Micah Stevens and EVERYTHING North Point Production

Ok, so Hell has frozen over and Micah Stevens has a blog. It has actually been going on for about 2 months now but I think it is known only to a few. So, I am giving a shout out to Micah Stevens. If my team is everything video, creative packaging, product development, pre and post production for North Point’s services, then Micah’s team is EVERYTHING live. Audio, lights, stage design, technical, live video and problem solving multi-campuses. He is a stud, his team is a bunch of studs and he needs to be on your blogroll.
So there!

Technorati Tags: Micah Stevens, multiscreen displays, North Point Production

Sooooo Late with this

I got to hang with Transition Pete (thanks for the appetizers!) and then later with Pete and Jenni from Crosspointe church.
This was Monday night after the first main session at Drive. I am in Blue and white striped shirt, top left. You can’t see but my left hand is on Carlos’s butt. Yes from way up there. Thats why his eyes are so big.

Drive ’08 Session 1 “after party”

After session 1 – Los, me and others are gonna meet for dinner, or desert, or coffee, or something!!
Who’s in. For those that said yes on Carlos’s blog, be a sport and say yes on mine too!

See ya TOMORROW!!!!

Brad

Getting ready for DRIVE ’08!!!!!

Ok Folks… we’re ready.
For those of you who are going… and I want to hear from each and every one of you, it’s gonna be incredible, fun, crazy, engaging, helpful, and out of this world!!

The whole staff has been working really hard to get ready for the arrival of over 2300 people for Drive.
One of the coolest parts is that we get to have ALL campuses involved with the production instead of meeting on Mondays and Tuesdays and then saying goodbye.
Here are many of the people on the production and media staff from all three campuses…

Josh and Katie Peters (from Buckhead). Katie is SPD assistant at Buckhead and Josh is the Video Director.

A shot of the stage, sorta. It’s wicked cool.

Los, (SPD Director at Buckhead) backstage.

Adam Dukes – Media Team at North Point. He is getting Sunday’s TenBefore ready to go.

Tyler (Browns Bridge Service Programming Director) at the helm of Drive. He is producing and keeping us all in line!

Big Micah (Production Director at North Point) yelling at me “I need videos Brad!”

Mike Davis – Graphic Designer on the Media Team.

Matt Gibson – Video Producer and all things moving on screens with the media department.

Dave Blakeslee – Assocociate Media Director in his editing suite sleeping on the job!

Left to right – Chris Briley (Browns Bridge Production Director), Julie Arnold (Service Programming Director at North Point and my BOSS), Dave Stagl (Audio Director at North Point), and Micah.

Camera Volunteers and the Video Director at North Point, the one the only, Chip Barber!!

Reid Greven (music extradanaire) at North Point! On stage behind the computer. He will be playing the keys for the conference by the way!

Please make sure if you see me, say a big hello.
Looking forward to seeing TransitionPete and Mike Brennan and hopefully more!
Cya Monday.

Brad (from Renewed Vision) stopped by the office

This is a little late but figure I should post it. Brad (me on the left) and Brad Weston (renewed vision/Propresentor) swung by to say hello (late last week). Brad Volunteers at North Point and some of our partnerships. He’s kinda a brainiac/genius! And a friend.

20,000 hits and going

Just a word to say thank you for coming over to the motion house to check things out. I am truly honored. I however, really want to hear and know a little about you. If you have been peeking in, checking things out, please say hi, tell me a little bit about yourself or ask any question you want.

Much love.  

Renewed Vision (Propresenter) gets nods at Macworld

Macrumors did an article on my buddy Brad Weston (on left) and his company Renewed Vision. They were out at MacWorld in San Francisco (I wonder if my dad saw them). I worked for Brad at a company called Halo where he basically taught me everything I know about technology, authoring and creating video deliverables. He is a volunteer at North Point and our other partnership churches. I can’t say enough about the impact Brad has had at North Point and a ton of other churches around the country. The direction of my life changed after working with Brad and the guys.
Give a shout if you have used propresenter or any other of renewed Vision’s products.

***Update*** Greg (right in picture) just sent me these links from Apple. I am stoked these guys are getting some great scenery on Apple’s web. If you haven’t used their stuff download the demo right from Apple’s site at the links below.
Check this out or this out. Congratulations guys.

Technorati Tags: multiscreen displays, propresenter

Media Team Changes

So Carlos made his first employee steal 😉 of his time here at NPM. Dustin from my team will now be serving at Buckhead Church as the audio director for SPD (service programming department). Dustin was our studio director with media which meant he was responsible for anything audio when it came to videos, podcasts, voice overs, audio recordings, Sunday morning live capturing and remixing… you name it and he’s done it. Now he will be in charge of anything audio for Buckhead Church and their worship servies. To be fair, Dustin is actually going back to the position in which WE at North Point stole him from.

Dustin will be missed tremendously. He has the ability to lead up and has influenced me in so many ways. Buckhead has some great leaders over there and their reach is long. I am excited for Dustin to get back into live mixing on a full time basis and he will be tremendously missed.

