Dunaway Designs is the culmination of numerous years
dedicated to training and working as a lighting and visual designer. Adam
harnesses a tenacious desire to imagine, design, create, and explore new
product developments and methods that continue to merge lighting, video, and
projection technologies into streamlined scenographic spectacles that offer
limitless visual possibilities, increased audience excitement, and reduced
production costs.
With work projects that span television, corporate events, and live
entertainment touring, Adam regularly receives invitations to work in
collaboration with many leading design professionals, event companies, and
large scale entertainment projects spanning the globe.Dunaway Designs is associated with many leading LD's such as Joe
West, Warren Flynn, Daunte Kenner, Tupac Martir, John Marovich, Jens Hillenkotter, Matt
Prentice, Nathan Davis, Steve Beckenroot, and Rich Lochlin respectively
naming a few.
Since starting Dunaway Designs in 2001 Adam has trained numerous
lighting professionals who now regularly use digital lighting solutions,
expanding their capabilities to meet a quickly growing demand. Some of the first
media server savvy jobs on Broadway, the West End, musical artist tours, broadcast television studios, and themed installations
being
offered were filled by Adam or some of the many designers and programmers he
has trained, coached, collaborated, and/or introduced to digital lighting
design.
" Please explore my name
or company on the internet and visit our
articles page with links to articles I've written or that have been
written about my work. I will be happy to provide numerous references on
demand alongside my portfolio covering over 25 years of my work in the
entertainment industry. "
DIGITAL STAGE CHICAGO EXPLORATION, SPECIFICATION, FABRICATION, AND INSTALLATION
Dunaway
Designs / Digital Stage Chicago became a early
Green Hippo system dealer,
owner and operator mainly because very few rental shops in the US had them
at the time - let alone for the "balls to the wall" system designs the
company imagined and pioneered into reality for our own shows. While there
are now a growing number of
media server platforms and rental providers available, our reputation for
understanding how media servers are integrated into a variety of
applications, and providing unbeatable knowledge and support for these systems has years in the making.
Digital Stage Chicago is our studio and proving ground where we
explore, fabricate, and prepare for installation proven media server video
racks integrated with the latest lighting, video, and show control
equipment. We work closely
with leading manufacturers to test and improve new products primarily for our
own shows. Our growing staff of associate partners is comprised of seasoned
designers, programmers, and technicians in the US, Europe, and most recently
Mexico.
Today's advanced media servers are responsible for
driving huge visual elements on productions, yet unlike a single PAR or
moving light, a media server cannot arrive dead at load
in, or worse fail during the show being noticed by all. Yet surprisingly some choose a media server
based on the lowest price and
expect it to run without issue. More often than not what they get is a
system that will crash and lock up frequently requiring precious time (and
luck) to nurse back to health - or worse be Dead-On-Arrival (DOA) and not even boot up.
Many soon learn systems provided in such poor condition are backed with equally poor support.
The owners are clueless of
the machine's hardware configuration, software and driver versions, when or
if the error logs were checked, or if the system restore archive exists, has
been updated, or tested. In a nutshell, experiencing this first hand on our
own shows is what led us to purchasing our initial media servers.
ROCK SOLID MEDIA SERVER BUILDS AND RENTALS
Rock
Solid Media Servers require more prep time and test equipment than many
shops can spare in hours or have in knowledged capability within their labor
ranks. The absolute least required for media server prep is to restore
backups for all drives and confirm the system's applications start without issue.
Many just roll the dice - if it worked before without complaint - arrived
back with nothing rattling inside - powers and boots up - the machine is probably okay to
send out
again. Right?
Wrong!
" My Hippos have driven some huge shows in
extreme conditions on multi-month world wide tours - rarely having
problems - and have NEVER shown up onsite DOA.Machines are always
shipped in shock-proof equipment racks and cases with a critical component
spare parts kit. We quality check the hell
out of our media servers before they go out and when they come back home -
they are thoroughly inspected for damage and high wear components are replaced
regularly.All drives including media are formatted and restored from
virus free backups. Any software or driver updates needed are performed
followed by a fresh backup. Most importantly
the capabilities of each machine - including all input devices - must pass a
minimum 24hr
performance soak testing before
shipping out."
" Failure
is not an option on my shows and this is why I invested in owning top of the line media
servers. I cautiously began offering these to LD's and rental houses that
understand the stability of a media server depends not only on proper care
and maintenance but also operation and integration knowledge. We are not "account executives",
"sales associates", or "service technicians" we are designers and
programmers neck deep in shows just like you so when called with video
system questions or help with a programming challenge we actually know
what you are talking about. We ask detailed questions about the complete
video system to ensure the
onsite user has a good understanding of the media server and its planned
use. We will not rent our systems to just any strange ranger. My goal
is not to offer the lowest price - it is to offer the highest value."
" I personally
guarantee you won't find a better system than my Green Hippo media
servers - even from my oldest system - just ask around - or check out our
online reputation. Our media servers are almost always commented for being
not only in top condition but for running faster and more smoothly than many
other rental systems others have encountered prior to seeking us out. We may be Small in Size - but are Big in Stability,
and Support."
