OWC RADiO

Meet Kevin “Kwiz” Ryan, tour programmer and recording engineer for Beyonce, co-owner at Rhythm 252 Group, and owner of the Rhythm Lab Studio. It's a timely and provocative interview with OWC RADiO Host, Cirina Catania that includes lots of gear talk, behind-the-scenes stories, and a very frank conversation about racism.

Kwiz has toured with Beyonce handling audio in huge venues for her last four tours as well as for the 2013 and 2014 Superbowl halftime specials. In his spare time, he is a freelance producer for clients such as ESPN, ABC, and HBO. And he was the Audio Supervisor for the Whitehouse Correspondents Dinner and Michelle Obama’s 50th birthday celebration!

Kwiz is an accomplished musician, record producer, composer, audio engineer, and artist development specialist, currently living in the Bronx. For the last 25 years, he’s been working with numerous Grammy-winning and platinum-selling artists. Creating magic for every genre, from new jack swing-style R&B with Jeff Redd, to the hip-hop soul of Mary J. Blige, and JayLo's latest endeavors. He composed and produced the heard-hitting and heart-wrenching music from his album, the "Black Light Chronicles."

And, guess what? He uses OWC equipment on the road and in his studio.

We wanted to know more and we think you will too!

For more information about our amazing sponsor, Other World Computing, go to OWCDigital.com, where you’ll find hardware and software solutions and tutorial videos that will get you up and running in no time.

For more about our host, filmmaker, tech maven, and co-founder of the Sundance Film Festival, Cirina Catania, visit cirinacatania.com.

If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and tell all your friends about us! We love our listeners. And, if you have ideas for segments, write to [email protected]. Cirina is always up for new ideas!

Everyone needs help ensuring that their skillset remains competitive. Nick Campbell, CEO/Founder of Greyscalegorilla, joins OWC RADiO Host, Cirina Catania, to talk about future-proofing your creative and technical skills. He shares some exciting news on how Greyscalegorilla Plus can help people learn about 3D and Cinema 4D. In a time where 4-year schools and colleges become disproportionately expensive, Greyscalegorilla can help by offering affordable education, tools, and resources that can prepare you for a career.

For more information about our amazing sponsor, Other World Computing, go to OWCDigital.com where you’ll find hardware and software solutions and tutorial videos that will get you up and running in no time.

For more about our host, filmmaker, tech maven, and co-founder of the Sundance Film Festival, Cirina Catania, visit cirinacatania.com.

If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and tell all your friends about us! We love our listeners. And, if you have ideas for segments, write to [email protected]. Cirina is always up for new ideas!

A personal note about Dan Kneece (RIP) from your OWC RADiO Host, Cirina Catania. "The world lost a wonderful person last week. Dan Kneece was loved by all of us in the entertainment industry. He worked tirelessly and with a great attitude. Ask Dan what is most important and he would say, "I work for the script and the director." Words are hard to find right now, but I wanted to share this interview I did with him back in July of 2019. May you find the love in it and may it help you to savor every moment of your lives. Because every day counts, and the friends you leave behind will remember you for how you made them feel and in Dan's case, also what they learned from you." (Cirina Catania, August 25, 2021)

Dan Kneece On Set (Courtesy Dan Kneece)

Cinematographer Dan Kneece worked with some of the world’s most iconic directors, including David Lynch, Wes Craven, Quentin Tarantino, and Joel Schumacher. But did you know that he was an award-winning musician, that he comes from a very small town in the American south, that he has worked on more than one movie simultaneously, traveling across the country to meet deadlines with no sleep, and that his favorite camera is… nope, no spoiler alerts.

Dan Kneece’s secrets were revealed in this interview with OWC RADiO Host, Cirina Catania. We hope you will enjoy these words from someone we all loved.

Here's a link to Dan's cinematographer reel followed by an interview with David Lynch about "Steadicam Dan," and his move towards more DP work.

In This Episode

00:35 – Cirina introduces Dan Kneece, a longtime Steadicam operator and a cinematographer.08:09 – Dan tells the story of how he was first interested in making movies with a Super 8 camera at 13 years old. 17:17 – Dan points out what he learned from the news business that was relevant to the film business.24:08 – Dan shares the first experience using a Steadicam in the movie Chain Gang.32:27 – Dan talks about movies where he worked with David Lynch and how David entrusted him with his skills and ideas.40:53 – Dan explains some of his responsibilities in being a Steadicam operator based on his experiences with various directors and actors.48:28 – Dan explains how important it is for the script to be on point and why it is the foundation of a film  57:35 – Cirina asks Dan if it’s hard to decline projects from his trusted networks. Dan explains his principle of hiring and working with people.64:24 – What are some of Dan’s favorite lenses?71:41 – Follow Dan Kneece on his social media accounts and visit his website at DanKneece.com to learn more about him.

