Media Zone Studios is a digital marketing suite in Boca Raton, Florida that offers a versatile space for events and content creation. The 4,200-square-foot venue—a joint venture between Media Zone and Groove Digital is fully equipped with state-of-the-art audio, video and lighting systems to create a seamless production experience.
Media Zone Co-Founder Michael Jones partnered with Mike Filsaime, Groove Digital CEO, to create a boutique option for video shoots and virtual and hybrid events with an all-in-one solution. “Coming out of COVID, we saw a need for this type of intimate setting that could be adapted to host anything from a video podcast or a TV show to a panel discussion, marketing commercial, corporate summit or a speech,” Jones said.
The venue is designed to offer clients a better experience and more freedom compared to booking an event through a hotel. “I was always listening to my clients about the friction of renting a hotel space for events,” Jones explained. “You have to commit to a room block depending on the size of the ballroom that is booked. And if your attendees don’t book those rooms, you’re on the hook for them. So we saw an opportunity to solve these problems. The person putting on the event wants to focus on the event, not on the AV and especially not on making sure they get rooms booked.”
Jones, who previously used LED video walls to produce events including one for Tony Robbins and another for Coinbase, understood that a wow factor was needed if the venue was to fully reach its potential. That led him to Planar, and specifically, a 24-foot-wide by 10-foot-high (15x6) Planar® Venue™ Pro VX Series indoor LED video wall with a 1.9mm pixel pitch.
Ideal for Client Needs
According to Jones, the Planar Venue Pro VX Series LED video wall provides his team with a seamless solution for meeting their client’s needs. “It’s obviously the main attraction and it makes for a very dynamic experience,” he said. “Clients walk in and we’ll have their branding up on the video wall and they feel like the space was built for them. It’s a fantastic way to make a splash with content and they don’t have to think about anything.”
The space is also equipped with three Sony cinema cameras on a pan tilt zoom system and mounted on rolling tripods, allowing them to place a camera anywhere in the venue and operate and record from a control room. “Anyone who has filmed on an LED wall will tell you that it’s painful at times with moiré, scan lines and artifacts,” Jones said. “But we are extremely happy with what we have-the video wall has a high-performing scan and fast refresh rate, a perfect solution for filming.”
In addition to the picture quality, Jones emphasized the value of the 1.9mm pixel pitch resolution in terms of added flexibility, allowing talent to get close to the display when being filmed. “Our vision was to create an event space built around quality content and that made Planar the best choice.”
A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.
Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.
A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.
Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.
Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.
Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.
Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.
With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.
By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.
Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.
Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.
Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.
