My oh my, what do I buy? It’s hard to imagine that every single household in America-and around the world, for that matter-will buy a Digital TV set and even an HDTV set in the next two to 10 years. But we also said that about computers 10 years ago. How many do you own? How many have you thrown out because they’ve become obsolete? Are you drooling over the latest 650 PV w/256 meg of RAM and a DVD? Or the Gigaflop? So how do we in the production and postproduction community prepare for this?-because our lives will change, are changing, have changed. So:
NAB 2000.
Kind of just slips off the tongue, doesn’t it? It conjures images far beyond what we are used to imagining: spectra of technology never before seen by network or affiliate, graphics or motion capture, pre or post audio, facility or in-house, TV production company or motion picture studio, Internet company or Internet advertiser. It’s a whole world of opportunity to really impress each other with how far we can go with what we can buy, how to manipulate the technology and eventually sell it (make money). It’s like a Sharper Image store, only bigger.
NAB 2000.
15 new golf courses. 10 new hotels. 50 new restaurants, four new spas, 1080 new escorts. So much to see. So much to do. How do we achieve balance in the land of over-the-top? If you were lucky enough to score rooms at the Venetian-a very cool place-you really do feel like you’re in Venice. It’s neat that it’s attached to the Sands Convention Center. You may never have to go outside, except for an occasional party that you were mistakenly not invited to. There’s even a Canyon Ranch, with a three-day spa plan that conveniently fills your time so that you might never get to the big convention floor.
Of course there’s the Bellagio: still expensive, still over the top. Try Prime if you can get in. There’s the Paris. You have the Champs-Elysees and the Seine, and when it’s not NAB and you know someone, it costs about $68 a night. Hope the pommes frites are great. The usual suspects still lurk, especially when your goomba from Detroit says, "We always stay at Caesars, because they take care of us." Hard Rock, because it was always fun; and the Mirage, where you’ll always run into someone you can talk to. I don’t know anyone staying at the Hilton-or who will admit to it.
This event seems to have taken on more of a "must-attend" feeling than the content of the show itself. In fact, except for a few digit heads, I don’t know anyone who has attended ONE seminar. Not one event in the big room at the Hilton where either a Senator or a radio personality is giving a presentation. Honest. In fact, I don’t know anyone who has actually paid to see the show. I used to think that everyone’s name was "Exhibits Only." I even have a friend who has signed up for golf school; if she isn’t too tired, she will either go to the floor or to one of the spas.
How do I explain to my staff back home what I am actually doing here? "Creating relationships," I always say. Last year I won about $36 in five days on the golf course. At the Rio, I thought I was putting a $10 dollar bill in a slot machine to get 10 plays. I pushed the button, all 10 dollars got used up, and a huge, loud bell went off and people started to gather around like I’d broken something. "The bank?" I surmised. A security guard came over and opened the machine, and a jillion coins came out. They gave me a bucket and said to fill it and go to the cashier. When it was over, I had won about $1200. I was given cash and a handful of Handy Wipes. The money was really filthy and the wipes came in very handy. The machine is in front of the elevator leading up to the VooDoo Lounge. I’ll see you there on Monday.