(l to r) Cirina Catania, Dan Kneece, and Zeiss' Snehal Patel (photo courtesy Michael Valinsky)

Jump to Links and Resources

Transcript

This is Cirina Catania with OWC Radio. I am speaking today with Dan Kneece, who was a longtime Steadicam operator and now a cinematographer. We call them DPs in our business. And, Dan, I’m so happy to talk to you on the air because you’re just a rarity in this town. And welcome to the show.

Thank you very much for having me. 

We have so much to talk about. Let’s just start almost at the beginning, and I like asking people what they liked to do when they were 5, 6, 7 years old. What were you like as a little boy, and what was life for you growing up?

I grew up in the small town of Black Hill, South Carolina. It had a population of about 2000 people and was surrounded by swamps and alligators, and it’s 10 miles from Barnwell, South Carolina, where James Brown was born. In 14 miles, another side of that is a little town called Allendale, where Jasper Johns grew up. I think what really happened in the area, people are saying this must have been something in the water. But I think really, what happens is so darn boring down there that if you have a creative urge, you got to figure out a way to get it out, or you’re going to go nuts.

You need time to be creative. And I think in a busy life in the cities,

Cirina Catania interviews singer/musician Billy J. Kramer this week on OWC RADiO.

Billy J Kramer and the Beatles

Imagine...It’s Liverpool in the 60’s. The Merseybeat is in full swing. What comes to mind?  The Beatles - yes! And…"Do You Want to Know a Secret," from Billy J Kramer, a charismatic singer with a string of hits that began with that John Lennon and Paul McCartney penned song. As Billy said in this interview, "Do You Want to Know a Secret” was not a cover. It was arranged and performed originally by him. And Billy caught the eye of Ed Sullivan soon after. The Ed Sullivan Show gave his career an additional kick-start with regular appearances on TV.

Billy followed up with “Bad to Me,” which was also written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The recording of the song was released in 1963 and it became a hit, reaching #2 in the UK Singles Chart. John Lennon was present during the recording session at Abbey Road Studios. The single was released in the United States the following year and was a top-ten hit there as well.

Billy J Kramer, 1965

Years later, he’s still going strong. His "To Liverpool With Love" toured in 2013 and he recently released his album, "I Won the Fight." OWC’s Larry O’Connor recently partnered with Brian Vincik to send Billy to Nashville to record four new songs for his new album in 2021. You can find his fascinating autobiography entitled "Do You Want to Know a Secretbilly - The Autobiography of Billy J. Kramer," here

Billy J Kramer performs a new song in the Nashville studio, 2021 - (Photo courtesy of Randy Fuchs)

Cirina had a great time interviewing Billy about his career, his friendship with the Beatles, his struggles with alcoholism, and his positive thoughts for the future. 

For more information about our amazing sponsor, Other World Computing, go to MacSales.com where you’ll find hardware and software solutions and tutorial videos that will get you up and running in no time.

For more about our host, filmmaker, tech maven, and co-founder of the Sundance Film Festival, Cirina Catania, visit cirinacatania.com.

Special thanks today to our OWC RADiO Producer, Debbie Price, editor Richard Taylor, the whole marketing team at OWC headed by Chris Kooistra, Randy Fuchs of Talent Relations, Larry O'Connor and Other World Computing, Brian Vincik, and YOU, our loyal audience. We love you!

If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and tell all your friends about us! We love our listeners. And, if you have ideas for segments, write to [email protected]. Cirina is always up for new ideas!

Welcome back to OWC RADiO with your host, Cirina Catania! Today we share the story of an incredibly brave, courageous, and kind person, Wes Plate, who enjoyed major success in the tech world, overcame his personal demons - alcoholism and depression, and now runs ultramarathons!

He is a winner on all counts!

He not only survived, he became an elite athlete who runs ultramarathons such as the Moab 240 and the Cocodona 250. 

Wes is someone who is well-known in the tech world, and he hasn’t shared the details of his personal story until recently. 

He remains a dear friend to us and we are proud of him. 

How did all this happen and how did he win this difficult personal battle?

For many years, he and his father developed translation products that made post-production easier for all of us.   Their company Automatic Duck, was a staple at all major tech industry events. By 2011, Wes and his Dad had gone to work with Adobe. Wes eventually moved to Apple as one of the key members of the ProApps team and recently left Apple to pursue new adventures.

Cirina Catania talked with him about his tech career and his races.

Here's a link to his latest documentary filmed during the Cocodona 250 race. It is fascinating!

Find Wes on Instagram @midpackelite

OWC Founder and CEO, Larry O'Connor, talks with OWC RADiO host, Cirina Catania, about his business life and his perspectives on the world, his love for space exploration (yes, he's already purchased his ticket!), what it's like running a major international corporation, his corporate president, Jen Soule, and how on earth he still manages to find time for the myriad of charities, films and creatives he passionately supports.

