The Artisan Production Group

Setting S.F. City Hall on Fire

2011-05-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

Check out yet another successful team effort of Allegra Events and the APG team. This time we set out to transform my favorite venue in the entire Bay Area into a phantasmagoria of colors and patterns using old fashioned theatrical lighting as well as high-tech wireless LED technology. It is a mind boggling experience to just stand there in the center of City Hall, press a button on a remote control and suddenly the entire room turns a different color. I do believe that we achieved what we set out to do, at least that's what I gathered from the enthusiastic comments of the guests and even the seasoned City Hall staff.

Back at Sacred Hearts Schools

2011-04-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

We were excited to return to Sacred Hearts Schools in Atherton for yet another fundraising event. Last year we helped to throw a 60's Hippie party (see older posts), this year's theme was "a day at the beach". The dinner and live auction was to be the "evening at the beach", so we decided it would be fun to create a sunset behind the stage using only lighting fixtures and lots of imagination. We call it "painting with light", it is elaborate and time consuming but it is definitely unique and artistic and these were exactly the words we heard over and over again that night.

The S.F. Conservatory of Music Gala

2011-04-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

For this highly anticipated social Gala event we teamed up with our dear old friends from Ideas The Special Events Company. We have been sharing goals and visions with these folks for almost 20 years now and for the last six years also the warehouse address. Looking back I realize that it took me longer to design and fine tune the elaborate fly grid than to actually put it together and rig it from the tent structure. But ultimately it was time well spent, because we got rave reviews on the job and a very happy client. Can you believe this is a tent set over a parking lot and it was gone the next day?

Plantronics in Wonderland

2010-12-11T18:48:00.000-08:00

This has been one of our favorite Holiday gigs for years. The gorgeous historic Coconut Grove overlooking the Santa Cruz Boardwalk is only rivaled by the elaborate theme party itself and then everybody gets all costumed up for the big Holiday bash. This year Rick from RHP provided the crazy Alice in Wonderland props while Kier from Allegra and my humble self with the APG team added all the necessary magic to bring the house down. Here's my professional opinion: these Plantronic guys are dead serious about having fun and do not take prisoners when it comes to their annual Holiday party!

The main dining room including the enchanted mushroom forest.

The Blue Room with the Cheshire Cat and Alice's gigantic legs.

The food court turned Red Queens chamber.

"Off with his head!!" she yelled from her throne.

KA HULA HOU in San Mateo

2010-10-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

This was our second year at Ka Hula Hou, the Hula dance competition sponsored by the Academy of Hawaiian Arts. The event had doubled in size and the San Mateo Expo Center was barely able to hold the ecstatic crowd. The winner was chosen via noise meter, now try to imagine the thundering noise for first place. We quickly got our own Hula on and also discovered that boiled peanuts taste delicious.

Romantic String Lighting

2010-09-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

Here is one of our most popular lighting packages in action: string lights combined with architectual lighting. Simple yet elegant, old fashioned yet innovative. The strings are heavy duty, waterproof and UL outdoor rated. We know the safe and proper rigging techniques from the old concert days and then we put the whole shebang on dimmers for control. As you can see everybody feels all warm and fuzzy under the umbrella of lights. That's a very happy client right there.

The Barry Wedding

2010-07-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

Jamie and Brian celebrated their wedding reception at an old friends home with a breathtaking view over the San Ramon Valley. Months and months of planning culminated in a huge and equally happy family party with lots of tears and cheers. The not-so-convincing services of the staging and catering companies made us look even better than usual and a flawless performance earned us joyful hugs and made us feel like family throughout the evening.

40 Years of Gay Pride

2010-06-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

The 40th anniversary of the Gay Pride parade in San Francisco united hundreds of thousands of colorful birds of paradise from all over the world for a show of pride and fun. There was little doubt that the Gold Gym's hard bodies and the Artisans McCauley rig made us the most fabulous float in the entire parade. Anybody know a reliable glitter removal service?

Monte Carlo Night at City Hall

2010-06-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

The idea of a fundraiser named Monte Carlo Night was conceived 8 years ago on a patio in San Franciscos Mission District. My buddy Joe Belluomini rented a tiny room in the Presidio, I brought in a small PA and some uplights, his Mom found sponsors for a few cases of wine and then she made sandwiches for the guests. Today it has grown into one of the most anticipated social events the City has to offer and last year we raised almost $ 50 000.00 for medical research. Looking forward to next year !

