Omega project airs on Pay for View
In an exclusive live performance, award-winning artist Fred Hammond wove his musical magic during a recent Pay for View
special. The concert piece, titled Purpose By Design, after Hammond's current #1 Gospel Album, was shot by Paul and Donna Christensen at the MGM Grand Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas.
At-home audiences around the country had the opportunity to view the Verity Records' event via the iN DEMAND
, TVN and EchoStar Networks. Joining Hammond in this historic concert, were his innovative vocal ensemble Radical For Christ (RFC), as well as Verity Records' artists, Joe
Pace and the Colorado Mass Choir. The special, marketed by Pay-Per-View specialists Spring Communications, Inc., provided a message of hope, celebration and joy, through the smooth
gospel grooves and funky beats that Fred Hammond fans have grown to love.
Hammond broke into the music mainstream with his trend setting gospel album Pages of Life Chapters I & II, which
featured portions of the soundtrack from Omega's 1997 video by the same name. The Double Platinum CD garnered several Stellar Awards including, Artist Of The Year, Male Vocalist Of The Year
and Album Of The Year. His follow-up album, Purpose By Design was released this past March and went immediately to #1 on the Billboard Gospel Charts.
Past Grammy® recipient and Record Producer, Paul Wright III, and Hammond, produced the project for New York based, Verity (Zomba) Records. Joining Wright and Hammond on the
project, Ray Hammond served as Live Event Producer.
The award winning Omega crew was again on the scene, and included veteran music Director, Clark Santee, along with Jerry Jacob, Mike
Filippi, Don Warren, Steve Cobb, Stuart Cane, Curt Casassa, Ruthel Flunder, Scott McClain, Randy Farrow and a host of others. Veteran LD Mark Meana and Recording Engineer, Guy Charbonneau
contributed as well, resulting in a memorable evening. Las Vegas based Century Productions provided remote facilities, with assistance from owner, Mike Levy.
Omega ends 29 year run with Dallas Cowboys
Omega Productions recently completed 29 years of production consulting and entertainment services for the Dallas Cowboys
Football Club. For almost 30 years, Paul and Donna Christensen, Omega's Producers, have enjoyed a long and fulfilling relationship with the world renowned, five time Super Bowl Champions.
"We had the privilege of seeing some great football and observing some of the worlds greatest athletes up close,"
shared Christensen. "The late Texie Waterman, the first Choreographer for the Cheerleaders, hired us in 1973 to edit music for the girls. Boy that was a tough job!," stated Christensen.
In addition to editing music for the Cheerleaders, the company consulted on many projects through the years, culminating
with their recent twelve year run as Entertainment Producers of all pre-game and half-time entertainment, as well as game day music.
Looking back on Omega's long association with the team, Christensen said, "We will miss the game day excitement, but
are looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with our families."
Omega shoots Fred Hammond Pay for View Special
Donna and Paul Christensen recently returned from shooting and recording a new television special for Verity (Jive/Zomba)
Records' artist, Fred Hammond, in support of his new best selling CD release, Purpose by Design. The project, planned as a Pay for View special with a summer
release, was shot in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel, during the annual Bobby Jones Artist's Retreat. Joining Hammond as musical guests were Verity artists, the Colorado Mass
Choir and Malaco Records' Men of Standard.
Verity's Director of Gospel and Hammond's Record Producer, Paul Wright III, served as
Project Producer. Omega Productions was recruited by Wright because of the company's award winning 27 year history. Hammond is an award winning artist and producer who has
become known as one of the most talented architects of gospel funk and groove. He is well known for the 1998 release, Pages of Life, Chapters I & II, a double platinum CD and
soundtrack taken from Omega Production's last video for the artist.
For this production, the Christensen's brought in seasoned Director Clark Santee, AD Curt Casassa and members of the
award winning Omega crew, Jerry Jacob, Mike Filippi, Don Warren and Steve Cobb, along with locals, Stuart Cane, Bob Cadagan, Scott McClain, Randy Farrow, Tony Kramer, B. J.
Scahill, Brian Milovich and Angel Vasquez. Las Vegas based Century Productions, provided remote video facilities, while Lighting Designer, Mark Meana of Odyssey Lighting, Detroit,
contracted the lighting and look that made the project such a success. In addition, Guy Charbonneau, Le Mobile, Los Angeles, completed a 48 track digital recording for the soundtrack.
The project will be edited into the fore-mentioned summer release Pay for View special, as well as a Long Form Video.
Omega projects receive 14th and 15th Grammy® Nominations!!!
For the seventh year in a row, projects on which Paul and Donna Christensen have worked as Line and Television
Producer, have been nominated for a Grammy® by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences® (NARAS®). The two nominations in the Gospel Music Category
, were announced earlier this week in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hills Hotel, by the Recording Academy's President and CEO, Michael Greene.
