INNOVATOR PROFILES
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BRIAN GRAHN Job title Regional sales manager, south-west US Company Clear-Com
What does the future hold for AV? Everything’s gone digital and network- based now, so it’s a good time to learn more about network infrastructure. An important trend in the intercom world is the continued expansion into multi-site connectivity, and the distinction of LAN, WAN and internet-connected systems. Whether that’s a corporate AV event reaching across multiple rooms or buildings within a convention centre, or a multi-campus worship system connecting back to a central control room, I’m sure we will continue seeing growing interconnected systems across all marketplaces. What advice would you give to someone starting a career in AV tech? Ask questions and try to absorb as much information as you can from your peers and co-workers. Gone are the days of technicians gatekeeping information to protect their jobs, and now there is a shared sense of community for the next generation to learn the ropes. I think the best mindset is to always be curious and open to learning new things no matter what stage of your career.
What are you currently working on? I am excited about our new Gen-IC Virtual Intercom product. It’s the first time we’ve offered a platform to access sophisticated, multichannel, real-time voice communication without the need for any Clear-Com hardware. For a lot of organisations, this lowers the barrier to entry for a class of product once reserved for high-end productions. More exciting still is that the same flexible, cloud- managed product can be deployed alongside larger on-premises intercom systems to connect more virtual users than ever before, or easily link multi-site productions across the world. Favourite project? It’s hard to pick one, so I’m going with a side-project of mine. I recently started posting short tech-tip videos on social media for Clear-Com, or just anything audio related. I’ve been happy with the response and hope to make it a regular feature. It shows how our industry trends younger in recent years. All around the world, technicians are absorbing info in new and interesting ways. Follow me on Instagram @BriPassFilter.
How did you get into AV? I started as a musician in high school, and quickly learned that I enjoyed the technology of live sound production. Then, in college, I earned some extra cash as a sound guy at bars and clubs in the area, and the next thing I knew I was running a small audio company in South Florida staffing and training sound engineers for several clubs and special events. For a few years, I was mixing bands five to seven days a week from bars, churches, weddings and corporate AV events. After that, I was fortunate enough to join the team of a larger pro audio rental, sales and live events company in the Chicago area, eventually managing the sales and marketing efforts. There, I was able to apply my practical skills of live band mixing to larger, more complex systems like digital console integrations, RF systems and coordination, as well as intercom design. I’ve now been with Clear-Com for two years, synthesising those years of real-world experience into designing and supporting intercom sales across the south-west US.
Gone are the days of technicians gatekeeping information to protect their jobs, now there is a shared sense of community”
YUSH KALIA Job title Executive producer Company Dimension
What are you currently working on? We’re fortunate at Dimension that we are able to work across entertainment as a whole, and with storytellers who want to use cutting-edge technologies, regardless of where they come into the entertainment sphere. At the moment, I’m working across feature films on one end of the scale, to brand-led and indie innovation projects that require a mix of virtual humans, virtual production, performance capture and the creation of digital products using web3 tech. Favourite project? Has to be working with Coldplay on the music video for their collaboration My Universe . We volumetrically captured both Coldplay and K-pop group BTS, meaning their holograms could perform together virtually. The assets we created have been seen by hundreds of millions
How did you get into AV? Since my teens as a bedroom DJ, I have always loved tinkering with sound systems and visuals. It was always the most appealing and entertaining way to elicit an immediate response from a viewer or listener. It’s a method of communication that I can understand and an easy draw for someone who doesn’t get on well with spreadsheets. As with most careers, there was less planning about it and more of a natural progression, steering into the things that I enjoyed the most about the space, and being able to work with some incredibly creative people. My career at Dimension has always leaned into getting the most out of AV, whether that’s through virtual reality, live broadcast or performance capture, with volumetric video or mocap, so it’s been a good fit.
of people, used on global tours, on The Voice USA finale during a live broadcast, and surreally projected on the top of the Pyramid Stage at this year’s Glastonbury, which was a wow moment. What does the future hold for AV? It’s one of the most exciting areas to work in. With the rapid levelling up of the tools in the hands of content creators and the means of production becoming easier, we’re going to see more exciting ways of entertaining audiences, more innovation to move the dial for the viewer and more immersive content as 3D worlds become persistent. What advice would you give to someone starting a career in AV tech? The space moves quickly, so learn fast, play with the tools available to you and find what aspect of it you enjoy.
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