Light painting and Meatballs: The Meoli REBUS event

Let it be known… Meoli Studio cemented itself as a rock star REBUS event through a clever interactivity and a decidedly chill environment.

They began properly. Upon walking in one visited the beer cooler/wine table and were encouraged to do quick lap to check out the nibbles. Meoli staff intermingled and engaged in conversation, wafted yummy smells from the covered dishes in our direction and heckled each other constantly – which went miles in making newcomers comfortable and setting the mood.

Talking was minimal, they were not wasting time. Guests were treated to a break-neck history lesson of the studio and a Cliff Notes approach to lighting and photography techniques. Examples were showcased in the background while the daylight studio (that allows them constant natural lighting) was promoted verbally. I was impressed with the stop-action beverage work and explanation of process as well as the information vs. speed ratio they adhered to.

The highlight followed when Tony Meoli took center stage and called out for drink refills and audience participation for light painting. A brief explanation later – it’s a technique where a long exposure occurs in a dark space with hand-held light sources in motion – and we jumped right in. The crowd got more and more adventurous with the mini flashlights (light sources) with each exposure, and the engaging experience is documented in the artworks accompanying this story. For reference all the white lines in the photos were caused by the lights. It’s like imaginary drawing until the exposure happens.

There was Addy buzz, Superbowl talk, networking and, of course, toasted ravioli and beer, pretzel bits and wine, dill bread dip and beer, and veggie trays as far as the eye could see (with wine of course). I went home completely stuffed…both physically and intellectually.

Good luck upcoming agencies – Meoli set the bar pretty high!

For those of you who missed this event, be sure to catch our next stop on March 9th at RIVET. For additional info, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn!