In 2018, I lived in
New York City and worked full-time as a Creative Producer.

Every year, a global team of producers worked together on a few major international projects, one of them being Colour Conference. Colour Conference was a global conference with a mission to unite and empower women to know their purpose and worth. The largest conference was hosted in Sydney, Australia, and has been going on at this time for over 22 years. Every year, the movement of the Australia conference would send out a global train of gatherings in Cape Town, London, New York City, LA, and usually finishing its marathon in Kiev.

Global Team: Mandy Butler (South Africa), Cass Langton (Australia), Lauren Brook (USA), Kirsty Trindade (UK)

The purpose of this team was to create openers and performances for the conference using creativity to capture the audience's hearts and to communicate differently than just thru a speech. For example, these moments could build anticipation and expectation as an opener to the night or arrest the room with an inspiring song after unpacking a heavier topic. They were full of intentionality, making room for revelation and a way to seal a beautiful memory.

To create inspiring performance pieces for the program, our global team wrestled for many months to outline the key moments we had. The last one we still needed to land was the session after lunch when everyone would probably be struggling with that post-lunch nap time vibes. An opener was needed to rally the women, inject energy into the last half of the conference, and get people smiling.

I was aware of an idea to do a boy band medley, and I knew there had to be a better option we could rally for. To me, this idea seemed overdone and not very exciting. Despite being on vacation in Disney World with my family, I couldn't miss the meeting in case the plan was implemented, so I called in. I felt strongly that every woman would want to see HERSELF on that stage, being confident, letting loose, being her genuine and authentic self in her skin, wearing sick clothes, and lighting up a room. This was the time to celebrate sisterhood!

So right there in the middle of Epcot,

So right there in the middle of Epcot, probably standing in Paris, cause my heart always leads me to my french love, I spoke up and pitched this idea. "How about five talented rad-looking chicks, who all play instruments, bold in their moves and performances, singing a nostalgic song everyone knows but may haven't heard in years? What better way to unite a room than getting everyone up on their feet, singing, and dancing?

Although I was apprehensive about the team's reactions, everyone agreed and felt committed. I have to take a second and publicly say I know that a girl band isn't necessarily revolutionary or progressive in thought or idea. I wasn't trying to push any significant creative boundaries or to shock anyone from that standpoint. At the end of the day, we wanted a moment for women to let their hair down, feel like rock stars, and have a good time. So that's where we started.

“My advice to anyone out there who runs from conflict in a brainstorming meeting is that a team will never push through the creative ceiling if everyone goes along with the first idea. Speak up and be sure you aren’t walking away feeling like you should have been honest about your perspective. It’s OK to be wrong at the end of the day, but not OK to never put it out there. Create a safe environment, be honest with each other, and say when you feel like the team is settling.”

At this point, I could see, hear, and feel what the girls should be like, what instruments they'd play, and what their wardrobe would be, but I wanted some help aligning the art direction with the entire concept. I had worked with Dan on several other projects and knew I could count on him to bring my vision to life. Our creative collaboration seemed effortless and has been a source of pride ever since. So it was easy to ask for his help putting the finishing touches on this idea.

“Chemistry between the creative producer and art director is essential for a successful project; one must be able to communicate the dream and provide a framework while the other creates the visual landscape. Without alignment between these aspects, there’s no guarantee that what you have in your head will be executed.”

OK, I need to be transparent. I'm in uncharted territory here, and I know it. I've never written a blog before, and I'm not sure my writing skills are up to par. I've struggled with putting this out there (ask Dan) because my imposter syndrome would tell me it would suck, and who even cares. But I'm trying to be less attached to the perfection of my thoughts and begin to put my experiences out there. So what do you want to know? The story behind the process, the feature itself, the production elements, advice from lessons learned? Here's me stepping past my fear and giving this a go. I appreciate your patience.

Starting with the main foundation, the song itself, let's break it down by creative medium.

THE SONG

I was on a road trip with some friends when my mate Dalton played a new version of Donna Lewis' debut single, "I love you always and forever," by Betty Who. Now let me tell you. It took me back to my middle school boyfriend, who made me a mix tape with this song on it. Oh, young love. I don't know if it took me back to my crush on the middle schooler or James Van Der Beek, as this song, I'm sure, was monumental in some Dawson Creek's episode. The melody and the lyrics have this iconic simplicity that reminds people of young love, a tune that has stuck with them for years. But Betty Who's take on it was so fresh, vibey, and almost ethereal that I could envision it immediately. And this song had that type of magic.

