The Truth Behind the Photo Montage

Photo montages aren’t our most popular offering, but we do get a decent amount of requests for them each month. Although it seems many people don’t know how to do them/show them properly. Let me give you the run down on what you can expect when you want to show pictures or a DVD at your event.

You have two options to play back your media (DVD, pictures or powerpoint), a plasma screen and a projection screen. Most of the time, the projection screen is what comes to mind first. And that is, 90% of the time, the wrong option*. Here’s why.

Projection screens offer a big viewing area and that’s about the best thing they offer. The screen itself takes up a huge footprint, so it disrupts the visual layout of the room. With a projection screen, you need a projector, which means you need, on average, about 10-12 feet in front of or behind the screen. Usually people use a pull down screen, which means when you are ready to show your media, someone is going to have to pull the screen down, set up the projector and run all of the cables. All this while guests are enjoying their dinner and wondering what’s going on. Not what most people want to have happen at their event. When the presentation is done, it all has to be moved, or worse, come down!

Instead, we suggest plasma screens. Two screens is perfect for about 225-250 people. They take up a very small footprint, look visually appealing and allow for instant viewing and no setup time. It is the best option for any type of playback.

Here are the different options we have done at events:
-2 plasma screens, one on either side of the ballroom for playback of picture slide show, DVD or ambient DVD’s.
-Screen set up during cocktail hour for video playback on loop.
-Photographers using the screens to show the pictures they shot throughout the day.
-Instead of projecting your monogram on the floor in lighting, use the screens to display it.
-The plasma bar! Use this as a specialty drink bar and your guests will rave for a long time!



*For many corporate events, projection screens are the best option. We are simply talking about social events in a typical venue that holds 200-300 people. Please speak with Matt or Kelly for more information.

-Jason

Michelle and Sam

It took six workers and almost six hours of labor, but when our team was done setting up for Michelle and Sam’s wedding, we knew we had created something extraordinary.

They had their ceremony and reception at the Loews Hotel at 12^th and Market Street. The Loews is quite an impressive venue and it’s perfect for weddings of 300+ guests like Michelle and Sam’s. Located in the oldest skyscraper in Philadelphia (the PSFS building), the Loews links history and modern elegance as its immaculate renovations deliver a very sleek and contemporary feel. Michelle and Sam came to Synergetic to enhance this beautiful venue with added lighting, draping, A/V upgrades, and of course, good music.

The production crew and I arrived at the Loews at 11:30am. We had a lot of work to do before the ceremony at 6:00pm. We first got to work on the lighting in the Millennium Ballroom where the reception was held. Michelle and Sam added up-lighting in amber, a dance floor wash, and pin-spotting to highlight their 27 centerpieces. We also set up a projector screen directly over the DJ booth that allowed guests to view slideshows of Michelle and Sam throughout the night. Their guests really got a kick out of that!

We also contributed to the ceremony by setting up 40 feet of drape with amber up-lighting.This created a beautiful backdrop that made for some wonderful pictures of Michelle and Sam exchanging their vows.

During the cocktail hour in the Millennium Foyer, I brought Sam into the ballroom to make sure he was satisfied with all the work we had done. He was speechless! The room itself accompanied by the city-scape that surrounds the ballroom made for an amazing sight. After all that work, the party was just getting started.

Michelle and Sam had a lot they wanted to do throughout the reception. They had parent dances, bouquet and garter toss, a traditional tea ceremony, and several slide shows that we projected on our screen. It was important that I kept strong communication between myself and the staff at the Loews to make sure we stayed on schedule. When there is a lack of organization among vendors, a wedding will tend to drag, usually resulting in less dance time at the end of the evening. Dance time is my favorite part of the night! So, before every wedding, I always review the timeline with photographers, videographers, day of coordinators, maître Ds, and any other professional involved in the reception.

On this night, I was able to get a solid two and a half hours of dance time. This is the point where the DJ can make or break your reception. I was recently at a wedding where the DJ was very professional: well-dressed, well-spoken, and handled formalities well. But at the end of the night when he had to show his true DJ skills, he was exposed. If you have guests at your wedding, like Michelle and Sam’s, who are expecting to dance, you need a DJ who can deliver in this spot. It’s these last two to three hours that separates me from your average wedding DJ. So what do I do to keep your guests on the floor?

Before anything, I come to the wedding prepared. Michelle, Sam, and I talked about songs and genres that they thought would work really well with their guests. We also discussed other factors that would contribute to my song selection: the length of the reception, demographic breakdown of guests, and their overall vision of what they wanted from me as a DJ. This information allows me to make a mental blueprint for where I should take the night weeks before the event.

When I’m spinning my music, I try to put myself in the position of the guests on the dance floor. If I was out there with them, what would I want the DJ to do? When mixing song to song, I am constantly aware of tempo, dynamics, and rhythm. By managing these factors, I make seamless transitions and can continuously build the energy in the room without any awkward breaks in the music. This the part of the night your guests will remember the most, so make sure you have a DJ that can keep the dance floor alive.

Michelle and Sam’s wedding was one that I will always remember. It was certainly quite a production! I was very pleased that the Synergetic team and I were able to meet and exceed their expectations with our lighting design and my service as a DJ. Best of luck to them in the future!

For more information on Synergetic, or to set up an appointment, contact Kelly at our office: 215-633-1200.

-Kyle

Thanks so much to Jea Lee Photography for the images.