One nomination was for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album, from a live concert recording and video project for AIR Gospel
Records, Atlanta, with recording artist, Dottie Peoples, titled "God Can and God Will." The second Grammy® nomination for Best Gospel Choir or Choir Album, resulted from a Malaco Records live recording
and concert video project involving the Mississippi Mass Choir, titled, "Emmanuel, God With Us."
The winners of this year's awards will be announced on February 23, 2000, during the 42nd Annual Grammy® Awards Show, carried live by CBS and originating
from Los Angeles' new state of the art venue, the Staples Center. Each year the nominees and winners are chosen by their industry peers, the 14,000 voting members of the Recording Academy®.
In addition to the Grammy® nominated sound tracks, the videos produced by the Christensen's have enjoyed a high
ranking on the Billboard Magazine Video Charts. The Dottie Peoples project also resulted in the company helping to release the first DVD concert video in the Gospel market, an experience that proved quite a challenge.
During the company's 27 year history, these awards represent the 14th and 15th Grammy® nominations Omega projects have
received, as well as the eighth and ninth nominations during the past seven years.
The other seven recent nominations were a Fred Hammond project for Verity Records in
1998, titled, "Pages of Life I and II," a 1997 live concert by Verity artist, Hezekiah Walker titled, "Live in London," a 1996 Benson Records project with Hezekiah Walker, Yolanda Adams
and Fred Hammond, a Malaco Records recording of Rev. James Moore and the Mississippi Mass Choir in 1995, a Malaco project by Rev. Moore and a Warner Alliance live recording of O'Landa
Draper, both in 1994, and a 1993 Blackberry Records sound track and video, featuring The Canton Spirituals.
Omega clients inducted into Gospel Music Hall of Fame
Four of the most prestigious music groups in Gospel Music were recently inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in
ceremonies held on October 23, 1999 in Detroit, Michigan.
The Artists, The Jackson Southernaires, Willie Neal Johnson and the Gospel Keynotes, The Mississippi Mass Choir and The
Williams Brothers, were honored, not only for their contribution
to gospel music, but also for their work in preserving the rich fabric of one of America's indigenous art forms.
During the past 15 years, these groups have shared a common bond with Omega Productions. Not only has the company
recorded or been involved in every live CD undertaken by the four, but Paul and Donna Christensen have produced all of the videos released by the groups during that period.
From Barry Gordy and the Motown inspired R&B movement of the 60's and 70's, to the urban and gospel sounds of today's
artists, Detroit has had a lasting impact on the American musical landscape. The Gospel Music Hall of Fame & Museum is continuing that legacy by preserving Gospel's
illustrious past, by archiving recorded and printed material, and by honoring those individuals who have made significant contributions to this exciting genre.
Throughout its 27 year history, Omega Productions has worked with over 300 of the best known and loved artists in both the
gospel and secular fields. Some of those artists, who were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1997 and 1998 include, Dr. Mattie Moss-Clark,The Canton Spirituals, Rev.
James Cleveland, Andrae Crouch, Dr. Bobby Jones, Rev. James Moore, Edwin Hawkins and Dorothy Norwood.
In addition, the company and its projects have received 13 Grammy® Nominations, as well as scores of other citations,
including Gold and Platinum Record and Video Awards, as well as Dove and Stellar Awards
Sand, Surf and Gospel... Miami, here we come!
Donna and Paul Christensen recently returned from sunny Florida after producing a new long form video project for
Gospel label, Malaco Records. The Concert, featuring the legendary Dorothy Norwood, was shot at one of Miami's fastest growing congregations, the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Carol City. Ms. Norwood also
recruited the award winning Miami Mass Choir to share the bill, as well as the Choir's talented founder and director, Marc Cooper. Malaco's Director of Gospel, Jerry Mannery, served as Executive Producer,
Paul and Donna Christensen produced the project with the assistance of their usual
award winning "A TEAM" crew, Director Jerry Jacob, Video Engineer Sel Warren, Hand Held Cameraman Mike Filippi, and Fixed Camera Operator, Steve Cobb. Dave Landry, from New
Orleans, assisted on Hand Held Camera along with Miami based Jib Operators, Robert and Michele Marquez. The local crew was completed with Ralph Marquez on Fixed Camera.
Miami based Comtel, Inc. provided remote video facilities, while local Grip and Lighting Director Marty Segal and his company,
Marty's Grip and Lighting, provided the look for the evening. Mobile Audio Recording Services (MARS), Muscle Shoals, AL, recorded the sound track, supervised by MARS Owner, Steve
Lowney. Overdubs and mixing will be done at Malaco's Jackson, MS based Studio by Chief Engineer, Jerry Masters. Sound Reinforcement services for the concert were furnished by
Kleinz Sound, Miami, under the supervision of Ken Kleinecke.
The Live CD and Video are slated for a December 1999 release. Omega Productions has had the privilege of working on every
project that Dorothy Norwood has done during the past five years .
|