History
Advent Media, Inc.
5629 Fraley Ct.
Columbus, OH 43235
Tel 614.538.1622
Fax 614.538.1621
email advent@advent1.com
www.advent1.com
...as told by Steve Puffenberger, audiovisual craftsman and owner of Advent Media, Inc.
Long Before Advent
I
can trace the roots of Advent Media back to a 3rd or 4th grade
assembly at my elementary school in Greensburg Indiana. It was
probably around 1957, when they brought all the kids into the
gym for an assembly. They turned out the lights and out of a
magic brown box with two wheels on sticks came an image dancing
on the wall that was like TV - only bigger. Yes it was an old
Bell+Howell 16mm movie projector. I don’t remember what
the movie was about, but I was so fascinated by it, I went home
and built a pretend projector from tinkertoys and a cardboard
box.
40 Years Ago
We
moved to Columbus when I entered 7th grade and the junior high
school I attended had a projection crew. Kids would show movies
for teachers instead of going to study hall. I started my projection
career there and continued through high school. (I still have
my membership card and RCA projector pin.) Then in college, I
started showing classroom movies and providing auditorium support
to work my way through school. As a result, I’ve seen probably
every bad educational film ever made (and some good ones too.)30 Years Ago
While
I was an undergrad at OSU, the AV department I worked for began
making 3-screen 6-projector slide shows. It was another epiphany,
just like in elementary school. I talked my dad into buying a
second slide projector and a dissolve control, and I began making
slide shows at home for fun, and for college credit. When I graduated
with a secondary education teaching degree in 1973,
a job opened in the production department at OSU, and I became
a media "professional". I managed the production department
for over 6 years, doing many shows for OSU professors, the Ohio
Department of Education, and even a nuclear power plant. In 1979,
it became increasingly clear that the opportunity to be an independent
producer was "now or never." So I left the university
to begin Puffenberger Projections, housed in my dad’s basement.
20 Years Ago
My client base grew and in 1982 (and about to be
married), I needed to grow beyond the basement, so I incorporated
Advent Media, Inc., and moved to my first office. Three years
later, with 3 employees, we moved to a 3600 square foot office
in a new development in Northwest Columbus. and grew to 5 employees.
As the economy ebbed in the late 80’s, the strategy to get
“lean and mean” took root, and a singular approach
was apparent: one man and a lot of very smart equipment. We also
found a new home for Advent Media, in a special studio space
over the garage of our home in Northwest Columbus. The year was
1990, and this arrangement has served us well for the past decade
The Last 10 Years
In
the late 90s, the demand for slides diminished, so I began the
transition to electronic media. In 1997, I added nonlinear video
editing, and in 2000, the transition was complete with the addition
of a video projector, and the official retirement of the slide
show gear and darkroom. The most interesting part of the transition
has been realizing that the old communication techniques still
work in the new media (thus the "new dog, old tricks"
slogan).
The Next 20 Years
This
chapter is being written today. The near-daily advent of digital
technologies has brought mind boggling changes in the communicating arts, but it takes experience to
harness the new media to work effectively. I want to thank my
long-time clients for trusting me with their communication needs,
and I welcome the new clients who will become a part of this
rich history of audiovisual excellence.
--Steve Puffenberger