ADAM DUNAWAY BIOGRAPHY AND WORK HISTORY
Adam grew up working on theatrical productions in the small town of
Crossville, TN, where he was fortunate to have found a creative outlet with the
Cumberland County
Playhouse. After apprenticing at "The Playhouse" for many years on over
40 dramatic and musical productions, he left the small town finding his next gig at The
University of Tennessee,
Knoxville. While in Knoxville, Adam worked professionally as Lighting
Director for
Oak Ridge Civic Ballet,
First Light Dance Theatre, and a few other local theatre and ballet
companies until completing his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1995.
Not one to
settle down, Adam's next pursuit was a Master of Fine Arts degree at the
University of
Missouri, Kansas City. This provided a wonderful opportunity for him to
teach abroad at
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, England. Adam spent 2 years of his graduate studies
working and training at Mountview, completing his MFA degree in
1998.
After graduate school Adam joined the ranks of
Electronic Theatre
Controls, Inc. in Middleton, WI. This was another splendid
opportunity which allowed him to meet many professionals in the industry and
learn about large lighting and show control installation systems.
However, after a couple years Adam was ready to move toward the challenges of
industrial production design and coordination in the city of Chicago where he
joined
Images in
Illuminations and
Plexus
Productions to work with Joe West .
Adam worked with "Images" over the next four years,
learning more than could be imagined from Joe, who inspired him to go it
alone in summer of 2001 and incorporate
Dunaway Designs. In 2005 he and Joe West formed
Digital Stage Chicago
building a studio where each invested into current technologies to become
bulletproof at using them on productions and tour designs setting new
standards pushing each others design and imaginative capabilities.
Having workedwith PANI an PIGI projectors on many corporate
events, Adam was introduced to media servers in early 2001 when given a
Catalyst (v1.1) system to demo becoming instantly aware of the possible
advantages and future growth digital lighting would bring to lighting.
Adam's first use of Catalyst combined with Orbital Mirror
Head attachment for Barco R18 projectors was for his design on the 2002 Stanley Cup Games
for the Carolina Hurricanes - arguably this products first televised
use. The Program Director for the Hurricanes wanted PIGI projectors however
the budget could not afford them alongside the priority for indoor/outdoor
lighting and pyrotechnics.
The Catalysts and Barcos were less than 1/4 the cost
of PIGIs - of course at 1/4 the brightness. However, this was all that was needed
since the Catalyst's planned use was for a dramatic opening which started
with a complete blackout of the stadium lighting. Followed by Catalysts ballying Cup Trophys around the ice then right into a season highlight video
as the team skated out onto the ice - spotlights ballyed the audience while
stadium lights warmed back up for the game.
Adam was soon providing Catalyst design,
programming, and system support
to the greater Chicagoland area for Broadway in Chicago shows such as
"Wicked", Harpo Studios "Oprah", becoming
Intelligent Lighting Creations
media server guru of choice. This followed with a desire to demo and
work with newly emerging media servers and digital lighting products
as they came out alongside gaining a solid understanding of video systems,
projectors, and LED display products.
If a media
server product came into Chicago - Adam was one of the first designers
called to come take a look and/or keep it for awhile with follow up. His
regular work on designs using numerous DL3, Axon, Arkaos, M-Box, Maxxedia,
and of course
Green Hippo
- most often in concert to one another - continues to deliver exciting
spectacles. Adam became one of the first designers in the US to adopt Green
Hippo's Hippotizer media servers - and without doubt was the first
designer in Chicago doing such beginning with Harpo Studios V2 Hippo installation and operator training. This
project
later led to overseeing
the V2 Hippo installation for the "Today Show" in New York. In
seemingly little time Adam mastered the V2 Hippo and was being called for
installation consultation, training, emergency repair, and support for Green
Hippo's US distributor
TMB.
Other media servers reached a plateau that Green Hippo keeps expanding beyond
the ordinary
as it does even to this day.
Dunaway Designs
/ Digital Stage Chicago purchased Hippo V3 HD and Stage systems when the
product was released and now owns numerous Green Hippo V3 HD media server
systems in addition to Axons, Catalyst, and Arkaos. Expanding to control
systems we now carry PRG/Chamsys MagicQ100, Barco High End Wholehog III, and
MA Lighting GrandMA
consoles. In addition to owning media servers and control equipment for his
shows Adam also has an expanding array of video equipment and continues to
explore and train on almost every variety of digital lighting product that
is
available at our studio warehouse
Digital Stage Chicago
located at
2900 Lively Blvd, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007.
Adam continues to
live and work in both Chicago and Tennessee since they both have
so much to offer. Fortunate to have the support of his partner in life
Karen, friends, and family Adam continues to let his imagination guide him.
"There are so many people I owe my eternal gratitude to. And naturally, if you
have read all this, that would also include you. "
“Learn from yesterday, live for
today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
Albert Einstein