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Screen Magazine - Index

Screen Magazine - Screen Magazine: Vol. 29, Issue 10 - Index

made SDi such a successful company and what has allowed it
to grow and expand in the ways that it has.
“The same skill sets as yesterday won’t fly tomorrow,” explains
Larry Whitlow. “You have to keep honing your talent or you
will become stagnant and die
off.” He says that the idea of a
status-quo simply doesn’t exist.
The business is evolving and
changing too quickly for that to
even be a reality. Therefore, the
folks at SDi must stay committed
to learning new technology
and gear as it comes off the
manufacturing line in order to
be able to offer the most up-todate
solutions to their clients.
The SDi staff insists on remaining
one step ahead of the curve to
be able to answer the constant
client question of “How do I
do this?” SDi operates under a business model that is hard
to replicate. The Facklis brothers own the land on which their
company is situated, making SDi and its sister companies
unique among other Chicago companies with similar service
offerings. They bought the space when it was vacant and
hired an architect to conceive the layout (of Resolution Digital
Studios) – the undertaking took on a sort of “if you build it, they
will come” direction, as the space was built and equipped
and then staffed, all of which was a big risk. Although SDi could
be perceived as a threat, the company is not threatening,
since establishing qualified and talented suppliers in Chicago
makes this entire market more viable for the production and
event community. The company prides itself on its respect for
its client relationships and believes in working with whomever
walks through the door, no matter what the client needs.
These days, “content is king,” and the folks at SDi make it a
number one priority to be fully knowledgeable and skilled at
using the latest technology and gear so they can help get their
client’ messages across and shows produced – no matter the
size – in the most efficient way possible. The executives at SDi
acknowledge that anyone can rent gear – that’s not what the
company is about. Sure, SDi does offer gear for rental, but the
staff partners with that their expertise in how to use the gear
and what will work best for what type of project. When staging
live shows, there is really only one shot to create a flawless
production, and SDi has certainly mastered this concept in its
25 years. The most important thing is getting the technology
into the hands of the people who need it.
Now that SDi and its sisterhood of companies are in its 25th
year, the corporation is looking to see where it will go next
and also hints at getting into some original content. Since
SDi has the capability to complete a project from start to
finish, there’s no reason not to take that leap, especially since
today’s distribution channels aren’t limited to the “big three”
networks of yesteryear. However, SDi vows to stay committed
to the vision and dedication to customer service it instilled in
itself when it first opened its doors.
//www.showdepartment.com
//www.rdschicago.com
//www.thescreenworks.com
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