Greystone Live

One of the goals with the blog is to give you an “inside view” of the camp experience. Writing is a good way of conveying what pictures do not say (the feelings, smells, tastes, and touch of camp). Another tool is video and this tool is getting a good bit of attention this summer.

We promoted Leland Hollowell Reynolds from the role of Group Leader (a role she has done for many years) to camp videographer this summer. Some camp moments are remarkable in person, but hard to convey to those who were not here… video has the potential of bridging that gap. By spending significant time on capturing great footage, interviewing campers and counselors, and organizing that footage so that it can be used for various projects later in the year we hope to expand your appreciation of the camp experience. We want everyone to “get it” and video will help. We are currently uploading a video of the pizza making process that is AMAZING… you should all watch it just to see what the kitchen staff accomplish every day and their great attitudes doing it! You will find it on our facebook page now!

Another tool that you will like is the occasional Live video feed of big camp events. We will do this tonight for the big camp play production. Simply go to http://www.campgreystone.com/live this evening around 7:15 PM and you will see a live feed from the Pavilion, where we will all enjoy this years Play Production of Beauty and the Beast. These productions are always impressive; with a cast and crew of 145 campers… it is a magnificent show. The back stage crew, props, costumes, sound, lighting all staffed by campers. The cast will know their lines, will sing their songs, dance their dances, and SHINE with that magical glow that actors always pull out for the show. It is a great production and we are proud that you will be able to see it too!

Licensing restrictions do not allow us to tape the production, but the live feed is OK. We keep the “archive” on the live feed site (http://www.campgreystone.com/live) for 24 hours, so if you are not by your computer this evening you can still see it all day tomorrow. We will turn the feed on around 7:15 and it will stay live till the show is over (around 8:45).

Another thing to mention are the technical additions to the Pavilion which should make the production much better. First are the new microphones… two great choir mic’s that are much better than what we have used for years and four new wireless units that are exceptional (the same as the sound engineers use on Broadway). We should hear the main cast very clearly, something that has always been a challenge in the camp setting. Second is the new digital lighting board that now controles every light and special effect in the Pavilion. Lighting is very hard to do well unless you have the proper equipment. This board allows dozens of pre set combinations of lighting and effects with the simple push of a button. It is amazing to see and will enhance the production in a meaningful way. Finally, make note of the new curtains (nobody ever notices such small things, but they do enhance the production as we “fix” such things). All these improvements are made GREAT with the help of Mary Ellen Stebbins, a long time Greystone girl who after graduating from Harvard went on to a career in lighting events and productions in New York. She spends her summer vacation time at camp, another example of “over the top” talent at Greystone.

It is another hot day and it will remain hot for the remainder of the session. That said, the girls do not seem to mind it a bit. We are happy and loving camp life!

Have a GREAT DAY!