In the production meetings that are scheduled in the weeks before a big event, the most critical thing I do is to listen. I listen to the scenic designer, I listen to the choreographer, I listen to the producer, and I listen to the director. I want to absorb as much of their input as possible so that I can give them exactly what they are looking for. In those same meetings, I pitch ideas. I gather photos and/or clips ahead of time and bring them with me to the meetings. And I am not afraid to use e-mail. As I search for visual content, I can easily send the production team a link to a photo or clip and ask for their feedback. And through that process, the visual concept for the show begins to take shape.
-Vickie Claiborne, from "Video Digerati," PLSN, Jan. 2011
