JOHN MURRAY PRODUCTIONS, Inc. Blog

49ers Groundbreaking

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:08:20 +0000

The San Francisco 49ers held a groundbreaking ceremony for their new stadium in Santa Clara this April, and John Murray Productions, Inc. worked with event producers E2K to design and implement a solution for their monumental event. A faux field was created for the photo op, complete with field graphics including the SF logo, whose red element was actually created using hard packed sand painted 49er red, and served as the ground to be broken by several VIPs of the 49er franchise. The large black and white SF element was created using our CNC router, and measured approximately 16′ wide by 8′ tall. The larger than life look was perfect for the unveiling of the new stadium location, and we look forward to working with E2K and the 49ers on future events.

NCMSDC 2012 Awards Gala

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:28:33 +0000

The Northern California Minority Supplier Development Council (NCMSDC) held their annual Awards Gala this April at the Westin St. Francis in Union Square, and John Murray Productions, Inc. was on hand for the fourth year running to provide the Glitz & Glam themed environment. The Grand Ballroom, Italian Room, and Colonial Room at the historic hotel were transformed into a magpie’s dream, as the decor consisted of all things shiny. Guests were greeted by a Glitz & Glam welcome treatment, highlighted by AV Images’ lighting effects. The Italian room was decked out with a black drape wall layered with a curtain of crystals, with the entrance to the Grand Ballroom flanked by art deco inspired towers. The stage featured our glitzy stainless steel tile set, accented with sparkling three dimensional NCMSDC letters and mirror balls, all complimented by a rouge velour backdrop. The podium and guest tables were accented with crystals, giving the whole room a consistent touch of sparkle. The after party was held in the Colonial room, which featured a ceiling treatment of gold and silver silk panels draped from side to side, as well as a Glitz & Glam photo op wall, where guests were invited to take professional photos. The custom stenciled wall featured pearl curtains and three dimensional ‘Glitz & Glam’ letters, providing an elegant backdrop for guests to pose for their close-up.

Darksiders II Media Gameplay Event

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:19:24 +0000

Video game creators THQ held a game play event at San Francisco’s Bentley Reserve where invited guests from the media and video game blogosphere came to test drive their latest game, Darksiders II. John Murray Productions, Inc. was brought on to provide the scenic environment for this interactive event, which included a 7′ tall scale model of the main character, Death, rigged in the center of the room. The Death mask was carved out of eps foam, and coated with a cement mixture which gave it an old stone-like texture. A final coat of paint and charcoal detailing gave the mask an aged feel, while keeping it relatively light. The mask weighed about 60 lbs when completed. The challenge came in rigging it within the historic building, with limited access and a tight installation window. Custom built crypts, re-purposed from the last event we did for Darksiders II, added to the eerily majestic feel of the space while large format graphics, assorted props and lighting effects provided by Holzmueller Productions completed the look. Click on this link for a quick video of the Making of Death

eBay WIN Summit 2012

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:27:55 +0000

When Ebay needed a high impact stage graphic for their Women’s Initiative Network Leadership Conference, Doug Murray at Cue One Go Production Services contacted John Murray Productions, Inc. to help design and build a 10′ wide three dimensional logo. The second annual event brings together the top women leaders from eBay Inc. and was held this year at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose. The set included a custom built dimensional logo which we created in our shop using our CNC router, large format printer, and foam carving tools. The face of the letters, routed out of MDF was used as a template for carving the body of the letters out of 5″ thick eps foam. The MDF was then mounted to the face, and the entire thing received a thin coating before painting. The idea bubble was printed and mounted to the face of the MDF, and a similar process was repeated to carve the foam. The logo was mounted on a matte piece of clear plexiglass and rigged with monofilament, which aided in the illusion of the floating graphic. A very accurate gobo was then created, allowing a tight projection of light on the face of the letters, creating a glowing drop shadow on the face of the pewter drapery used as the backdrop.

St. Regis Starwood Kickoff

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:58:16 +0000

Presentation Services at the St. Regis hotel in San Francisco contacted John Murray Productions, Inc. when they needed a high end, clean and simple set for the Starwood Hotels Sales Kickoff event taking place this Spring. While the majority of the event was being held nearby at the Moscone center, high level executives were invited to a private event at the St. Regis in the Gallery ballroom. The set consisted of a 50′ wide by 14′ tall bright white flat wall, with two screen surrounds flanking a center window featuring the hotel’s logo on a back-lit stretched fabric. While the stage was dressed minimally with seating for two and floral decor, the up lit flat wall and color changing center graphic allowed for a change of scene throughout the event. The result was clean and polished, and right on par with the level of sophistication expected from the St. Regis San Francisco.

