SUCCEEDING
WITH THE CHOPS FACTOR
The solution: custom-designed,
real-time, computer-animated presentations that
use the absolute latest technology in several disciplines,
including 3D animation, motion capture, lighting, sound,
video projection, web casting, and multimedia. The performance
technology is now becoming everything CHOPS has always
been. The technological experience has caught up with
the vision.
The issue at the edge
of our customers’ vision is how to do something
really different and interactive at a corporate meeting,
without running into heavy video production charges in
the beginning or AV staging costs at the event itself,
and how to get measurable results that will be meaningful
after the show is over.
The
meeting planner's pain: She can't find anything
new for her next meeting. She wants something
high-tech with loads of video, something that can
tell a story,
something that will appeal to young and old, something
that will deliver her message in an unforgettable
way, something that will engage the audience to start
a
conversation.
The
trade show manager's pain: Results from his
tradeshow marketing have been dismal, his company puts
out a set of products that are plain and boring, and
his competitor is exhibiting right across the aisle.
He wants something that will reverse all of these problems
with a single, compact solution that is creative and
different. He wants a solution that will both drive
and sustain booth traffic.
The
corporate trainer's pain: They have tried
web casting after 9/11, but it was full of problems
- too small, too hard to work, too boring to catch
and hold the audience’s interest, too few measurable
results. They want something that will reach all their
many employees via the web, at a whole different level.
They want to make their next web cast fun and unusual,
and more interactive, but they want to gather specific
information about all of those who attend in the process.
 The
brand manager's pain: Her marketing department
has been working for the past year to improve recognition
of the brand, using advertising, public relations,
an expensive web site, and still no change in market
share. The customers like the brand and she wants them
to love it, like she does. She wants her brand to be
something special, trusted and in demand. She wants
to personify and personalize the experience for her
customers.
THE
21ST CENTURY SOLUTION
 The
solution is a custom-designed presentation at the meeting that is also offered as a live web cast show, simultaneously.
This show has many interesting and unusual features for
both its in-person audience and those who are watching
from their computers via the Internet. The show, while
educational and informative, is highly entertaining as
well, using the latest techniques in digital video, surround
sound and interactivity with both audiences, in real-time.
For starters, the presentation is hosted by a virtual
character who can apparently see and hear everything
just like a real person, introducing speakers, polling
the audiences and adding elements of awe, mystery and
comic relief.
CHOPS
shown on left, performing at the Washington D.C.
Hilton for CUNA (Credit Union National Affiliates)
Jan. 2003
ADVANCED
TECHNOLOGY
Additionally,
a new video projection system is running, with a swiveling
projector shooting the character's image and other
video and graphic content all around the room. People
are looking at the stage, then the ceiling, then the
walls on the sides, trying to keep up with the movement
of the incredible moving pictures - video collages of
layered graphics, shimmering screens and other carefully
designed, emotion-provoking images.
The
surround sound system gives the impression of the character's
voice following him as he moves from place to place,
with additional layers of rhythmic beats and sound samples
woven together to fit the pictures. The audience gets
a strange sensation as a one-of-a-kind sound projector
sweeps across the room, riveting their attention to the
show.
Show
producers who have seen something like this in the past would expect to walk backstage and see a four or five
person team, sitting in the dark, operating tape decks,
computers, listening on headphones at benches stacked
high with production hardware. But the backstage area
is empty. Instead, there is only the usual sound guy,
a lighting/media server guy and a Digital Puppeteer in
a control booth in the back of the audience. The puppeteer
has designed and programmed the entire show himself,
and will perform it with the help of his sound and lighting
technicians, and no others.
THE
ECONOMICS
For
each show day, you would pay the the Digital Puppeteer
portion, a portion for the Catalyst Projector, show
controller and technician, plus the normal fees for the
sound systems
and one or
two technicians you'd normally have at the show. A custom-created
character would add another chunk. Travel expenses for
two, and air cargo, hotel, etc., are not included.
Of
course, the budget for the show is intentionally missing
the costs and
travel expenses of five or six more skilled stage techs,
video guys, technical directors and stage managers,
as well as the AV equipment, which has been replaced
by a single computer media server connected to the lighting
console. And the multiple projectors and scaffolding
needed for rear projection at thousands of dollars a
day, are gone, now replaced by a single, new pivoting
projector with built-in image correction, lighting special
effects and a full library of incredible digital video
clips.
There
are no video production costs, either. The fee includes
all of the show’s video content, except programs
furnished by the client or material prepared at the client’s
special request. The show’s design does include
a variety of themes and places for the corporate brand
to be displayed.
 And
for an additional fee depending on the size of the online
audience, the Digital Puppeteer brings in a person to
handle the live event webcasting technology in harmony
with the virtual character and video show, so that the
whole thing can be watched as it happens, via the Web,
with all the attendees registering in advance, so they
can ask questions, participate in audience polling and
interact, even though they might be on the other side
of the world, or at a computer across the street. And
they get the video of the virtual character, as well
as any slide graphics, etc., at the same time as the
live audience does. That means they can participate in
a game show or a training program, which can then be
archived on the server for several months later, and
accessed by computer as needed.
(Above) Actual
photo of browser window showing CHOPS' appearance in a
live event web cast planned by our webcasting partner Proclaim,
with animation and graphics.
THE
FUTURE
The
vision means a better, more entertaining, interactive
show with more unusual things going
on, with more measurable results, at a price that is
overall less than the normal
boring meeting environment with all its analog equipment
and technical personnel.
The
CHOPS Factor means more entertainment and memorability for
corporate special events, at a substantially lower price,
with the extra bonus of web casting to audiences
who would normally be unavailable to attend.
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