Amazing Space and what to do with it.

Two weeks ago, Sarah and I were asked to photograph another production company at work at a location on the lower east side of Manhattan.  The parent company of Target department store chain had arranged a benefit  to aid the Food Bank for New York City and some friends of ours were brought in to stage it.

"Just a little something we threw together" is how Lisa put it.

Lisa Archambault and Andy Spray and are the owners of Palm Productions LLC in NYC and they seem to know everyone that can do anything.   Their cell phones contain more than enough connections to stage any size event from a stadium rock show to lighting up the Plaza Hotel with fireworks.

For this event, they converted a giant, dusty warehouse - formerly known as Basketball City - into Manhattan's largest food distribution center and indoor party.  Not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.

We often attend events like this and stand their in awe of the lighting, sound and decor, the total experience, without giving a  single thought as to how it all comes together.  That first "oh my gosh" when you walk into a concert or convention and see the stage, sets and giant lighting rigs.

Very few of us get to see just what is involved in making these events come together.  The logistics of getting the stuff you need, getting it to the place you need it to be and then getting it up and running in time for the event.  Then, when everything is over, taking it down and getting it back were it belongs.

Not a lot of sleep involved here.

Having filmed during several U2 and Garth Brooks tours, we've experienced first hand, the process of   getting a rock show out of the trucks and assembled in an arena in 6-8 hours.  No simple feat.  Then it's back in the trucks and broom clean in four hours.  Oh yeah, and don't forget to feed the cast and crew, as well.  We've time lapsed the process more than once and it is pretty amazing.

For this event, Target in conjunction with other corporations that had donated supplies, had stacked a few thousands empty boxes that were to be filled with food by a small army of volunteers and distributed to those in need.

Apparently, Target does this all around the country as part of there Other Community Giving program.

Here, in a space about the size of a football field, just getting it "broom clean" might be a major undertaking.  Building a stage, video projection screens, lighting, supplying power and even cooling for a space of this magnitude, a logistical nightmare.  By the time we walked in, most everything was in place and Lisa and Andy seemed pretty calm, considering the amount of balls they were juggling at that moment.

In our  "You're only as good as your last production" world, this event was a phenomenal success.
Thanks for inviting us!

NYC Food Bank
Palm Production LLC
duckyou.com

Chuck's work featured on Sony's VideOn site