Meet the Shop Bot!

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:17:39 +0000

Since our inception in 1989, John Murray Productions, Inc. has consistently grown in our capabilities. From a modest office space to a full scale scene shop, we have continually built our repertoire of skills, allowing for control over all aspects of the products and services we provide. Now meet our latest addition, a Shop Bot CNC router! This versatile machine can cut any vectored shape out of wood, plastic, metal and more. This amazing piece of machinery joined the shop at the end of 2011, and has already been put to great use. Now we have the capability of designing and fabricating a full range of products in a fraction of the time we may have previously spent, allowing for a more efficient and productive workshop. And with 2012 off to a swift start, the Shop Bot could not have come at a better time. From complicated custom built furniture to dimensional logos, the possibilities are endless! Feel free to contact us for your next custom build. In the meantime, check out the new machine in action by clicking here.

Darksiders II Press Release

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:25:59 +0000

John Murray Productions, Inc. worked with event producers Cake Group to transform the space at San Francisco’s Regency Center into a sanctuary of death for the press release of THQ’s latest game, Darksiders II. The game features Death, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, seeking to avenge his brother War who brought destruction to earth in Darksiders I. The goal was to create an even creepier feel to the Regency Center, an old Mason’s building in Nob Hill, where press and video game gurus were invited to preview the game and celebrate afterwards with a party. We achieved this by building four life size crypt replicas to sit in the window alcoves found in the Lodge room. Additional custom details included skull and bone catacomb images cut into the wood detailed walls, and replications of the skull medallions found throughout the game, which were hand carved and painted to match the beautiful wood finishing. Large format images of underground crypts added to the creepy feel, and the use of gothic candelabras throughout the space completed the look. Game graphics were used to accent the Regency room, a branded space where guests were introduced to the look of the game with large format prints including an 8′ x 14′ graphic wall, three 4′ x 8′ graphic flats, and a dimensional logo adhered above the fireplace. The Candidate room was also utilized as the press interview room, with an 8′ x 18′ step and repeat for use as a backdrop. The client was extremely happy, and the event a great success!

Chevron Human Energy Station at Harding Park

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:03:21 +0000

The Charles Schwab Cup Championship was held at Harding Park in San Francisco, and event sponsor Chevron brought on John Murray Productions, Inc. to design a studio set for their Human Energy Station. The Human Energy Station was a created to give young visitors exposure to the world of professional sportscasting with a hands on demo in TV production. The challenge came in transforming the clubhouse at Harding Park into a TV studio, complete with industrial themed film set, cameras, green screen and editing station. We created the look through the replication of warehouse like elements including weathered concrete walls and corrugated siding. The set, which was designed to look like a laboratory within a warehouse, included a custom built lab desk for reporters with a traditional classroom chalkboard for the background. Custom iPad kiosks were also installed and used as learning stations for the student visitors. The event was a huge success, and JMP looks forward to helping them with similar events on the continuing PGA Tour.

Remember Them: Champions for Humanity

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:04:47 +0000

Oakland artist Mario Chiodo’s four piece sculpture entitled “Remember Them: Champions for Humanity” honors humanitarians worldwide, and was commissioned by the City of Oakland to be placed at the Henry J. Kaiser park in downtown Oakland. The grand unveiling took place September 6th, and John Murray Productions, Inc. was proud to work with the Oakland Chamber of Commerce to manage the event from start to finish, including a dramatic unveiling of the 20′ tall $9 million sculptures. The unveiling drew a number of people from around the country who have ties to the humanitarians featured in the sculpture, including Malcolm X’s daughter; Oskar Schindler’s niece and the last living descendant of Frederick Douglass.

2011 Tech Awards

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:31:12 +0000

The 2011 Tech Awards, an annual event honoring individuals, non-profit organizations and for-profit companies who are using technology to improve human conditions around the world, were held this October at the Santa Clara Convention Center. John Murray Productions, Inc. in conjunction with McCune AV was on hand once again to fabricate and install the massive 154′ curved borderless screen. While re-purposing the giant screen we created for this event last year, we added a center curved section which allowed a gentle arc in the screen creating a seamless projection surface that practically spanned the entire length of the convention center’s largest hall. The look was striking, and dramatic. Photos courtesy of Charlotte Fiorito.