Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1277927
52 S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y WRAP IT ALL UP This was not a "gear" article. It was a people article. My background has been predominantly in live production. In writing this piece, I was reminded of how many perspectives and talents and work ethics there are in our business. I confess to a great affection for the many friends and colleagues I have made in live production over the years. The people who work in live television, regardless of the craft, are a unique group. They are not prone to panic and stress. They are some of the most even-keeled and focused professionals you could ever work with. Everyone works and plans and rehearses to achieve a perfect show. But when it doesn't go as planned, they figure it out, fix it, or work around it. And they do it really fast, often without saying a word to each other. As the old saying goes, "They finish each other's sentences." Denali veteran truck engineer Hugh Healy, who works on both the Oscars and the Grammys to name just a few, described it best when he said, "As much pride as I take in things not going wrong, I take even more pride in how I deal with the unpredictable." And that is a common thread amongst people in live television. We all have stories, regardless of our craft, of that time when "this" went wrong or "that" fell apart. No one ever sits around with friends and colleagues and reminisces about "Remember that time when everything went perfect?" They work to make the most imperfect world more perfect. But sometimes those imperfections are the most memorable moments of circumstance that makes live TV great. I dedicate this article to the late Ed Greene CAS, who first introduced me to live TV at the Grammys back in 1986. Ed was a friend and mentor to so many. A special thanks to all the people who took the time to talk with me in preparation for this article: Renato "Ron" Basile (Grammy Awards producer), Rob Paine (Oscars producer), Rickey Minor, Mike Abbott, Patrick Baltzell, John Harris, Hugh Healy, Tom Holmes, Mike Parker, Tom Pesa, Paul Sandweiss, and Tommy Vicari. I only wish there would have been time to talk to everyone who works these shows. I could write a book! The 2020 Grammy Awards audio crew. Top row: Ric Teller, Tom Pesa, Phil Valdivia, Steve Anderson, Bob La Masney, Alex Hoya, Thomas Holmes. 2nd row: Name unknown, Kirk Donovan, Marc Repp, James Young, Craig Rovello, Andres Arango, Craig Robinson. 3rd row: Pablo Munguia, Ron Reaves, Brian Vibberts, Eric Johnston. 4th row: Mikael Stewart, Brittany Schilling, John Harris, Jeff Peterson. 5th row: Mike Cruz, Damon Andres, Michael Faustino, Glenn Lorbecki, Eric Schilling, Michael Abbott, Doug Mountain, Andrew Fletcher, Mike Clink. © 2020 The Recording Academy