Larry O'Connor is definitely a man who is living a generous, intelligent and joyful life.

This episode of OWC RADiO was recorded with our audience of Larry's fellow CEO's in mind as well as anyone who wants some tips to help generate success in business and in life. It is a candid and insightful conversation with one of the world's most influential technologists.

For more information about our amazing sponsor, Other World Computing, go to MacSales.com or OWCDigital.com, where you’ll find hardware and software solutions and tutorial videos that will get you up and running in no time.

For more about our host, filmmaker, tech maven and co-founder of the Sundance Film Festival, Cirina Catania, visit cirinacatania.com.

If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and tell all your friends about us! We love our listeners. And, if you have ideas for segments, write to [email protected]. Cirina is always up for new ideas.

In This Episode

00:09 - Cirina introduces Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO of OWC, and MacSales Founder. He was also named one of the Top 50 CEOs by Comparably. In addition, he’s recognized worldwide for his accomplishments in the world of technology. 05:23 - Larry talks about how he was raised, his first job, and his work ethic. 10:26 - Larry shares his mindset in leading OWC and how he successfully handles his relationships. 15:54 - Larry shares OWC’s best practices to protect against unexpected events. 21:18 - Why having allowances in the supply chain will benefit you in the long run.26:56 - Larry talks about Trees of Peace and many significant issues that affect everybody.31:30 - The consequences of human activities on the ground’s viability for agriculture. 38:25 - The differences between SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic. 45:53 - Larry talks about OWC’s next steps in bringing greater accessibility to hardware and software solutions. Visit OWC’s website to know more about its latest offerings and follow Larry O’Connor on Twitter to stay updated on his latest pursuits. 

Jump to Links and Resources

Transcript

Today marks the 100th episode of OWC Radio. What better way to spend it than by interviewing the CEO and founder of OWC, Mr. Larry O'Connor. Respected worldwide for his numerous accomplishments in the world of technology, Larry remains modest, personable, and dedicated to making his company and the world a better place for all of us. In fact, in 2020, he was named one of the top CEOs on comparably a list of 50 that was called from over 10 million ratings across 60,000 organizations. 

I spoke with him about his rise to success from the early days as a tech-oriented team to the start of OWC, which was bootstrapped and remains privately owned even today. We talked about how he has achieved his success, his hiring and firing challenges, establishing a workable structure for a multinational corporation, and his long-standing president, Jen Soule. 

Success in the tech industry follows a similar path to most major corporations. However, in this last year, there have been serious challenges—tax rates fluctuating, supply chains disrupted, and many more. In the middle of all of this, however, Larry O'Connor and his company have found the time and resources to help others—from Nashville musicians, to films with strong environmental messages, to charitable organizations that work toward making a better world. An avid follower and lover of space technology, I suspect we'll be getting communiqués from a spaceship in the not too distant future.

Larry Jordan is an award-winning producer, director, editor, teacher and trainer who’s been involved in the media industry for 50 years. He’s produced, directed or edited at local broadcast TV stations, network television in the US, and created more corporate and training videos than he can count. His new book, "Techniques of Visual Persuasion," is an invaluable resource to anyone working in media, for film, television or the web. He has a lively discussion with our host, Cirina Catania, who also produced his popular podcast, "Digital Production BuZZ," for many years! OWC RADiO's producer, Debbie Price, took over as BuZZ producer after Cirina left to further her filmmaking career. So, if you haven't guessed, we're big fans of Larry Jordan here at OWC RADiO.

Larry believes that technology is inherently confusing for many people. So his goal, in his writing and video training, is to reassure people that they can actually learn this new stuff. His training is based on explaining the underlying fundamentals of a technology, then providing clear explanations illustrated with stories on how it’s used.

Larry is based in Los Angeles, a member of both the Directors Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America, and the author of nine books and thousands of technical articles on all facets of production and post-production. He’s the host of the Digital Production Buzz podcast and also writes a free weekly newsletter on post-production that publishes every Monday.

For more information about our amazing sponsor, Other World Computing, go to MacSales.com or OWCDigital.com, where you’ll find hardware and software solutions and tutorial videos that will get you up and running in no time.

For more about our host, filmmaker, tech maven and co-founder of the Sundance Film Festival, Cirina Catania, visit cirinacatania.com.

If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and tell all your friends about us! We love our listeners. And, if you have ideas for segments, write to [email protected]. Cirina is always up for new ideas!

