National Association of Broadcasters
NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) is an annual conference showcasing the latest and greatest in content creation, filmmaking, video and audio production and of course, broadcasting. If you’ve ever been, you know how overwhelming the event can be. Filling the entire Las Vegas convention center, NAB is considered the Mecca for AV (audio/video) loyalists.
After admiring from afar for several years, I was able to attend this year’s conference for the first time on behalf of ANDERSON (thanks, Ted)!
As I entered the convention center into the central hall and looked out over the vast ocean of booths, attendees and swag, I knew I’d reached video heaven.
The Newest Gadgets
Among the multitude of vendor booths were the typical “big players” of AV including Canon, Nikon, RED, Arri, Blackmagic Design, Adobe, Maxon, Avid, Google, Vimeo, Amazon and Sony. Fully equipped with gigantic booths and an army of reps, we were told about all of the latest and greatest products and services, got to demo new gear and hear presentations from sponsored guest speakers.
The company, Blackmagic Design specifically caught my eye with their new second generation Pocket Cinema Camera, bringing 4k 10-bit RAW footage at an incredibly low price point. Having our own Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera here at ANDERSON for the last couple of years has made me a huge fan of their cameras and I’m eager to see how these new cameras perform. 
Canon brought their A-game this year as well, announcing the Canon EOS C700, the new king of the Canon cinema line. Shooting 5.9K RAW at 60fps with 15 stops of dynamic range, the C700 will grab any camera nerd’s attention, seeing as I nearly broke my neck the first time I walked by one.
Sessions
After getting lost a couple of times between endless rows of booths and companies, I migrated to the second floor to attend different sessions. I opted for the Post | Production World 3-pack, which granted me access to three sessions.
Making it to the first room with barely a minute to spare, I took a seat in the front row of “Automating Motion Graphics” taught by Joey Korenman, the founder of School of Motion. I’m a huge fan of Joey’s website and book and his class did not disappoint. I, for one, welcome our new robot motion graphic overlords.
Next up was “Creative Uses for HTML5 Video on Websites” taught by Chris Converse of Codify Design Studio, LLC. This session covered how video can help drive dynamic HTML5 websites, including having content surrounding a video player change and update based on the timecode of the video.
The final session was “UAV Cinematography: A Recipe for Guaranteed Success” taught by Douglas Spotted Eagle, a managing producer of Sundance Media Group. This incredibly insightful session helped to answer questions about drones that I didn’t even know I had.
(B-)Rolling into the Future
After attending NAB, I’m excited to bring all my newfound knowledge and inspiration back to my work at ANDERSON. I’ve already implemented some new ideas that I’ve brought home with me, which you’ll begin to see in the weeks and months to come.
Sadly, I was only able to spend two days in Vegas at the National Association of Broadcasters conference , though I could have easily spent the entire week there and still not be able to visit every booth that I wanted to. But even so, I left NAB feeling energized, inspired and ready to work harder at my craft. Until next time, NAB!
To learn more about ANDERSON’s audio/video work and to see examples of Justin’s work, visit our website at anderson-adv.com or contact us directly at info@anderson-adv.com.
