Watts Wacker – When We Met a Visionary
Watts Wacker was a renowned visionary who was a favored speaker at many corporate events. He had the air of knowing things that people in leadership positions would like to know; Watts was widely acknowledged as a futuristic wizard of the 21st Century.
“What If?”
Our camera operator, DP Mark Schulze, and Watts really hit it off. Together they created this video that played on the big screens prior to the Candids video, and called it “What If.” In it, Watts talks to the camera, asking from a variety of locations – on a couch in the lobby, aboard the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum, and atop a balcony – “What If” outdoor advertising could evolve in unique ways.
Mark brought Watts over to the editing bay so that I could meet him, too. I could see why Mark and Watts had made a special connection – they were both live wires, passionate about their work and provocative in their thinking, visionaries. They both understood the intricacies of wizardry, each in his chosen profession. I guess in a sense, it takes one to know one.
RIP Watts Wacker, whom we just learned, had passed away suddenly in 2017 at the age of 64.
Outdoor Advertising Association of America
I had never heard of Watts Wacker until he was the Keynote speaker at an Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) show here in San Diego in 2007. As stated at their website, “Founded in 1891, OAAA is a passionate advocate and a progressive thought leader that protects, unites, and advances the interests of the OOH advertising industry. With nearly 800 member companies, OAAA represents more than 90 percent of industry revenues.” Thus it happened that OAAA hosted the rumpled, Hawaiian-shirt-and-shorts-devotee himself Watts Wacker.
Candids Videos
Back in the days of robust convention budgets, we used to produce Candids videos, also known as “Happy Face Videos” for a variety of clients, mostly the pharmaceutical industry. These Candids videos generally required one or more camera crews comprised of camera operator and sound mixer to cover a convention. We’d shoot footage of keynote speakers, educational break-out sessions, and conventioneers enjoying our local attractions.
Sometimes this involved sailing on San Diego Bay, golfing on any one of San Diego’s many golf courses, entertainment hired for evening events, or even enjoying cold brews in a local pub. (Factoid: In 2007 San Diego had 25 brew houses, and today, in 2015, we have more than 150). The OAAA conference enjoyed an afternoon aboard San Diego’s premiere aircraft carrier museum, the USS Midway.
On-Site Video Editor
The crews would cover the convention for a day or two or three. Meanwhile there would be a video editor ingesting footage into a mobile editing system. Usually this was set up in a hotel room. And then the editor would produce a three- to five-minute piece that would be played on IMAG screens for all the conventioneers at breakfast on the final day. That required the editor to stay up all night with a cup of strong coffee in order to get that piece ready by early the following morning.
First Matter
According to the First Matter website, Watts Wacker was one of the most celebrated and influential minds in modern business. Mr. Wacker — lecturer, best-selling author, political commentator and social critic — was one of the world’s most respected futurists. His uncommon versatility and vision allowed him to help the world’s top corporations and organizations navigate the sea of change that took hold in the new millennium. He was the futurist at SRI International, the legendary Menlo Park think tank, and spent ten years as the resident futurist at the preeminent social research organization, Yankelovich Partners.
[Note: All stills are from OAAA Video]