Technorati Tags: North Point Audio, Buckhead Audio

Happy New Year

So what’s it gonna be this year? What’s gonna be different? What are you gonna accomplish? Who will you serve? Where will your time be spent? What is the ONE thing you want to do this year better, and how are you going to do it.

I just got off the phone with my buddy Ted and we were talking about next year. For me next year was all about being more disciplined. He surprised me with his response. He said Brad you know what you need to do more of this year – you need to have more fun! That caught me off guard a little but then I thought about it. One thing about me is that I am one of the most analytical people you will ever meet. I look at things through three different lenses sometimes – what do I think, what do you think, and what does someone else think. It’s the curse of a people pleaser. Oh yes I am opinionated and will stand my ground on different concepts and ideas and ways of doing things but still at the core, a people pleaser.

I am also one of the most margin-less people you have ever met when it comes to TIME. Some of that is due to choices Jiyoung and I have made, some of it is due to discipline and lack thereof, and some of it is just flat out being unintentional with pursuing margin. It’s the latter that I think Ted was talking about for me. Pursuing discipline this year will help me produce the margin, but it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t schedule it. Too many times I think “if I don’t do this, then who will….” and half of that time the energy is spent in the wrong direction, wrong priorities, and wrong people.
Really, I am not that important.

But at home, I am.

Happy New Year.
Serve God with excellence and go have some fun.

Brad

Technorati Tags: New Years Resolution

Interesting prediction for Mac World.

This perked my ears big time!!!
This is from Mike Industries.
I hope it’s true!!!
“.Mac Finally Gets Great.”
“I thought the release of the iPhone and Leopard would coincide with a massive revamp of Apple’s .Mac service, but it never did. I was three years early in calling the iPhone, but I don’t think I’m that early on this one. Come January, .Mac will become the missing link that let’s you sync your entire life, over-the-air. If you’re shocked that the iPhone can’t do something as simple sync with your iCal/Contacts/.Mac over-the-air right now but can do so in just a few seconds using a standard USB cable, you’re not alone. If you think Steve Jobs hates having his phone out of sync when he’s on the road, you’re also not alone. These features are coming, and while you can argue they should have been there from the start, you can also argue that they belong as part of a subscription package like .Mac. In order for Apple to increase their .Mac subscriptions 5-10x, they need to be part of a well orchestrated “Life Sync” campaign, and sold separately from the iPhone itself.I believe Apple’s plan involves two concurrent strategies for getting into the life-syncing bloodstream: a) play nice with Exchange (current support via IMAP barely qualifies), and b) play nice with open technologies like IMAP and iCalendar/WebCal (already in-progress). Most big companies these days run their corporate mail on Exchange. Know what Apple runs internally, at least as of very recently? Netscape’s old mail server. I’m serious. Running that mail server for so long taught them how inferior it is to Exchange, but also taught them that by using the right combination of open technologies like IMAP, iCalendar, and WebDAV and then creating the right glue to tie it all together for the end user, they could produce an enterprise-quality experience rivaling Exchange and even beating it in many areas. Via this new and revamped .Mac service, you’ll be able to play nicely with most of the major platforms out there: Exchange, IMAP (and by extension Gmail and Yahoo Mail), WebCal, POP, and who knows what else. In 2008, .Mac will finally become the big revenue driver Apple expected it to be years ago.”

Technorati Tags: apple, iphone, mac rumors, syncing

10,000 Hits

Thank you to all who take the time to check out what’s happening on my blog. I started doing this in August (thanks Carlos and Tyler) and still have a lot to learn especially about getting outside of wordpress’s template solutions. As you have already probably noticed, I find all sorts of blog gadgets and just throw them into the mix for the fun of it. I think I am ready to get a little deeper but I would need somebody talking me through the initial set-up. Any takers?
I never would have thought I would be a blogger.

Tripp from Media Nominated!!!

Tripp (see media team page) made a music video last year and it has been nominated for a Gospel Music Video Award. He directed and shot “Who Am I?” by Da T.R.U.T.H under the Hip Hop category.

Go to http://gospelmusicchannelapp.com/gmcva/# and cast a vote for him.

 You can vote once a day for each category.

 

 

 

Week 7 – Back on the Horse

After a difficult loss last week – Team Sandlot brought the wood to the mudcats

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Gibby’s trip to Slovakia and his visit to Aushwitz

Pretty soon I hope to have a page dedicated to the guys on the media team since they also are a huge part of my life and work would not be nearly as great without them. Matt Gibson, one of our stud media producers and motion graphics guy, went to Slovakia on a missions trip. He passed along these pictures of the trip. I pass these along because they provoke thought and allow us to remember.

Ouch!! First loss of the season against the Ball Brusiers

Well I lost this last week. My running backs scored .8 points for those that care and I lost by 10ish.

I am a little bitter but I am hoping to make a comeback by taking down the Chattavegas Mudcats (Heath Bennett in Chattanooga).

Would appreciate your prayers and support with this mission.

Watch this Show (8pm Wednesday Nights)

Special thanks to my boy Shove at Browns Bridge for pointing me this direction. I have never seen anything more visually stunning.

