Dana Roun, the program director for show production at Full Sail, explains the decision making process: "We required a console representing the current and future industry standards. Out of the major players there were a few stand-outs . . . You have to try to predict future trends and what may happen in the next few years. Look at the life span of a piece of gear. Some equipment could be prevalent in the industry now, however perhaps it’s in the last stages of a long successful run . . . There’s another consideration to think of too. I always try to consider who you’re dealing with."
Roun then worked on a show in Amdterdam: "We specified the grandMA at the request of our LD. I saw first hand the ease of programming and how functional the grandMA console was under the typical one-off corporate show. It was remarkable. In all fairness, so was our LD - Patrick Dierson. He was very familiar with the top consoles in the industry including the grandMA. We saw the console being used by a pro which didn’t hurt our first real test drive."
"What really tied everything together were the educational benefits. We presently use some very popular yet expensive, dongle based software. Students are trained in design and visualization aspects plus console operation. This training requires maximum exposure to pre-show design and programming. I believe we were the first educational facility to discover one of the most impressive 'hidden' attributes of the grandMA product. Free integrated software downloads for any student wishing to design outside of our regular CAD lab facilities! This hit me like a bag of gold. These meant students wishing to spend their own time at home could really get the maximum out of this package. Most students can not afford the expense of owning costly software. This was the icing on the cake for me."
"Starting a new relationship with MA Lighting and the grandMA console range was easy because they selected a well-established US representative. AC Lighting Inc has already had a great track record introducing other lighting products which are now industry standard. Both manufacturer and representatives were well-versed in real world equipment applications."
Full Sail has over 3000 active students in six degree programs. The Show Production Program graduates a total of around 200 students/year with 85% placement statistics.
(Lee Baldock)
