooden churches, Byzantine styles, etc.) can be found, and Russian influences are also apparent. I was also fortunate enough to take in a symphonic concert at the Romanian Athenaeum(a gorgeous building designed by French architect Albert Galleron, opened in 1888).

I am truly grateful for taking part in this project, and I can’t wait to see when Cocor Luxury Store officially opens for business in 2009! And to those of you who took the time to read this…Mult’umesc!

(Post by Stef Manning)

I’m not sure how many people are familiar with bowling...

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:35:46 -0500

I’m not sure how many people are familiar with bowling beyond the occasional visit to the local alley (I know I wasn’t until recently), but in the past year, I have learned more about that sport than I ever could have dreamed about. It’s really quite fascinating.

Things all started about a year ago when US Bowling Congress (USBC) contracted with Daktronics to replace their flip dot scoring system with LED technology. I was challenged with the task of helping the client bring their new display to life, adding an entirely new atmosphere and dimension to their tournament in Las Vegas this year. Since bowling is not a sport Keyframe typically designs content for, grasping the full scope of the project was a bit of a challenge. On top of that, the display they purchased was huge - about 7.5’ tall by about 350’ wide (see the picture above). Picture a 60 lane bowling alley with that LED video display on the wall above the pins from one end to the other, broadcasting your scoring results for all to see. With the way I bowl, this seems a bit overwhelming.

Myself and a number of other individuals from Daktronics spent an early November week in Albuquerque, New Mexico to perform testing with the client. While Daktronics set up the support structure, display, and control system, we were able to test some of our content on the actual display. I will be the first to admit how surprised I was by how much cooler it looked on the display compared to what we had been seeing on our computer screens. Some of the graphics produced included a one minute video highlighting the game of bowling and last year’s tournament (which will run as the bowlers enter the “grand stage” to start the competition), multiple logo treatments, an animated graphic that will be used to display Champion bowlers, a very large national anthem treatment, sponsor graphics, and five sets of scoring layouts. There is more to be done before the tournament in February, but after seeing the display come together I look forward to more production and am happy to report that everyone’s hard work paid off. The content looked great and all of the stats and scoring information functioned wonderfully.

It all seems a bit much for bowling, doesn’t it? But to these guys it is a big deal, and rightfully so. This year the organization expects about 17,400 teams participate in the USBC Open Championship Tournament, making it the largest bowling tournament in history. Just to give you a little more background on the Open Tournament and USBC here is how it works each year. The tournament moves to a different location each year, and they have to find a city with a convention center and hotel inventory large enough to accommodate them. Here’s the most unbelievable (but true) part: once they decide on a location, they start the three month process of building an entire bowling center within the facility (that includes all the lanes, pin setters, office space for USBC personnel, spaces for vendors and concessions as well as seating for the fans). The tournament itself lasts for about five months (7 days as week, 22 hours a day), and once the winners are declared, they tear it all down until the next year. Crazy huh?!?!

(post by Trisha Schuver)

Here is the winner of our office Halloween costume contest,...

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:14:19 -0400

Here is the winner of our office Halloween costume contest, Justin Ochsner, dressed as Jim Halpert from The Office dressed as a 3 hole punch.

Note: Justin MAY have been the only person to rock a costume today.

(post by Ryan Pederson)

Hey, we're hiring!

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:29:47 -0400

Are you a digital arts student living in NYC? If so, we have an open position for you. Check it out and send us your info if interested.

Well we just wrapped up a big project for the Colts and their...

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:09:00 -0400

Well we just wrapped up a big project for the Colts and their new facility, Lucas Oil Stadium.

As the creative director for the project, I was happy to hear that the Colts had specific ideas in mind before we even met. Many projects take different directions before the creative vision is eventually whittled-down, but this project had a clear direction from the get-go. The Colts had examples of other work to help communicate their vision, and we were then able to take the seed ideas and develop them in to new concepts that will give them a top-notch presentation. I got the impression that Colts were blown away with the final results. The project was a lot of long hours and hard work but also a lot of fun for our group of guys and gals, and everyone involved has reason to be proud.