Basketball Practice for Jake

So we decided to sign up Jake for a Basketball league that teaches the fundamentals. Little does Jake know that he is probably going to shoot up like a rocket between his 8th and 10 grade years so why not have him ready for basketball. The practice was hilarious and Jake did great. He has a long way to go but I think the biggest joy was seeing Jake doing all his drills with the biggest smile on his face. It was like he couldn’t help but smile. He had a blast and can’t wait to go back. 

What? Again?

I am not sure if I won this game or if my opponent (Jeff Sandstrom) just really did bad. Nonetheless, I am 5-0 people and walking with a bounce in my step. Next week I have the Ball Bruisers (Mr. Donny Joiner from Kidstuf). I will keep all of you updated as I know you are holding your breath!

 

4-0 people.

This week I got a little lucky but still a “W”.
Jayce Fincher was bitter.

Chris Briley on Jay Leno (Prod. Director at Browns Bridge)

So I am watching Leno with Jiyoung and he is doing the audience “questions”.  All of a sudden, Briley appears out of nowhere. Here are some shots.   

Design Fruit

This is a great website to get some Photoshop tools and sorts.Great brushes.  

Fantasy Football

Yes I am in a league. I am 2-0. I will win again! (Also – Cumming is a city in Georgia. Some players get a little creative.)

 

9/11 An Anniversary to remember

Today has a special meaning for Jiyoung and I. We got married on September 11, 1998 – a Friday night and celebrated the beginning of being with each other for the rest of our lives. Three years later, our anniversary was changed forever.

Tonight we went to dinner at Village Tavern. We laughed and talked and remembered what a great life we have together and how blessed we are. We have a very rich life, one that I wouldn’t change for anything. I am absolutely crazy about my wife and look forward to the future.

New Header

From Left to Right – Jake Bretz (Handsome devil), Judson Lowe, Collier Wolfe, Luke Bennett (sorry about the ear), Owen Malone, Davis Fogle, & Annie Fogle (Jillian had a friend for the pool). This picture was taken from Jake’s 6th birthday party bonanza. Start at the pool, pizza at the pool, go to the basement, watch and live Star Wars episode 4 (parental approval of course) – end night with individual light sabor battles with Brad then 12am bedtime. ( I lost the light sabor wars but kept my teeth). It was a blast. Jakes 6th B-Day. One for the books.

Michael Irvin revealed

Okay so this will be my last post about either of the Michael Irvins’ in the previous posts. Last Saturday, I took Jake to Michael Irvin’s birthday party and got to meet his wonderful family and some more of Jake’s new friends from his new school. It was a great party and Jake learned quickly how fun laser tag is. The picture below from left to right – Jake, Michael Irvin, and Spencer a friend from Jake’s class with the classic shirt. 

Jake’s Birthday Weekend – Turning 6

It’s that time of year that has a brand new meaning to Jiyoung and I. My son Jake was born on September 5th so in and around labor day, its a time to celebrate and we get a three day weekend to do it. (Jillian was born on November 26th so she gets a 4 day weekend and a turkey). For Jake’s birthday he gets to invite 4 of his buddies over for a pool party and a sleep over. So Friday night, it’s party time at the Bretz’s. I am thinking about letting him and his friends watch a Star Wars episode? Jake knows ALL the characters because of the LEGO Playstation Star Wars game. So watching the movie for him is like seeing all the characters come to life. My question to you reading – what would you do if you had five boys (ages 5-6) for one night? I say lets watch all 6 star wars episodes but I am not sure the parents would be too happy with me!

Movie Poster Designers

I love this site. If you ever wondered what designers designed certain movie posters then check this out. There are some great ideas generated from looking at all of these especially the ones with no actors on them. Below is just a cutout of whats on this site. Click here.

  

Michael Irvin’s Birthday Party (Please read previous posts)

So I came home today to find a birthday invitation for my son Jake to Michael Irvin’s birthday party at the bowling alley here in Cumming, GA. I gotta meet this kid who is in Jake’s class. We are going on Sunday and these kids better bring their milk money because I am going to take it bowling. those 5 year olds will never see me coming.

Good Times (Birthday Bash)

So August is a great birthday month and back in the late ’90’s there was a group of us that always celebrated our birthdays together at non other than Pappasito’s in Marietta off Windy Hill. So tonight, The Bells, Bretzs, Malones and the Sitton’s all made the trek to I75 and celebrated the August Birthdays. Mine (17th), Pat Malone (15th), Cheryl Bell (14th) and Brad Sitton’s (10th). All the kids were there and it was good eatin’ with good friends.

www.pluggedinonline.com

Hey Everybody – a friend of Jiyoung and I’s gave us a sometimes helpful website when looking for a more in-depth view of a movie/dvd/tv show – especially for the kids but is great for us adults as well. Plugged In has reviews on pretty much everything.  They present facts and heads-up situations as well as sometimes skewed commentary so you can be prepared from a moral perspective and yes sometimes political perspective as well. Click here to go to site.