How A Live Event Production Company Operates

By Sarah Reed


In the early days of film and music, most often a single individual was in charge of promoting and producing the event. Whereas, now there are a number of different ways to do so. While a single individual can often promote and produce smaller productions, large scale productions often use a live event production company.

Whether producing a theatrical show, large concert, live band, ballet, modern dance or operatic performance, there are a lot that goes into creating a successful event. For example, most events require costuming and make-up communications, sound, packaging, transport, special effects, staging and other work. Whether self promoting an event or hiring a production company, a lot of work goes into promoting and producing a successful event.

Live events have long held a history of sound amplification and when it comes to concerts, a shorter history of visual presentations. Visual presentations include the many light shows which accompany concerts and laser light shows. While this technology and technique began in the film industry, it is now part of most live performances whether on a large or smaller scale.

Sound reinforcement has also been around for quite some time. While sound amplification is the distribution of sound, amplification provides the high and low volumes associated with a professional audio system. A great example of one of the first sound amplification systems is that of a bull horn which first debuted at the Chicago World Fair in 1933.

Then, in the 1960s, Bill Graham assisted the historic Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco when there was a need for sound systems which could be interchanged quickly and easily. In fact, Graham also founded FM Productions in the early 1970s to provide light and touring systems to bands such as the Grateful Dead and others whom toured on a regular basis.

Bands in the area became embroiled in a major debate over sound systems in 1976 with regards to whether horns or speaker arrays were a better option. Eventually, most bands began bringing sound systems along with musical equipment to avoid such debates in the future. One of the most impressive of these band created systems was that of the Wall created by Mickey Hart and Bill Graham.

Live production companies in business today have a lot more going for them than individual promoters of the past. For, most have specific policies and procedures which individuals setting up and taking down events must follow on a regular basis. In addition, the concept of artists providing sound equipment as well as musical instruments and other elements is now a standard practice when it comes to artists and bands of all sizes.

Bill Graham promoted hundreds of events from the 1960s until 1991 when he passed in a helicopter crash. As a child, Graham escaped Nazi Germany on July 4, 1939 when he was sent to France. After which, the young boy was sent to Bronx, New York to join a foster family.

Graham graduated from high school, then went to college to obtain a degree in business. Later, in the early 1960s, Bill moved to San Francisco. Bill's career in promoting live events began as manager for the San Francisco Mime Troupe, a politically inspired group of comedians. After which, Graham began promoting a number of events and large concerts, a career that has inspired many still working in the field today.




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