http://www.ambientmediasc.com http://www.ambientmediasc.com/aboutus.html http://www.ambientmediasc.com/portfolio.html http://www.ambientmediasc.com/services.html http://www.ambientmediasc.com/contact/html What we do: Ambient Media offers many technical services to set a purely emotional mood for special events- the question is, what mood do you want your attendees to feel? Other than the occasion itself or the talent involved, there are few aspects of an event that have as much impact on the soul than the perfect lighting, video, audio, and staging. Shouldn’t those variables be personalized to your vision and budget, and exceed your expectations? To meet, and surely exceed, the needs of discerning clients, Ambient Media will custom design these technical details in concept and turn them into pure emotion in reality. You only get one shot at planning and creating a memorable event, and our number one goal is to get it right the first time, every time, and make your dream come to fruition. Whether you have friends, family, business colleagues, or the general public in attendance, they will all be imbued with a feeling of a truly special event if Ambient Media has the opportunity to collaborate and serve. You might imagine a colorful and subdued feel, electrifying high energy, or anything in between or beyond… whatever your goals are, Ambient Media can light the way to shear bliss. When you look into the theater of your mind, we can achieve whatever you can imagine. With our experience, expertise, helpful hints, and insights, you will realize the right- indeed, the perfect- mood for any event. Inspire and challenge us with your dream event… and then live it. Rufus bio: Anyone who has worked with Rufus will never forget… not just the funny name or lanky frame… but his uncompromising thoroughness, consistent professionalism, and motivation toward a single purpose- to create and execute the perfect event. The breadth and depth of Rufus’ experience highlights the true meaning of “jack of all trades” and “consummate professional”. He maintains a no-BS approach to the technical needs of emotionally charged events and clients and proudly pays ridiculous attention to detail (a talent he believes is sorely lacking in most of today’s event productions). It all adds up to one thing, which is his enthusiasm for the success of every client and event he has been involved with. Some of Rufus’ past roles are Rigging and Lighting Design for the SC Shakespeare Company continuously since ’94 (aka, “Shakespeare in the Park”), Rigging and Lighting Design and crew coordinator for the SC Governor’s Inaugural Ball, Lead Rigger for CNN Presidential Candidate Debates, and Head Local Crew Coordinator for Kenny Chesney at Williams Brice Stadium (managing over 200 stage craft employees). His background includes Production Mgr, Project Mgr, and Technical Direction while employed by the most notable and reputable sound, lighting, and staging companies in Columbia and Charleston since ’93. Rufus has proudly been a member of IATSE Local 347 stage employees union, serving in the past as Treasurer and Business Agent. Joe Bates bio: FAQ: Q: How much bang can I get for the buck with Ambient Media, or any other production service provider? A: Technical services can be quite expensive, let’s not kid ourselves. There is a saying out there… “You can have good, fast, and cheap- pick any two!”... think about it. Anyone offering all three is pulling the wool over your eyes. Value is a hard question and it is very subjective to the individual client and project. A lot depends on your priorities and budget, and we will work hard to maximize the effects you seek… so pick any two, and we will go to work for you! Q: With so many services out there, how do I go about finding the right services for my event, like DJ’s, bands, event planners, decorators, florists, tents, tables, staging, audio/lighting/video, etc? A: The top answers might be referrals, Google, and the Yellow Pages. Many clients find Ambient Media through search engines. Even so, personal recommendations are probably the best, so ask friends or associates what providers they believe contributed most to the success of their events. Keep in mind that your budget for an event is an inescapable reality. You can trust Ambient Media to either know exactly where we fit best, or that we will recommend someone who does. Q: Is it possible to make all the clunky technical stuff at the event be less visible and more in the background? A: The short answer is Yes, with some exceptions. Some events feature the techy stuff as centerpieces for a modern feel, and some clients aren’t quite so concerned, and some events are the exact opposite being floral and drapey and dreamy. Obviously, there is no getting around the actual presence of the technical stuff. If it is important to you, let’s say for a “black tie” or wedding reception event, Ambient Media will arrange to have the necessary drape, dressings, linens, plants, flowers, etc. to dress up our equipment. Q: I’m not a technical person, so how can I trust a production supplier to specify the right thing, and then trust them to meet my expectations? A: First, clearly communicate your vision. Using pictures from other events is very helpful. Then ask yourself these questions: Does the supplier ask me good questions and try to understand my concerns and goals? Do I feel like the supplier is selling me what they want to and not what I need? Does the supplier clearly communicate what they will do to achieve my vision? If you feel good about the answers, your supplier is probably a good fit. Newsletter: What we do: Ambient Media offers many specialized services that create the right ambience for successful special events- the question is, when all is said and done, how do you want your attendees to feel? Other than the occasion itself or the talent involved, there are few aspects of an event that have as much impact on the soul than the perfect lighting, video, audio, or staging. Shouldn’t those variables be personalized to your vision and budget, and even exceed your expectations? To meet, and surely