“I will confess that it has come as a complete surprise to me that it has been so glowingly reviewed by people who are professionals in the industry. That wasn't the audience I had in mind when I wrote it.” -Larry Jordan

In This Episode

01:02 - Cirina introduces Larry Jordan, an award-winning producer, director, editor, and teacher. He’s been in the media industry for more than 50 years and has created many corporate and training videos. He’s the author of Techniques of Visual Persuasion, his latest book on improving communication skills. 05:28 - Larry elaborates on why persuasion is a choice and how you can effectively persuade people without forcing them.  11:26 - Larry gives an example of how reading his latest book will help you understand the messages behind the angles of camera placements. 15:40 - Larry shares the three phases of his life that helped him write his book.  20:59 - The only way to communicate is to focus your message on a specific subject. 24:48 - We’re in an age where people don’t read white papers and where less is more about conveying messages. 29:15 - Larry elaborates on the Six Priorities where the audience’s eye looks first and the sequence of where it will look next.  39:43 - Larry invites listeners to his website to find more than 2000 technical articles in the Free Resources section about different software. Grab a copy of his latest book, Techniques of Visual Persuasion, to know how you can be persuasive in a remote-oriented, work-from-home world.

Jump to Links and Resources

Transcript

This is Cirina Catania with OWC RADiO. I'm speaking today with Larry Jordan, a director, editor, teacher, executive producer at larryjordan.com, and someone I have known for many years.

Larry, you and I first met in 2004 when I took my first Final Cut Pro—it wasn't even Final Cut Pro then, it was Final Cut—my first Final Cut Class. It was so much fun.

Danielle Engen is the Studio Manager and a Content Creator at Electric Feel Entertainment, one of the world's most successful music studios.

There's a new game in Techtown, and it is becoming the industry standard for remote collaboration over the cloud. Frame.io recently launched Camera-to-Cloud and it shook our workflow foundations.  Michael Cioni, Global SVP of Innovation, joins our host, Cirina Catania to explain in a deep dive under the hood how this will enable collaborators to transmit footage from camera/audio to their remote teams anywhere in the world, faster, easier and more secure than ever before. 

In This Episode

00:01 - Cirina introduces Michael Cioni, the Global Senior Vice President of Innovation at Frame.io.02:23 - Michael explains what Frame.io and Camera to Cloud are, and how long he and the team have worked on them.06:45 - Michael talks about the cameras and audio equipment that are compatible with Frame.io.13:05 - Michael shares the process of how files are copied and sent to Frame.io.17:41 - Cirina asks Michael how DITs (Digital Imaging Technicians) feel about Frame.io.23:09 - Michael talks about Frame.io's naming convention and how it syncs up audio and video files.29:38 - Michael explains how secure Frame.io is and its process of authentication and authorization of editors. 36:32 - Cirina asks Michael how they made Frame.io's file transfer function faster than other applications.46:21 - Michael gives some tips on how to handle the versioning of files in Frame.io.49:43 - Michael shares what he sees for the future of post-production.58:50 - Cirina and Michael encourage listeners to visit Frame.io to learn more about its latest innovations. Also, check out its new technology, Camera to Cloud, at frame.io/c2c.

Jump to Links and Resources

Transcript

Michael, I've been bragging about you at the beginning of the show and here you are. I'm so happy you're with us. I want to talk to you today about Camera to Cloud, Frame.io, post houses of the future, where we're going. I think this is going to be awesome. It's always fun talking with you. So welcome.

Thank you for having me. Like you said, we've known each other for years and been doing this a long time. I'm always happy to be back with you and always happy to talk to the listeners where we want the feedback because what we're going to talk about today involves everybody. We're looking forward to more communication with the community. 

It does. When you announced it, there was an immediate reaction in the industry about what you had presented. There is just a huge audience for this in media producers worldwide no matter what you're in. I think you really are going to change the future. For people who don't know, what is Frame.io and what is Camera to Cloud?

Frame.io is an online review and approval database. It's the most popular professional review and approval tool in the world. We have over a million people uploading millions of assets a day into the platform and sharing them, reviewing them, marking them, and delivering them. It's a really interactive space—professional video sharing and collaboration—in the Cloud. Camera to Cloud is now a new feature set of Frame.io where we can actually have people on the set, in the field, and shooting directly into Frame.io, so that you can have access to everything you're doing, even deliver it right to an editor while it's still being shot in the process.

Shoot directly into Frame.io. You make it sound easy. I know this didn't happen overnight. How long have you been working on this in the background?

The answer is about 10 years. A good friend of mine, Laura Pursley, said after we announced that she goes, “You've been working on this for 10 years.” She's like, “This is your life's work. You've been gunning for this for a decade.” When she said that I released a lot because I think she's right. But essentially, this technology, Frame.io didn't invent the idea of Camera to Cloud. We're not the first people that whisper it into the market. There's a lot of people that have been trying it,

Tim Standing, who leads Mac software development at OWC, talks with host, Cirina Catania about the latest SoftRAID version 6