Sacred Hearts Schools

2010-03-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

The annual fundraiser at Sacred Hearts Schools in Atherton has always been an extravaganza even by local standards. This year we added some serious 60's spirit and groove to it and then we all became hippies (again) for an evening of fund raising. Kind of tells you that you're not in your twenties anymore when you set up a 60's theme party and you remember ALL the songs playing...

We've moved !

2010-02-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

It is done and over with! We've finished moving the company from Newark to our new warehouse in San Leandro and we couldn't possibly be happier with our new digs. No more moving boxes and building shelves and welding racks, no more searching for stuff, no more headaches. Just like in the old warehouse we share the space with our buddies from Ide-as Special Events and Decor, which means not only do we offer lighting, sound and video, no, we also got the props and the table linens and the centerpieces and the candelabras and the Chivary chairs. I think I even saw a kitchen sink somewhere in there !!!.

The Tree of Hope

2009-12-16T21:37:00.000-08:00

Every year thousands of hopes and wishes from all over the world find their way to San Francisco City Hall to be hand crafted into little Origami cranes covering the Tree of Hope. Due to a constant shortage of money, the budget for our tree lighting was slashed but we just went ahead and we've been lighting it for 4 years now . Here' s our donation to the City of San Francisco, because hope is supposed to be a shiny beacon, right?

Black Rock Arts Foundation

2009-11-24T21:38:00.000-08:00

An enchanted evening at the old Bentley Reserve in Downtown San Francisco is evoking the spirit of the Playa and also raising some serious funds for the good cause. Beautiful people in awe-inspiring costumes are having a wonderful time and then come 3:00 AM they all disappear and we're stuck with the early morning breakdown and load-out.

Black Rock Arts Foundation 2009

Black Rock Arts Foundation 2010

A Designers Halloween

2009-11-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

What's the LD to do when it's Halloween and he gets to stay home? Go grab the ColorBlast LED's and the GAM F/X and some crazy gobos and presto, here's a treat for the neighborhood kids. It was a riot, it felt like our house was besieged by mini-monsters and we were clean out of candy in less than an hour.

The Empty Bay Bridge

2009-11-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

All Hallow's Night and we had to deliver a generator to power an event on Treasure Island. The Bay Bridge was closed due to a broken fix and there was nobody there... our driver did a little jig across 5 lanes and took these incredible shots. Pretty scary and fit for the occasion.

Laotian New Year's

2009-11-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

A gorgeous setting, a perfectly sunny day in San Francisco and thousands of Laotians celebrating their first annual New Year's in S.F. The Artisans brought in stage, sunroof, power and the mighty McCauley rig and the day ended up a great event for the unanticipated huge crowd.

TAM 100

2009-11-02T20:22:00.000-08:00

The occasion: The 100th birthday of Mount Tamalpais High School in Marin. We provided staging, sound, backline, power and power distribution, decor lighting, safety lighting and the know-how to put a 100x180' tent on dimmers. And cheers, since the event went without a single glitch.

Bollywood at the Oakland Arena

2009-11-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

Artisan PG and the local Union boys created quite an impressive setup for this concert featuring an East Indian star. The In-house crew had obviously never encountered Chain Master chain hoists, the fastest motors in the industry. Made in Germany and legendary for their Vari-lift they drew Wows and "damn, these things are fast" galore!

Treasure Island-again

2009-11-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

The old Library on Treasure Island. No fantastic view, so we had to work harder on the Wow-effect. No electrical power anywhere in this building, that's when we switch to LED's known for their near-zero power consumption.

Treasure Island

2009-11-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

A memorable wedding at Casa de la Vista on Treasure Island. I guess it's time for me to shut up and let the captured moment speak for itself....

The Haight Street Fair

2009-11-02T20:01:00.000-08:00

My old Buddy Terry from Renegade Productions got overwhelmed with shows one weekend and asked me to take one load off his shoulders: The 31st annual Haight Street Fair in San Francisco. Our McCauley 422/455 rig rose to the challenge and the show went without a glitch and sounded awesome! It also gave me a chance to test out that new bi-amplified monitor amp rack I finished a couple of days before the event- NICE!

Amy Grant and the Vari-Lites

2009-11-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

Amy Grant's Lead Me On tour stopped briefly in the public park in San Martin, CA. Her LD was thrilled at the sight of 6 Vari-Lite VL 3000 spots and 6 VL 3500 washes in his rig. Guess he didn't expect such a treat in such a small town.... Awesome show, cheers to the LD.

