NAB 2010 Summary

I went to NAB with two goals: First, I wanted to touch a bunch of gear that I’ve only had the opportunity to read about – things like technocranes, enormous switchers, and 3D camera rigs. Second, I wanted to meet face-to-face with a bunch of my motion graphics friends and heroes from around the world; many of whom I have worked with remotely, but never met in person.

It was a real treat for me to get some one-on-one time with After Effects legends like Eran Stern, Nick Campbell, Aharon Rabinowitz, Harry Frank, John Dickinson, Rob Birnholtz, Topher Welch and several more.

Some of my personal show highlights included watching C4D demonstrations at the Maxon booth, getting to (briefly) play with a working prototype of the 5K Epic-X, and talking with some members of the After Effects development team about what I’d like to see in future releases.

All of this was amazing – and it made the trip a worthwhile success. After this year’s experience, I’m definitely planning on making NAB an annual event.

But even with all these wins, I left Vegas feeling pretty small – which is a really gracious thing. After all, the whole experience is designed to make you feel significant – at least temporarily.

And here’s what I thought was really interesting; the Stratosphere, the hotel where I stayed, did a great job of advertising their 108 story casino tower and it’s “breathtaking views” above the strip. They knew that a change of even a couple hundred vertical feet could radically change a person’s perception of reality. From the street level, all the buildings look enormous. But from just a little higher up, relative to the surrounding mountains, we begin to see how insignificant we really are.

So this is what fascinated me; if the deepest joys in life came from chasing everything that Vegas has to offer, there would be no need for an observation deck on the Stratosphere tower. It simply wouldn’t exist. We wouldn’t long to see splendor, or beauty, or have our breath taken away by a desert sunset. Instead, we could all stay happily indoors forever playing with our software, shooting our cameras, or playing the slots without the slightest longing for something greater.

But the reality is this: we long for something great – something that will last forever. And the biggest exhibitions, casinos, or personal successes can never fill that gap. At least not for long. As one of my other heroes says, “even the Grand Canyon will not do. We were made to enjoy God.” And looking out my window at night, over the streets and to the surrounding mountains, helped me remember that all of this without Christ, will never satisfy me.

So, I left Vegas feeling happy and small.

I’m thankful for the experience. I’m thankful to be home. And I’m thankful I get to do what I do. Being around the most advanced production equipment on the planet and the people who know how to use it masterfully, only further reinforced my gratitude that life does not consist in the abundance of my possessions.