Adryan Daynes

Adryan heads a successful production company that covers a lot of ground. Their specialty is live events and International Productions, has done many of them. Let's find out a bit more about Adryan.

Geoff: Let's just clear this up. Is Brad Pitt really your twin brother?

Adryan: Yes.

Geoff: When did you start in the industry and where?

Adryan: 1986 as a musician (don't we all start that way?)

Geoff: What was your specialty on early productions? What else did you do?

Adryan: Audio was always my thing, and then I discovered graphics and the possibilities for screen. I migrated to live productions including the whole event production and finally video.

Geoff: What was it about the industry that grabbed your imagination and made you want to be part of it?

Adryan: The idea of making a production slick and seamless has always appealed to me. Trying to get the best sound for a good band, making the visuals breathtaking or just having the simplest of shows delivered well above expectations.

Geoff: Did anyone in particular inspire you?

Adryan: Not really, I didn’t know too many people when I started.

Geoff: When did International Productions start?

Adryan: I started International Productions in 2001 but I’ve been producing for about 15 years now

Geoff: Was this your first foray into business?

Adryan: I ran an event with a graphics company I was working with and found I enjoyed the live side of things… and 15 years later I still find it a lot of fun.

Geoff: What sort of mix is your business. I know you do a lot of event management, but you always have a large component of video work as well?

Adryan: There are 3 components to International Productions – Conferences, Special Events and Video production. Conferences and Special Events need vision on screen and that’s where our video production comes in. I would have to say 90% of our events have a lot of video content that we create in-house. Then of course there are our stand alone corporate videos on top of that.

Geoff: I’m always impressed how you and some of our other clients can make something interesting. How do you get an interesting story line?

Adryan: Let’s face it, sometime the video content is downright yawn material! We believe a good soundtrack and good graphical elements are a must. Where possible a little humor helps too. Anything to keep the audiences attention.

Geoff: Is the story the most important thing or does it vary job to job? I mean some productions survive on pretty pictures?

Adryan: Pretty pictures are sometimes all a client has! There are a couple of options (depending on budget) shoot something, an actor, or some related footage etc… A lot of time the client has absolutely no recourses at all. and we have to make something out of nothing. The other very important aspect is a good soundtrack. I think people take audio for granted all the time – I believe some times it drive a good production.

Geoff: Tell us about one of the more crazy ideas that you have made happen at an event?

Adryan: Years ago (1998) I produced the first major event at the then new Sydney Aquatic Centre for Panasonic. It was a James Bond theme and I needed something out of this world to compliment the clients new technology. I decided to put Jet skis towing skiers and a hovercraft onto the shinny new Olympic pool. After months of trials and approvals with the Aquatic Center we finally got the go ahead. On the show evening we ended up with the jet skis jumping through a 20 meter water wall and the hovercraft going from the diving pool over the deck area and into the main pool to pyrotechnics and music by Margaret Urlich. Apparently we paved the way for others to do the same thing. That was fun!!!

Geoff: Where do you get ideas to work into future jobs?

Adryan: That’s the $64,000.00 dollar question! It’s always a challenge to come up with something new – Generally it all starts with good briefing from the client on the objective they want to meet. We then bring it back to the office and everyone gets together and we work through a lot of ideas around the table, usually a good team effort.

Geoff: How do you deal with ‘personalities’ that you use to host events?

Adryan: You know, most “personalities” are actually good to work with. It’s only a couple that are a bit of a pain. Sometimes you’ve just got to bite you tongue and smile. Getting people offside before a show won’t produce a good result for anyone.

Geoff: How do you go about choosing the right entertainment for an event? You must have struck entertainers/bands/comedians, who didn’t deliver?

Adryan: Yes and just recently we have had some that were recommended by agents and they just weren’t up to scratch. The best advise is to take the time to go and see the act/entertainment performing for yourself. It’s the only way to be sure they will work for you.

Geoff: When you do get a dud act or host, how does that effect your relationship with the client?

Adryan: I get the client involved in the process. If possible get the client to come with you to see the act. That way you get an approval straight up and the client then takes the responsibility not you.

Geoff: What is the health of the corporate market? Do you have to niche yourself more these days?

Adryan: I believe the corporate market is very healthy (well for us anyway!) we are looking at put more staff on to cope with the demand.

Geoff: Do clients expect more for their dollar these days?

