
Calrec Craft Interview: Florian Brown, A1
Brie Clayton March 27, 2023
0 Comments
Last year, veteran A1 Florian Brown spent a full day at Florida-based Full Sail University talking to students about what it's like to work as an A1 and the benefits of working in the broadcast audio. His talk covered many of the different freelance possibilities in audio, video, EVS, editing and more.
Brown began working as an A1 in 1995 and over the past 17 years, his career has led him to work on high-profile events such as the US Open (Tennis) where he worked as an audio supervisor. He's also worked on Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the ABC NFL Football draft. He's been using Calrec consoles for the duration of his career and during his time at Full Sail, he had a Calrec Artemis console on hand to show the students what it would be like to work on an audio mixing console that's so prevalent in broadcast.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself: How did you get started in professional audio?
My father was a freelance A1. He started at a news affiliate in Cleveland and then became the Audio Guarantee for Laclede Communications. But they struggled to find A1s so he mixed most of the shows himself. He then went freelance in 1988. I joined the Army and went to nursing school to become a licensed nurse practitioner. Once I got out of the service, nursing no longer appealed to me, so my father suggested I go down and work as a utility in his field. I was putting up ice mics on my first day. The rest is history.
2. How long have you been working in the broadcast industry and more specifically as an A1?
I started in the field in 1995 working as a utility and I was quickly promoted to A2. By 1998, a couple of the regular A1s moved out of town and the local crewer asked if I would be interested. I asked if taking the role would mean more work? Little did I know it was the start of what has been a wonderful and fulfilling career for me.
3. What are some major projects/broadcasts you've recently worked on and/or are currently working on?
I mix a lot of tennis including Wimbledon and the Australian Open. I'm one of the Audio Supervisors at the US Tennis Open. I also currently mix a lot of golf US Open, TPC Sawgrass, British Open, and the Ryder/Presidents Cup. I mixed last year's pre-game Super Bowl show and the ABC NFL Draft. I even mixed the Indy 500 back in the day. I've worked on almost every sport.
4. What are the highlights of being an A1? What makes the job exciting and why is it a good professional path?
The best part of being an A1 is never knowing just how your day is going to unfold. Some days are easy, some days are more challenging, but it's always interesting and it's certainly never boring! You get a real jolt of exhilaration every time you go live, plus a real sense of accomplishment after the show.
5. Tell us about the talk you gave at Full Sail University. How did it come about?
I was asked by Chris Fichera, VP of Group One (Calrec's US partner) if I would be interested in explaining the profession to some younger minds. I live in Tampa and Orlando, where Full Sail is, so just a short drive, so it seemed like a no brainer. We just discussed all the different opportunities and how easy it is to jump into the business.
6. Why did Full Sail University decide to do this education session with you?
I have worked with a couple of Full Sail graduates. I helped their careers, so Vincent Lepore, (Full Sail University's former Director, Event Technical Operations), heard of me through them and thought it would be good to get an experienced operator in to discuss the business. I was immediately intrigued at the idea and very happy to take this on.
7. What topics did you cover in your education session?
We covered all the different freelance positions available in audio, video, EVS, editing and more. We discussed what traits the crewing department and bosses on site are looking for. I made it clear to the students that punctuality and a good attitude are first and foremost.
8. We understand you did some demos/tutorial on the Calrec Artemis console. What did you show the students and why did you choose the Artemis for this? What were the benefits to the students for you to use the Artemis?
There were over 40 people in the audience, I wanted to show them that what an A1 does isn't much different from show to show and sport to sport. You can set up a loose default and that then becomes the bones for almost every sports broadcast. The idea was to take some of the magic and mystery out of the process. Calrec is the premier console for American sports and the Artemis, specifically, is widely used in this industry. It is prevalent in the industry and it made sense to use the audio console that I think students will encounter the most in their careers. Afterwards, lots of people had questions. I think they appreciated hearing from someone actually working in the business with almost two decades of experience.