(Post by Tony Biggar)

Have you seen our latest demo reel? Well, here it...

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:14:37 -0400

Have you seen our latest demo reel? Well, here it is.

We’ve been producing some great stuff as of late.

Want to see it in higher quality? Sure you do. Go here and snoop around while you’re there.

(Post by Ryan Pederson)

We recently won an award for this, which you can read all about...

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:56:16 -0400

We recently won an award for this, which you can read all about here.

(Post by Ryan Pederson)

This past week, a group of Keyframe folks attended the IDEA...

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:59:00 -0400

This past week, a group of Keyframe folks attended the IDEA (Information Display and Entertainment Association) conference in Chicago. IDEA is the group of people that run the “show” at sporting events, etc. The attendees are a close-knit group of people, and, unlike typical conferences, this one truly is a great time.

We normally stay on the outskirts of the host city, but this year was the 25th anniversary of the group - so we did up right and stayed right in the city, at the Hilton Chicago. Because of that, there were lots of places to be, lots of things to do, and little sleep to be had.

As a group (we’re talking 350+), we attended a game at Wrigley. How the organizers were able to secure that many tickets is beyond me. We were also given behind the scenes tours of the United Center (Bulls and Blackhawks), Soldier Field (Bears), and US Cellular Field (White Sox) - all with insane open bars. I think the US Cellular Field groundskeeper had the night off because we were actually allowed to roam around the bases and infield grass (see above) and were also able to sit in the dugouts.

On the final evening, the Golden Matrix Awards dinner (the group’s version of the Academy Awards except without the gift bags…or Jack Nicholson) was held overlooking US Cellular Field, and Daktronics/Keyframe was honored with the “Allied Member Achievement Award”, which is essentially the only award vendors can win. Since 1993, we’ve won it 8 times, so we’ve got that going for us, which is…you know…nice.

Now it’s time for me to start jockeying for a spot on the attendees list for the next conference. I think I can handle Phoenix in January.

(Post by Ryan Pederson)

We're talking baseball

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:28:00 -0400

Hey everyone. This weekend I’m making a trip up to the Twin Cities to watch the Twins take on the Brewers in the Metrodome. Follow me, if you will, through my average baseball game experience.

I’m gonna show up about an hour before game time and buy the cheapest ticket available. Then I might wander around for about 30 minutes trying to get an autograph or a souvenir baseball before the game starts. Before I take my seat I will probably buy a beverage and a hot dog with the money I saved from the cheap ticket. These two items seem almost mandatory to get the full in-game experience. After that, I wait for the first pitch.

I’m more of an actually-watch-the-game type of person as opposed to the I-came-to-get-out-of-the-house type of person. It almost never fails that I see someone in front of me wearing a home team jersey heckling someone a few seats away wearing the jersey of the away team. I usually end up passing money one direction and passing concessions the other at least once per game. Hearing the call of the vendor walking up and down the stairways can almost make anyone need to buy something due to the convenience of not having to shuffle out of their seating row past 5 to 10 other game patrons.

At the crack of the bat, I cheer for the home team or hope for the play to end in an out for the away team. I’m more of a fair weather fan, but once I’m in the stadium watching it live, I can’t help myself. There is just something about the atmosphere of being at the game that takes me to that next level of fandom. At every foul ball or deep hit I find myself hoping the ball lands in my vicinity to give me a chance at a keep-sake. I’m not sure why. The ball I get would most likely end up in a box in storage somewhere. I think it is part of the emotions that come from being at the game.

I’ll do the wave. I’ll join in during crowd cheers. I’ll ‘ooo’ and ‘ahh’ with every hit and error, applauding or muttering. At the end, I’ll walk away from my seat to stand in line with everyone else who is trying to get to their vehicle or to the public transportation. I’ll talk with others who joined me for the game, some I know and some I just met that night. The conversations will end in either, “Chalk up another win for the home team,” or “We’ll get ‘em next time.”

Nonetheless, I will be a participating fan and feeling those emotions this weekend as I enjoy the evening game atmosphere inside the Metrodome.

(Post by Justin Ochsner)