Photos coming tomorrow

BRUCETON (March 23) Located at 123 Maple Street between Phipps Pharmacy and Jim’s Pool Room in the downtown business district of Bruceton, Hollow Rock Production’s (HRP) well-lit and inviting store-front entrance shines in bold contrast to the drab plywood-covered exteriors of the block’s numerous vacant commercial buildings.

Like a rose rising amid weeds, the new business is a welcome addition for many local residents who remember the not-so-distant glory days of the once vibrant and bustling block.

Soft-spoken and focused, HRP owner Garry Wicker sits in the company’s main production room, surrounded by the latest in state-of-the-art digital video, editing and sound-recording technology. Directly behind him resides an impressive studio recording / mixing console and two equipment racks full of high-end audio processing gear. In front of him is a vast array of custom-designed computers supported by the latest state-of-the-art digital software programming. One glance should sufficiently inform prospective clients and guests that HRP is indeed a viable commercial entity residing in the heart of Bruceton.

Meet Gary

Born in the town of Alamo on July 16, 1959, Garry is the son of Sue and Harmon Wicker. He has one sister, Sandra Lane, who resides in Alamo.

An Eye for the Camera

Wicker stated that his interest in film production began while he was still a student at Alamo High School.

He began, “I was dating a girl from Bells whose mother worked as a photographer. I became interested in photography after talking to her mother about photography and by observing her developing film. I discovered that I really liked photography’s creative aspects.”

Wicker stated that after graduating from Alamo High School, he pursued his interest in photography as a student at Lambuth University.

He recalled, “One of the neat things about my attending Lambuth was that I was granted unlimited access to the school’s photographic film development dark room. Developing photographs became a passion for me, and I was able to do so whenever I wanted due to having a key to the dark room.”

Wicker stated that after attending Lambuth for two years, he began a 13-year employment as an electrician with Proctor and Gamble owned J. T. Baker Construction Company of Jackson.

Fate Steps In

Wicker recalled that during his employ with J.T. Baker, fellow employee Vicky Allen introduced him to her sister Linda, a nurse employed with Tennessee Quality Health Care located in McKenzie.

Wicker said, “The way everything happened was really neat. Vicki, Linda’s youngest sister, is married to David, my best friend from high school.

Smiling, he continued, “After Vicki introduced us, Linda and I hit it off.”

Married on March 18, 2000, the couple resides in Hollow Rock.

A New Direction

Wicker stated that during his final year of employ with J. T. Baker Company in 1997, the firm was sold to Mallinckrodt Industries and relocated to Paris, Kentucky. Wicker, still dating Linda at the time, chose to stay in Jackson.

Partnering with Allen and Bill Renfro, Wicker opened Video Reflections.

He said, “Our video production company remained open for about two-and-one-half years. We worked to succeed, but were limited by our technological resources.” He continued, “For instance, we would attempt to tape-synchronize three recorders together to duplicate copies, and if one of the recorders messed up, it fouled up the whole process.”

Wicker stated that after the demise of Video Reflections, he began working for his then brother-in-law’s construction company.

He said, “We stayed busy at first working around the area, but then work began to slow down. Jobs weren’t as plentiful as they had been.”

Garry recalled that after Linda and he married and returned from their honeymoon, he was informed that the company he was working for was starting work on a job located in Kentucky the next week.

He said, “When Linda heard about the job in Kentucky, she said no.” He continued, “She immediately began making phone calls to people and in short order I was hired by T.I.C. Construction of Jackson to do electrical service work at the Norandal Plant in Huntingdon. I worked at Norandal with T.I.C. for one year and continued working there with H and M Construction for one additional year.”

A Dream Is Born

Tired of collecting lay-off slips, Wicker yearned to own a business of his own.

He stated that the initial vision for Hollow Rock Productions manifested after viewing video footage of a recent wedding.

He said, “I looked at the final product that a company had produced of the event and found it lacking. I remember saying to myself-I can do a better job than that. I shared my idea with Linda, and we decided to go for it.”

Joining forces with long-time friend Bill Renfro, a formidable electronics repairman and sound technician, the two began to strategize while searching for potential space to locate a video and sound production business.

After researching for available space, the men purchased the space utilized as storage from then Hopper Drug Company Owner Brett Mebane.

Smiling, Wicker said, “The building, after having served the town as a grocery store, was purchased by Taylor Hopper for storage. Brett purchased the building space from Mr. Hopper for the same purpose.”

Demolition Men

Sizing up the space, Renfro and Wicker began demolishing the interior in August of 2001.

Regarding the sizeable project, Wicker said, “It was a major undertaking. After removing debris, we insulated and sound-proofed the wall adjourning Jim’s Pool Room so the sound of our recordings would not interfere with their business. Then, we built a chase area along the wall adjourning Phipps’s Pharmacy so that we could run all-new electrical conduit wiring down that side. The entire space is extremely well insulated and sound-proof. We did it right.”

The ceiling, adorned with antique metal tiles, was also treated with special care.