9. What was the overarching goal of the event? What was your aim?
Sports broadcasting needs new, young, fresh talent. The problem is that not many folks know that these professions exist. You also don't have to travel 250 days a year to be successful.
Related COW News
March 14, 2023Producing for TikTok: Learn How KQED Is Adapting Its Video Editing Workflow to Serve a New Viewing DemographicEvolve or Die has to be the most defining phrase of the
February 23, 2023openGear Freedom with the Power of 12GIf you're a fan of openGear, it's most likely because it gives
10. How familiar are you with Calrec's technology?
Last year, I took a trip to Hebden Bridge in the UK where Calrec is headquartered, but I have been using their technology ever since I started mixing. Calrec consoles are some of the best in the bu
North America Stories
31/05/2023
Sinclair subsidiary Diamond Sports Group has decided to no longer pay Major League Baseballs San Diego Padres and has dropped the team from the Bally Sports reg...
31/05/2023
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, announced that the Dalet Flex media logistics solution for digital media manageme...
31/05/2023
BroadcastAsia, part of Asia Tech x Singapore, brings together the broadcast, media and entertainment industry from across Asia and the Pacific Rim. Taking its r...
31/05/2023
Global sustainability scheme designed by albert, in partnership with Arup.
BBC Studioworks has been commended as the highest-ranking studio facilitator in the ...
31/05/2023
On the heels of several major announcements including its new US facility, its partnership with Brklyn Media and its AWS cloud video headend for a major Europea...
31/05/2023
Leighton Buzzard, UK, May 31st, 2023 Custom Consoles announces the completion of a production control desk and monitor display support system for one of Brita...
31/05/2023
Test & measurement innovator, PHABRIX, has announced that it will showcase its new QxP portable waveform monitor, QxL 25G IP ST 2110 rasterizer as well as its r...
31/05/2023
FOR-A Corporation heads to InfoComm with a complete live production ecosystem, including new innovations to grab attendee interest at the annual pro AV show. FO...
31/05/2023
Experience Commerce won this mandate for Karcher India for the second year in a row.
Experience Commerce, a leading digital marketing agency and part of the Ch...
31/05/2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. The FCC has agreed in part to delay the implementation of a requirement that television broadcasters aurally describe visual but non-textual em...
31/05/2023
BALTIMORE Sinclair has confirmed that it has sold a controlling stake in the Stadium Network to Chicago White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf....
31/05/2023
SHELTON, Conn. Anton/Bauer has launched Salt-E Dog, a sodium-based 9kWh mobile power source designed for motion picture and television production....
31/05/2023
A Legacy of Her Own Classical guitarist Berta Rojas discusses a banner year of awards, honors, and the return of her irreplaceable stolen instrument.
By
Mar...
31/05/2023
Michelle Heron has rejoined WRCB Chattanooga as morning anchor, working alongside Paul Shahen and Alison Pryor. She steps in for Lori Mitchell, who is moving on...
31/05/2023
Stars on Mars, an unscripted show that sees a group of celebrities try to survive in a setting that looks and feels like the red planet, debuts on Fox Monday, J...
31/05/2023
Brightcove said it named Teresa Tang senior VP, head of analytics, data science ...
31/05/2023
DirecTV made a deal with startup Telly to give new DirecTV Stream customers priority access to the free TV sets Telly is giving to viewers....
31/05/2023
Free ad-supported streaming TV service Xumo Play said it is bringing back its annual Game Show Week, starting Sunday....
31/05/2023
May 30 features a competition series staple season premiering on NBC, and a new entry to the category starting up as well. Season 18 of America's Got Talent...
31/05/2023
As Netflix begins its password-sharing crackdown in the U.S., a new survey shows that nearly half of all the service's users currently share their password ...
31/05/2023
Sinclair Broadcast Group said it sold its controlling interest in sports network Stadium to Jerry Reinsdorf's Silver Chalice....
31/05/2023
PBS Kids, GBH Kids and PRX have partnered on the podcast Keyshawn Solves It, which features a 10-year-old African-American boy on a mission to discover what h...