Adryan: Yes, there is a lot of transparency these days with budgets. However in saying that any client worth having recognizes the value of quality. International Productions is not the cheapest production company around, but our client know the value for money they receive from us that goes well beyond the dollar figure.

Geoff: If they do expect more, why is that? What has changed in the corporate mind?

Adryan: I think the corporate market has got smarter with what’s out there. Many of them do their own small AV productions which is fine. When the client engage us to look after their production they expect a better result than before because so many elements are available in the domestic market these days, i.e. Video editing software and PowerPoint.

Geoff: What do you love about running your own production business? What drives you nuts about it?

Adryan: Firstly I have the opportunity to be around for my kids when I want to. But on a business note I still find it fun to do, it never the same and always interesting. And in the end the success of the business is completely up to me. The “Nuts” side of it is having to know every aspect of running a business – the finance, budgeting, staffing, equipment and just keeping up with technology is a pure hell as its moving so fast.

Geoff: You have a good team of people working with you. How do you go about finding the right people that you can trust with a major client?

Adryan: That is another very hard element to our business. Trying to find good staff that are good with clients is extremely difficult. One problem we have is that we are at Castle Hill. Very close to most of our clients, but it’s hell to find good people out our way. So… If you are an experienced producer that is looking for a good career with an established exciting production company… call me on 02 9659 8855!!!

Geoff: Where do you see the special events/corporate industry headed over the next decade?

Adryan: I think the events industry is a fast growing industry. The technology available to us these days is unbelievable. Some expensive and some more cost effective and yet very effective. In the 1990s I did a lot of shows internationally then after 9/11 all international conferences and show stopped almost overnight. It is only now that the corporate market is starting to venture overseas again. In another ten years I am a little scared to think of the technology that will be at out fingertips. I believe the market will be much more competitive because of the cost effectiveness of this.

Geoff: Can you see the market changing so that big business will use people like you rather than agencies to promote their companies?

Adryan: That’s one I can’t answer as I don’t understand why big business don’t go straight to production companies like us now rather than agencies. Where do you think the agencies go? – to production companies like us!!!

Geoff: Do you see the corporate market working much like it is in ten years, or will it have different delivery methods of media/events and bigger expectations of what’s possible?

Adryan: The expectations of the corporate market gets bigger every year and thankfully the technology for this delivery is moving ahead very fast too. In the end the client objectives is to communicate a message. It’s just which method we choose to deliver it – Video, actors on stage, visual effects etc…

Geoff: How has technology affected the way you do things in comparison to ten years ago?

Adryan: Amazing, unbelievable, amazing, fantastic… did I mention amazing? Technology in video production alone has come so far that we are now doing things in a single day in post production that would have taken a week a little over ten years ago. Today we also do things in out edit suites that were only possible in the big multi million dollar film production studios ten years ago. Did I mention amazing?

Geoff: What hobbies do you have to get away from the business? I’ve seen you pick up a guitar at our studio. Can we expect a single shortly?

Adryan: Hobbies? I read about those once. I play squash and when I can, I like to watch my boys sports. As far as the single goes… Its been so long since I’ve played any instrument, that when I pick up a guitar I’ve got to think about which way to hold the thing up!

Geoff: Your most forgettable moment in the business? What has been your best production and why?

Adryan: Being a guest at someone else’s show and cringing as everything when wrong – Power went out, vision machines crashed and lighting on stage wouldn’t work – that’s one reason on live jobs we always have back-up machines. As far as the best goes. It would probably be when I was filming in Hong Kong a couple of years ago. Not a big job, but probably the most satisfying. I found myself front row at the Chinese new year parade (Spectacular!!!) and standing waist deep in spent fire crackers filming the Chinese dragons. I lived on 2 ½ hours sleep a night for 5 days as I was filming and editing the whole job on-site by myself. The end result turned out very well (if I do say so myself).

Geoff: When have you had the most fun working?

Adryan: I try to live by “if you aren’t having fun doing it – you shouldn’t be doing it” I tell my staff this too. Unfortunately we all have to work, so at lest try to enjoy yourself while you are working. Roadshows are allot of long hours and hard yackka – but they also turn out to be the most fun with the crew.

Geoff: Tell me how you keep your body looking so good like Brad's.

Adryan: Photoshop.

Thanks to Adryan for letting us know about his life and business.

You can find out more about International Productions at the web site.