“As a producer, you will hear songs and know if they have the energy to capture a room, big or small. Listen for the moments, understand your environment, and what would resound with the culture. This is where most things can go wrong. The most essential part of creating a performance piece is identifying the sound. ”

THE GIRL GANG

The next thing that came to me naturally was the vibes of this chill laid, back girl gang. I wanted to see an eclectic group of women, diverse in their looks and energy. My main requirement was that they had the ability to sing, dance, play an instrument, and perform well; higher stakes casting than usual for this kind of performance piece! Usually, it's easy to cast at least one of those individuals, but FIVE!!! Ha, it was definitely a feat. But we began taking auditions for our girl gang, or as we began to affectionately call them, our Rad Chicks.

“When casting any collection of performers, they can’t just be good on their own. They have to be great TOGETHER. So the strategy here is to identify your lead, then grow from there. ”

THE BANDSTAND

I'm a huge fan of Brandon Flowers (lead singer of The Killers); I mean, who isn't? Inspired by the bandstands used on their tour years before this, Dan and I began to design symbols that we felt represented the essence of sisterhood. (signs of love, energy, strength, and beauty). Dan mocked these drawings up, and our prop and set design team in Australia had them cut out using a CNC cutter. We added LED tape to illuminate each one differently so that their bandstands lit up when the performers played their instruments. Yes, a lighting designer's worst nightmare. Lots of timecode, Ha.

“Intentionality in the layers of your concept will bring your project depth and individuality. Every piece matters. Don’t just do something cause it’s cool, do it because it comes from within YOU!”

THE INSTRUMENTS

Our girls did a fantastic job playing each of their own instruments - drum pads, keys, synth, and tambourine - with confidence while singing and dancing. To ensure they got it right, our music director recorded the choreography for each part so the girls could practice first. Then Daniel Gooden, our fantastic lighting designer, worked with his team to program the same moves and musical parts to be lit up together in perfect timing. They really outdid themselves!

THE WARDROBE

The creative direction behind the wardrobe for the gang was simple. All white with assorted textures. We wanted the main singer to have a jacket with embroidery to make her stand out. Fringe was also added to the jacket, but we used small metal chains instead of leather tassels, giving it a rock-and-roll touch. These metallic pieces were also found in other elements of the girl's wardrobe to unify them all.

THE LIGHTING DESIGN

There was an element about this production that, as a producer, I was very aware of, and that was these beautiful kinetic lights in our lighting package. They were X-Lighting automated DMX winch hoists with LED tubes and balls on the end. I wanted them to be the star of the show just as much as the ladies were going to be. These lights worked in tandem to astonish the audience by creating shapes, signs, and dynamics that almost acted like a rollercoaster ride, always providing something new and exciting.

THE ART DIRECTION

We wanted the art direction of the media to grow in dynamics throughout the song. We started with creating an intimate look where we backlit our lead singer with a simple white background and used the kinetic lights to create a low ceiling above her. As the song's dynamics grew and the other "Rad Chicks" began to sing and play, the graphics on the LED wall and the kinetic lights grew in intensity, matching the energy and excitement our girl gang brought to the stage. With a 30ft tall LED wall and hundreds of kinetic lights in the ceiling, we were keenly aware of their ability to outshine our performers. Therefore with the media, we created simple gradient images that filled the space with color but did not distract. With the media, we also created negative space for the kinetic lights to act as a ceiling, and as the "room shifted," it would give the perspective that the room was moving. It was a fun experiment.

“Don’t be afraid to try something new and unexpected. Our production elements work and function in predictable ways, but settling for the obvious could lead to a flat production. Turning things on their heads and experimenting with their capabilities is another way to take the audience on a journey.”

As a creative producer, I learned the importance of stepping into the room with a clear vision for every detail of the project. Don't let that pressure cripple you, but lean into it. Stay collaborative. Stay humble and confident in the same breath. And never stop learning. You will continue to be trusted and inspiring to work alongside. In the end, you will be surrounded by a beautiful piece that feels genuine, fresh, and engaging with a room that knew it was hand-crafted for them. This is how you leave a lasting impression on your audience. And that is the most rewarding feeling.