31/05/2023
Fox is behind The Mars Bar, a pop-up wine bar in Los Angeles set up to celebrate upcoming competition series Stars on Mars. The bar will take over Scum & Villai...
30/05/2023
It's hard to imagine life today without a phone close by that's able to immediately do all of the everyday things people need to do on demand. Instant a...
30/05/2023
TORONTO ARRI Rental North America has opened a new 8,200-square-foot facility in Toronto to provide comprehensive access to its rental services and equipment, s...
30/05/2023
LOS ANGELES Telly and DirecTV Stream have signed an agreement that will give new DirecTV Stream customers priority access to the Telly waiting list to get a fre...
30/05/2023
Hollywood Held at The Studios at Paramount
Spirits are up in anticipation of the industry s number one opportunity to learn, see, share, and mingle with friend...
30/05/2023
Canon Introduces its Most Affordable, Compact, and Lightweight EOS R Camera Ever...
30/05/2023
Live Social Media Content for Time Warp Mannheim Powered by Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton May 30, 2023
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced th...
30/05/2023
Pixellot Launches The Show S3 Camera New Standard in AI-Automated Sports Video...
30/05/2023
Mobile production company Gravity Media has signed a long-term contract with ATP...
30/05/2023
Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED screens, is pleased to announce the distribution agreement signed with Vitech US Inc. for this Miami-based compa...
30/05/2023
Singapore, May 30th, 2023 Ikegami (www.ikegami.co.jp/en), a leader in HD and UHD cameras and production equipment for TV broadcasters, networks and other cont...
30/05/2023
Planetcast Media Services, a leading broadcast technology and media services provider, announces it is showcasing the global company's comprehensive portfol...
30/05/2023
RLC64 ideal for new or retro-fit IP-based OB vehicles and flypacks in critical and live production broadcast environments
Nixer Pro Audio has expanded its rang...
30/05/2023
May 30th, 2023 PlayBox Neo, a global leader in media management and playout solutions, announces the completion of a newsroom production and news playout syst...
30/05/2023
EnGo mobile transmitters and GateWay network aggregation solution invaluable to shopping channel's business continuity during unexpected connectivity loss
...
30/05/2023
The Little Mermaid Cinematography with Dion Beebe ACS ASC
Brie Clayton May 29, 2023
0 Comments
Disney's live-action adaptation of THE LITTLE MERMAI...
30/05/2023
Tribeca Film Festival Entry Sealed Off Graded in DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2023
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that the...
30/05/2023
Inside the production of the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship By George Bevir
Friday, May 26, 2023 - 08:30
Print This Story
Latvia v Norway at the ...
30/05/2023
2023 French Open: Tennis Channel Deploys Hybrid Workflow for First-Ball to Last-...
30/05/2023
Mark Schubin's NAB 2023 Recap By SVG Staff
Tuesday, May 30, 2023 - 11:01 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Emmy-award-winning SMPTE ...
30/05/2023
Back to All News
Grammy Award-Winning Singer And Songwriter Erykah Badu to Make...
30/05/2023
Back to All News
Top 10 Week of May 22: FUBAR' and The Mother' Top th...
30/05/2023
FHighlights Include Alfalite Panels, Signal Processor with Color Correction, EZTrack Camera Tracking, ClassX XR, and NDI -compatible Switcher
Alfalite Litep...
30/05/2023
Editor's note: This post is part of our weekly In the NVIDIA Studio series, ...
29/05/2023
COW Job Listing: Animation Supervisor in Madrid, Spain
Brie Clayton May 29, 2023
0 Comments
Animation Supervisor
May 30, 2023Pixellot Launches The Sh...
29/05/2023
Quick Cheats to Make Your Videos Look Amazing
Graham Quince May 29, 2023
0 Comments
In this video, I share my cheats / hack template project I use to e...
29/05/2023
Back to All News
Fiesta En La Madriguera, The New Film By Manolo Caro, Starring...
28/05/2023
MediaTek, a leading innovator in connectivity and multimedia, is teaming with NV...