A film about Aberdeen venue P&J Live has joined the ranks of Oscar winners and other cinematic successes by scooping a coveted award in Los Angeles.
The short video – it is only 54 seconds long – was made by Granite City-based digital media company Signal.
Called Back to Live, it was commissioned by P&J live to celebrate its reopening for events after the Covid pandemic.
Rising to the Covid challenge
The venue had not yet reopened at the time of filming, so Signal’s team had to find a clever way to represent the excitement of a live event without featuring an audience.
Their efforts have now delivered sucess in the form of a coveted silver prize at the prestigious US International Awards.
Held annually, the competition honours the world’s best corporate videos and documentaries. There are also categories for online, social media, indepedent and student films.
The 2023 edition produced 118 winners from among hundreds of entries from around the world.
Signal was one of only three production firms in the UK to win. Its success, the 17th international award it has won in recent years, came in one of the marketing categories.
The winners were chosen by an international jury consisting of film experts and professionals in marketing and communication.
We wanted to build excitement for the return of live events.”
Lynsey Shepherd, marketing manager, P&J Live
Mark Turner, creative director, Signal, said, “We’re proud to have been able to support another one of our local venues. We created an energetic film designed to reflect the excitement and anticipation of audiences visiting a live gig. Every shot has its own unique sound effect so that, under the music, the audio has its own rhythm which helps drive the film.”
P&J Live marketing manager Lynsey Shepherd said, “We commissioned Signal as we knew they could bring our ideas to life. We wanted to build excitement for the return of live events.
“The venue hadn’t hosted one for 18 months, so it was important to remind people it was returning to its original purpose, delivering amazing live entertainment to the people of the north-east.”
US International Awards director Alexander Kammel said: “We‘re thrilled to honour those that created unforgettable cinematic experiences. Signal’s accomplishment is a testament to exceptional abilities and serves as a beacon of inspiration for the creative community at large.”
Signal’s film, which can be found on video platforms YouTube and Vimeo, has had thousands of views on social media.
ASM Global, the Los Angeles-headquartered venue and events management firm which runs P&J Live, said it should be used as a benchmark for all its sites around the world.
A year to remember
Meanwhile, Signal managing diretor Jamie Baikie sees his firm’s latest award as consolidating a series of successes this year, including a five-figure contract with a new US client.
He added: “We’ve secured 15 new clients, including some high profile and varied projects, which has resulted in our turnover increasing by 20%, compared to this time last year”.
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