Donnybrook Production Services

These days, it seems that the lighter on your feet you are the better.  Since breaking out on my own back in January, the only fixed asset investments I’ve made have been of the mobile/portable variety.  A new iPhone 4, a portable wireless printer, a fancy ‘WiFi anywhere’ apparatus, & a new mountain/road Cannondale hybrid!  Well, OK, I’ll concede that last purchase to be just as much for personal use as professional…but you get the gist.  The long and short of it, adopting the mantra ‘local to anywhere’ has been almost essential.  And with the major Northeast Corridor markets of DC to NYC only a hop, skip, & jump away, it’s a nice luxury to settle in behind the wheel of a 6-cylinder/4WD office, and be on site within 2-3 hours time.

What’s being left in the rear view are the days of ‘tethered to the desk’ infrastructure, replaced instead with a sort of lily pad to lily pad approach.  Hopping from one WiFi hotspot to the next is common, and almost assumed.  Kudos to Barnes & Noble, for their (albeit delayed) decision to do away with the pay to play internet access.  Instead, they’ve opted to join the ranks of the Panera Breads & Starbucks of the world by allowing all customers to use their in-house WiFi free of charge.  And I hear they even sell books there as well!

These days it’s easier than ever to stay ‘connected’, and the modern mobile freelancer can keep tabs on his/her world from just about anywhere…sorta gives the notion of being tied up at the office a whole new meaning!

I’d certainly never profess to be the world’s foremost authority on podcasts, or anything cyber-induced for that matter.  I’m one of those late bloomers who’s only recently (in the past few years or so) thrown his respective hat into the ring that is the ‘blogosphere’ of modern technology.  I am, however, capable of discerning what’s interesting and worthy of attention…at least I think so, anyway.  It’s that reserved palette for all things pop-culture that has me tuning in to the weekly “Doomed to be Awesome” podcast.

If there’s any truth to the old adage that ‘two heads are better than one’, then imagine the destructive power that could be wielded by four heads.  Such is the case where D2BA’s founding fathers team of Gary Irwin, Matt Casale, Brendan O’Brien, and Dom Fera are concerned.  Armed with ‘phones’ of the micro & cell varieties, these gent’s engage in a weekly conversation about…well, pretty much anything entertainment-infused.  Film, television, music, photography, fine arts, and all things viral are equal fodder for discussion.  And rather than relegate themselves to the depths of irreverence, this quartet opts instead for the higher road.  As a result, the podcasts and associated website have attracted fans of all shapes of sizes…and things are just getting started.

So go ahead and gather your family members, pull the roast from the oven, and set your url in the direction of the family-friendly fare that is “Doomed to be Awesome“…there’s plenty of ‘awesome’ to go around!

With his latest win at this years Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon was propelled to the rank of third all-time in racing history.  While the win was only his third of the season, it constituted his 85th lifetime, placing him on the top-3 list behind only Richard Petty and David Pearson.  And while it’s highly unlikely he’ll be able to overtake Petty’s 200 wins all-time, he does have a legitimate shot at Pearson’s record of 105.

Now I don’t fancy myself a super-fan of NASCAR, as it’s been my experience that you’re either a ‘race guy’ or your not.  A solid case in point, the producer I just worked with on my last project certainly was…Brian, you know who you are.  Having said that, claiming to not know who Jeff Gordon is because you’re not a race fan is like saying you’ve never heard of Tiger Woods because you don’t follow golf.  After all, guys like that are just as much pop-culture icons as they are representatives of their respective craft.

I, for one, found Mr. Gordon to be a swell fellow when I had the unique opportunity of working with him ealier this year.  I produced a spot for a pharma client that used Jeff and his wife (model Ingrid Vandebosch) as its lead spokes-folks.  The campaign, directed by Kevin Hack of Get-Kinetic and shot on the RED One by DP JR Campbell, was aimed at raising awareness for parents to the dangers of Pertussis (also known as whooping cough).  Both Jeff & Ingrid were enjoyable to work with, making the otherwise hectic production schedule far smoother than it likely should have been.

So again, my hat’s off to a nice guy who actually does get to finish first…apparently 85 times and counting.