He noted, “We really wanted to keep those tiles because they added a strong historical presence to the space. I’m glad that we took the time to clean and preserve them.

After an arduous renovation, Hollow Rock Productions opened its doors to the public in January of 2002.

Garry noted that after commencing operation, business, especially wedding-related video filming, began to increase.

“We began to get busy. After a while, we had so many jobs that we just couldn’t handle each opportunity presented to us.”

He informed that one of his favorite work assignment involved coordinating live image magnification for the Annual 103.3 F.M. sponsored Froggy Freedom Fest presented annually in July at Roy Stewart Football Stadium on the campus of Murray State University.

Regarding the day-long event, Wicker informed, “It is fun but intense. I set up a control center so that I can direct the operators of my two Sony DRS DV Cams to capture live shots that are then displayed on high-definition image projection screens stationed on each side of the stage. So far, we have done shows for Sara Evans, Montgomery Gentry, Lone Star, Tracey Lawrence, Tracy Byrd and Trace Atkins. We could never record any of the shows. That was part of the terms of the contract, and we honored our part.”

Grinning, he recalled an event that occurred during the Sara Evans show.

“At the time, Sara was eight months pregnant. I was listening to the headset and heard somebody say that we were not to video her stomach. I inquired as to who had ordered that, and Sara’s manager came on-line and told me that he was that person. Enough said.”

He noted that Montgomery Gentry was the most personable act they videoed.

“Those guys stayed around after the show signing autographs and visiting with the fans. They were friendly and easy to approach. I really enjoyed meeting them-they were good people,” he said.

Garry stated that his love for music and sound was his passion, but not his focus for revenue.

“Running sound is more about what I enjoy than what I do. It would be interesting to get into the bigger events and own and operate the large P.A. systems, but I don’t have the space or the desire to get that committed financially. It gets expensive when you start operating on that level.”

Wicker noted that although video production for corporate events and weddings flourished in the following years, work for the recording studio was limited.

“After a while, Bill decided to spend more time in Jackson repairing equipment. I eventually had to scale back operations.”

He stated that eventually planned to purchase a Mackie hybrid mixing console and retain a sound engineer to run the studio so that he could focus on the Videographic aspects of the business.

Regarding the studio, he said, “The ideal situation would be to hire a sound engineer and let that person take the reigns of the studio. That way, you would have trained and knowledgeable professional overseeing recording projects, and handling the daily affairs. It is my plan to make that happen.”

Garry noted that after taking a job for two years driving a taxi for his sister-in-law Glenda’s company, he decided to rededicate himself and re-open Hollow Rock Productions.

The Best Business is your Own.

He said, “You know, there is nothing that can compare to owning your own business. I have been handed a lot of pink slips in my life when jobs ended, and I wanted something to call my own.” He continued, “Ultimately, my business is my business. The success I achieve is directly proportionate to the amount of time, effort and commitment I put into it. It is up to me to keep the lights on and the business headed in the right direction. After years of drudgery punching the clock, I can now use the creative gifts God has given me.”

Garry stated that he has added a lot of cutting edge technology to aid in his wedding and special event video productions and is capable of transferring film footage from eight and sixteen millimeter to DVD format.

“In addition to the Sony DV cams, I had a computer custom-built for use with Adobe software platforms. I use Audition Vocal / Audio software and an incredible program series called “Digital Juice” that is amazing. I am constantly looking for educational resource materials to help me continually elevate my performance. I love Randy Stubb’s instructional materials because his ideas and philosophies regarding proper shot technique, technical direction and location set up and background are extremely enlightening.”

Wicker stated that although many would refer to his work as videography, he would rather be known as a “video artist.”

“The phrase video artist suits my philosophy. I don’t consider myself a photographer, but as a person who takes video clips and uses creative gifts to create something from them. Honestly, I am always seeking to take my creative abilities and finished product one step above. I want to be the best that I can be.”

Bearing evidence to Wicker’s quest for perfection, his self-conceived and produced video entry “Glass Slippers” won first place in the 2006 Videographer Award competition.

Regarding the video, Garry said, “My daughter-in-law Janna, along with Megan Sturdivant and a young lady from Selmer were the models for the video. We filmed in Selmer, and I was very proud of how everything turned out.”

In addition, Wicker has shot several interviews for the popular daily television talk show “Montel”.

He added, “The latest show I taped for “Montel” included my interviewing a mother about her son’s autism. That show’s central theme showcased how people have been helped by learning vital information aired on previous shows.

Wicker noted that he is currently being assisted on a part-time basis by Jeff Smith.

“Jeff possesses a strong working knowledge of computers and has the ability to learn new software programs quickly. Creatively, he is a quick study. You don’t have to stand over his shoulder when he takes video or runs sound. He does a good job at all he pursues.”

Viewing Wicker’s collection of guitars, basses and four beautifully self-painted murals representing the four seasons (replete with a compelling rendering of the “Hollow Rock”) at the conclusion of the interview, one can only ponder what other unseen creative depths abound in this gifted artisan.

For more information regarding the services offered by Hollow Rock Productions, go to gswicker@charter.net.