Ann And Nathan

2009-11-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

Got married at the San Jose Hyatt and created one of the most beautiful dance floor monograms I've ever seen.

Walnut Creek Ice Rink

2009-10-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

The Artisans are getting ready for our 6th year of providing lighting and sound for the annual Walnut Creek on Ice event. We'll install string lighting above the ice, project snow flake gobos in the tent and mount an outdoor sound system that proofed 100% weatherproof. Complete with a turn key audio processing rack that was assembled in our shop by myself, the lighting guy. And here's to all you scoffing sound guys out there: The thing is rock solid and works like a charm. UPDATE: I guess my audio rack wasn't rock solid enough to survive being plugged into a 208 volt line. RIP power conditioner and amplifier. How in the world did you guys get that 30A twist lock into that 220 outlet? Guess there's no such thing as foolproof after all....

Earthdance International

2009-10-28T20:16:00.001-07:00

How one man's vision turned into a truly global event called Earthdance International. We started out with little mini fundraisers and tribal performances in seedy San Francisco clubs and eight years later I watched in awe as 15 000 revelers performed the largest drum circle in history on the grounds of the Hog Farm in Northern California. The event was synchronized in over 200 locations and 50 countries around the planet and the "Prayer for Peace" encircled the globe and made all of us feel like one nation.

Concerts

2009-10-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

The difference between a rockin' concert that has the crowd go wild and a theatrical production that captivates the audience and brings tears to one's eyes is not big as far as the technical part and the equipment goes. What makes a world of difference is the production itself, the compassion that stands behind every move, the seamless flow of the event and the preparation that goes into it. State-of-the-art equipment, decades of experience and complete dedication to customer service is our proven formula for success. If you want to know more details about the pictures below, click here.

Corporate Events

2009-10-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

No matter if it's a corporate meeting, a product launch, a fundraiser or just a plain ol' party to celebrate your success, we will make sure it is a winner! Our experienced staff knows the difference between a quiet and focused meeting and an all-out celebration and will meet both challenges to your and your guests complete satisfaction. If you want to know more details about the pictures below, click here.

Charity Events

2009-10-28T20:10:00.001-07:00

We take pride in the fact that we have helped to raise millions of dollars for medical research, school equipment or charity. We know that the main part of a fundraiser is to raise funds for the ones in need and not to fill the pockets of the production team and we will work hard to meet your budget and still deliver the best bang for your buck. If you want to know more details about the pictures below, click here.

Weddings

2009-10-28T20:07:00.001-07:00

We understand this is your Big Day ! Over the years we have provided lighting and sound for countless weddings big or small. Whether it happens in your own backyard or the Grand Ballroom of the S.F. Hilton, we take professional care of you and we will be the one vendor you never have to worry about. Here is a little gallery for your enjoyment and information. If you want to know more details about the pictures below, click here.

Clients

2009-10-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick review of some of our favorite clients:

~ National Resource Defense Council
~ SAP
~ Fisher Investments
~ Plantronics
~ Applied Materials
~ De Silva Gates
~ 100 Black Men of Silicon Valley
~ The Black Expo
~ The Robb Report
~ Masters of Food and Wine
~ The Livermore Winegrowers Foundation
~ The American Cancer Society
~ The Lymphoma and Leukemia Society
~ Earthdance International
~ High Sierra Music Festival
~ Power Integrations
~ Carnelian Room SF
~ iTunes
~ Conservatory of Music S.F.

Contact

2009-10-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

CONTACT US

The Artisan Production Group Inc.
761 Montague Ave.
San Leandro, CA 94577
phone: 510-773-7997
Email
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Outstanding Event Production

About Us

2009-10-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

WORLD CLASS ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION

The Artisan Production Group was founded and established by a group of seasoned lighting and sound veterans in need of a new challenge. We all had worked for big production companies at various times in our lives and we all agreed it was time to drop out of the rat race and put the art back into Artisan.

First we strayed off the beaten path and then we laid down the golden rule: To provide highly personalized customer service and obsession with perfection in detail even if that means turning down another job. Then we went on to work by that rule.

We consider ourselves a small but exclusive production house and our team combines decades of theatrical, corporate and rock' n roll experience to make your event smooth, worry-free and simply spectacular.