exceed, the needs of discerning clients, Ambient Media will custom design these technical details in concept and turn them into pure emotion in reality. You only get one shot at planning and creating a memorable event, and our number one goal is to get it right the first time, every time. Whether you have friends, family, business colleagues, or the general public in attendance, they will all be imbued with a feeling of a truly special event if Ambient Media has the opportunity to collaborate and serve. You might imagine a colorful and subdued feel, electrifying high energy, or anything in between… or beyond. Whatever your goals are, Ambient Media can light the way to high impact successful events. Whether a little birthday bash or arena sized gala, no project is too small or too big. When you look into the theater of your mind, we can achieve whatever you can imagine. With our experience, expertise, helpful hints, and insights, you will realize the right- indeed, the perfect- mood for any event. Inspire and challenge us with your dream event… and then live it! Services: Rufus bio: Back in the day, Rufus worked his way through college and in 1991 earned a degree in Architecture, a life pursuit up to that point. Alas, by that time he had become obsessed with stage lighting, and his yearning for visual and aesthetic perfection utterly changed his life. Now with over 50,000 hours in the industry, he is virtually an expert in managing most technical and logistical aspects of any event production. Since committing to stage craft in 1992, he has become very familiar with the staff and facilities of the Township Auditorium, Colonial Life Arena, Koger Center, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, North Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center & Performing Arts Center, and worked in many other theaters and arenas around the southeast. With past employers, Rufus’ background includes production and project management and technical direction for many hundreds of events. Some past roles include Rigging and Lighting Design for the SC Shakespeare Company continuously since ’94 (aka, “Shakespeare in the Park”), Rigging and Lighting Design and crew coordination for the SC Governor’s Inaugural Ball, Lead Rigger for CNN Presidential Candidate Debates, Local Crew Coordinator for events at Colonial Life Arena and Williams Brice Stadium (managing a list of over 250 stage craft employees), touring with WCW, and teching Inaugural Balls in Washington DC. Rufus has proudly been a member of IATSE Local 347 since ‘94, serving in the past as Treasurer and Business Agent. Anyone who has worked with Rufus will never forget… not just the funny name or lanky frame… but his uncompromising thoroughness, consistent professionalism, and motivation toward a single purpose- to create and execute the perfect event. The breadth and depth of Rufus’ experience highlights the true meaning of “jack of all trades” and “consummate professional”. He maintains a no-BS approach to the technical needs of emotionally charged events and clients, and proudly pays ridiculous attention to the details of proper prior planning (which he believes is sorely lacking in most of today’s event productions). He has great enthusiasm for the success of every client and event… and ultimately, still just seeks visual and aesthetic perfection. Does your event deserve that level of focus and commitment? Joe Bates bio: FAQ: Q: How much bang can I get for the buck with Ambient Media, or any other production service provider? A: Technical production services can be quite expensive, let’s not kid ourselves. There is a saying out there… “You can have good, fast, and cheap- pick any two!”... think about it. Anyone offering all three is a charlatan and BS artist. Value is always a hard question, and it is very subjective to the individual client and project. A lot depends on your priorities and budget, and we will work hard to maximize the effects you seek… so pick any two, and we will go to work for you! Q: With so many services out there, how do I go about finding the right ones for my event… like DJ’s, bands, event planners, decorators, florists, tents, tables, staging, audio/lighting/video, etc? A: The top answers might be referrals, Google, and the Yellow Pages. Some clients find Ambient Media through search engines, but most are through referral. Personal recommendations are probably the best, so ask your friends or associates what providers they believe contributed most to the success of their events. Keep in mind that your budget for an event is an inescapable reality. You can trust Ambient Media to either know exactly where we fit best, or that we will recommend someone who does. Q: Is it possible to make all the clunky technical stuff at the event be less visible and more in the background? A: The short answer is “Yes”, with some exceptions. Some events actually feature the “techy” stuff as centerpieces for a modern feel, and some clients aren’t quite so concerned, but some events are the exact opposite, being all floral and drapey and dreamy. Obviously, there is no getting around the actual presence of the technical stuff. If it is important to you, let’s say for a “black tie” or wedding reception event, Ambient Media will arrange to have the necessary drape, dressings, linens, plants, flowers, etc. to dress up our equipment, and coordinate with other vendors toward that end. Q: I’m not a technical person, so how can I trust a production supplier to specify the right thing, and then trust them to meet my expectations? A: First, clearly communicate your vision. Using pictures from other events is very helpful in matching that “feel” with the right equipment. Then ask yourself these questions: Does the supplier ask me good questions and try to understand my concerns and goals? Do I feel like the supplier is selling me what they want to and not what I really need? Does the supplier clearly communicate what they will do to achieve my vision? If you feel good about the answers, then your supplier is probably a good fit. If not, be true to your vision and look elsewhere. Newsletter: