Lights, camera, action! We have all heard that familiar phrase associated with both film and television production, promising us that something cool and creative is about to happen. No matter what side of the camera or microphone you’re on, this phrase denotes anticipation, excitement, and readiness.
In today’s world, both technology and infrastructure play a vital role in the performing arts. This is especially true at Crown Point Venues (CPV), InConcert Sierra’s (ICS) 42,000 square foot concert hall/black box theater/conference center project currently under construction in Grass Valley on Crown Point Court in Whispering Pines Business Park. Housing three separate and distinct venues under one roof presents many challenges that demand domain expertise. One of those domains is Audio/Visual (AV) Systems, which is being designed and specified by local resident and CPV volunteer Peter A. Mason. During a long and illustrious career, Peter has been on both sides of the camera, ultimately choosing to build a professional life behind the scenes.
Peter was bitten by the show business bug in junior high school, performing in the school choir and participating in musical theater. In high school, Peter began to shift his focus to the technical aspects of theater production, and was part of the Sound Crew team, who were responsible for the school wide PA system. In college, Peter continued to focus on theater technology, adding lighting design to his repertoire. He was part of a team that was recruited to design and specify sound and lighting equipment for a new performing arts building at a local Los Angeles high school. This project gave Peter his first taste of the satisfaction that comes from seeing your design come to fruition.
Armed with a degree in Motion Picture and Television Production from Loyola Marymount University, Peter spent ten years as a freelancer in all aspects of television production. As he says, “Being a freelancer means you to have to step into many different roles and be able to solve problems on the spot, so I learned a lot during those years”. Peter spent the next ten years working for Mitsubishi Electric, doing large video system design and installation for stadiums and arenas. Remember “Diamond Vision”? It was the first large, outdoor video system and precursor to the LED screens of today. The last leg of Peter’s career included twenty years as a broadcast television system design consultant, culminating in his favorite project, designing the 36,000 square foot studio for the Ellen DeGeneres show on the Warner Brothers lot in Los Angeles. This was a challenging project and a crowning achievement toward the end of a long and storied career.
In his free time, Peter returned to one of his first loves, choral singing. He joined the Angel City Chorale and performed with ACC for nearly 10 years. On his own initiative, he began recording Angel City’s live performances. Having thoroughly enjoyed the recording process, and wanting to learn more, Peter attended a six-week course at the Aspen Music School, where he learned the ins-and outs of recording classical music from industry professionals.
Retiring to Nevada County in 2015, Peter volunteers with local theatre groups, doing Sound Design for both Sierra Stages and CATS productions, and acts as Engineer-in-charge of Veterans TV, a non-profit that runs a program to professionally train retired service members in TV production. The Veterans TV mobile studio currently resides in the CPV parking lot.
Peter’s technical expertise, deep interest in, and knowledge of, classical/choral music, and his fervent belief in the CPV project, make him a perfect fit for the design team. CPV will have state-of the-art AV technology infrastructure, and Peter is at the forefront of the effort, specifying all components needed for each venue and throughout the building.
You might ask, how complicated can this job be? You just buy the stuff you need and plug it in, right? Well, not quite. Designing and building a state-of-the-art AV system in a budget-conscious environment is a challenge in and of itself, with cost vs. benefit decision making always at the forefront. In some instances, it is necessary to ensure that infrastructure exists for component(s) that may not be immediately installed, or functionality that may not be immediately used. This means pulling miles of cable and installing software to ensure all the “hooks” are there for opening day and beyond.
A multitude of cameras and video monitors will be installed in each venue and throughout the building including the lobby and lounge areas, hallways, and backstage in the concert hall and black box theater to help cue performers. There will also be an AV recording booth attached to the concert hall that will provide audio and video switching, mixing and recording capabilities for streaming and subscription services, yet another way to bring live performances to people who cannot physically attend CPV and ICS events.
So, what kind of person volunteers for a herculean effort like this? Someone with the right combination of expertise, dedication, creativity, and generosity of self to make it happen. That someone is Peter A. Mason.
Steve Mendoza is an InConcert Sierra Board Member, Crown Point Venues Treasurer and sings tenor with the Sierra Master Chorale. He has lived in Nevada County for 45 years.