A Computer Controlled Audio Mixing System for Video Post Production

Craig Birkmaier began his television career at age 15 as the director of a daily news program for the students at Nova Scotia High School in Fort Lauderdale. Fla. In 1970 he graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.A. in Busines Administration, majoring in Marketing and Broadcast Speech, While in College he worked at WUSF-TV and FM. as a director and announcer, and operated a closed-circuit television system for the College of Education. After college Birkmaier held a number of positions in commercial broadcast facilities where he learned the production and operations side of the television industry. In 1979 he joined Industrial Sciences. Inc. in Gainesville, Fla., handling inside sales, order processing, and expediting Many orders involved custom design capabilties, requiring extensive coordination between the customer and the engineering staff. This work led to the development of many standard ISI products including the 904 Video Production Switcher, and the 831 and 899 Master Control Switchers. In 1981 he joined the Grass Valley Group, where he established a channel of distribution and created new products and promotion programs. In 1985, he joined Intergroup Video Systems where he implemented a marketing plan that required a restructuring of the professional video dealer organization: the recruitment and training of a National Sales Manager, three regional sales managers, and an inside sales specialist: the development of internal systems for lead tracking, direct mail, order entry, and sales analysis HE also guided a promotional campaign which introduced the new corporate identity, and provided a sustaining product advertising and a direct mail program. In 1986, Birkmaier formed Professional Products & Promotion (P') a marketing, consultancy which provided marketing and promotional services to manufacturers and distributors of television communications products. Later in 1986, reacting to need in the industry for a broader range of consulting services to augment the internal products. development capabilities of manufacturers. Birkmaier, together with several experienced video design engineers, formed ProTech Designs, Inc. ProTech and P' offer the ability to conceive a product, develop a business plan and product proposal, and then work with a manufacturer to market the product.