This last April I was contacted by Black Magic Design and asked if I would be interested in representing their product as a demo artist for DaVinci Resolve at everyone’s favorite industry gathering.
I immediately jumped on the opportunity and was very excited to get a sneak peek at Resolve 10.
After the whirlwind week was finished I hopped on the red eye back to Boston and wrote on my laptop the entire way. I’m not that great at sleeping on planes, so this made the five hour flight cruise by.
I wanted to write down my impressions of my first NAB trip in an almost diary-like fashion while they were still fresh in my mind. It may be a little long winded, but it’s an interesting insiders look and behind the scenes glance at what happens before, during, and after the unveiling of a product at NAB.
I’m going to break this up into several “chapters” as not to bore everyone too much!
NAB Impressions Friday, April 12th 2013
I wrote this whole passage while on the plane back to Boston. Everyone around me is asleep, but I wanted to get down the feelings that I had while they were still fresh in my head.
NAB 2013 impressions…
When Black Magic Design asked me to come out to Las Vegas and be a demo artist for DaVinci Resolve 10, I have to admit, I was a little surprised. Humbled by their invitation, I discussed with my wife the option that was presented before us. My wife, 15 weeks pregnant, and chasing around a 1.5 year old, was more than supportive. Somehow she still manages to surprise me.
I had no idea what to expect in Las Vegas. I was a NAB rookie. And from my experiences, there aren’t a lot of people in Boston who regularly go to these type of things. So I buckled down. The last thing that I wanted was for some know-it-all to come to my stand and make a fool of me. I knew it was inevitable, that there would be some people that I would not be able to please no matter what I did, but I wanted to do my best to avoid those less than desirable situations.
I read all of my color theory books again even though I have already read them several times. I read the manual twice, front to back. Some of it was like watching paint dry since I’ve done it all before, but every now and again, I managed to pull out some little pieces of information that made it all worth while.
Work was steady and I was attempting to finish a feature before I got on Jet Blue flight 777 direct to LAS. With commercial work on top of the feature a couple of late nights kept me locked up in my suite. Luckily, approvals went well and my plate was clean. I could now prepare for my trip with a clean conscious and all of my work duties had been completed. So I packed my bags, kissed my wife and son, and headed off to the strange land known as Sin City.
Now, I’ve traveled by myself before. Plenty of times, but only for personal reasons. This was my first “business” trip. I was excited. It was nice to feel important. Wanted. That someone valued my opinion and professional skills enough to fly me across the country and put me up in a hotel for 6 days.
While descending into Las Vegas I was a little surprised to see how much I could make out from the air. The small clump of lights from 20,000 feet was now becoming much more clear. Shapes and buildings were starting to take form. All covered in neon lights. It was exactly like I had expected it. The airport was surprisingly busy for an early Saturday morning and I chuckled to myself as I saw my first arm crank slot machines right next to the baggage claim.
The taxi was quick and direct, right to my hotel. And I felt a little unusual as I asked for the receipt to add to my expense report. The front desk was accommodating and kind as I checked in under the Black Magic reservation. As they handed me my breakfast vouchers and BMD uniforms for the next week I realized that my unusual feeling I had with the taxi receipt would repeat itself several more times throughout the week.
I was tired. It was 4 AM in Boston by the time I finally laid my head down. Sleep did not come easily, as I was nervous and excited for my first day with the Resolve team.