Author: ExNihiloMedia

On January 8 – 13, 2018, Ex Nihilo Media (ENM) was present on Jubilee In The Sun to cover the event via photography, video and the check in process.  Jubilee In The Sun is a five-day themed cruise that booked over 400 passengers on the Carnival Elation from the port of Jacksonville, Florida to the Bahamas.

Before It Begins

Months before the cruise, ENM was involved with the marketing and planning stages of the event.  First, we designed flyers, social media banners and banner stands for the artists to market to potential fans who would sign-up with their group as host. Attention grabbing graphics are the first step to making your event a success!  

Second, we designed and printed custom lanyards that attendees were given with their name tag.  Nothing will give your event the special touch as a simple item like this that makes your customers feel like they’re truly a part of your event!  

As It Happens

When our team stepped on board the ship on January 8th, our duties shifted from creative marketing built in the office on a computer to creative marketing in the field captured with a camera.  For each session, our team captured the atmosphere of the cruise digitally.  From fans visiting with their host group in the theaters to artists singing on stage, beautiful scenes in Nassau and Half Moon Cay, to relaxing afternoons spent on deck – ENM was there to capture moments that will be smiled upon by each passenger and artist from the cruise in their memories from that week.  

To view the full photo album provided by ENM, click the button below.

ENM is privileged to continue our relationship with the Jubilee in the Sun cruise by providing creative direction for the 2019 marketing material.  Next year they will set sail for Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan and Cozumel, Mexico.  If you’re looking for a relaxing way to escape winter next January, check out their new brochure!

To have ENM provide design or live coverage of your event, please call 417-848-9530 or submit a proposal to:  candace@exnihilo.media

Ex Nihilo Media is a proud sponsor of the Christmas Spectacular, a special concert that raises money for BackPack Pals and Bob’s Buddies.  BackPack Pals is a division of the Central & Eastern North Carolina Food Bank.  Bob’s Buddies is an organization that benefits the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.  All funds raised during the evening go to these charities, who champion the kids they support. The event was held at the beautifully renovated Fair Barn in Pinehurst, NC and featured music from Cooper Ellington and the Home For Christmas Tour; comprised of The Mark Trammell Quartet and The Whisnants. The spirit of Christmas was alive and well on Thursday evening in Pinehurst with the building seated to capacity.  Ex Nihilo Media was honored to be a part of those giving to such a worthy cause!

The doors opened at six o’clock for the Girls and Guitars concert in Greenwood, South Carolina at Rice Memorial Baptist Church. Though the sky had darkened and the temperature turned chilly, it didn’t keep folks from lining up around the building. And it’s no exaggeration to say “lined up.” The line ran the length of the parking lot and when the doors opened, folks poured through the doors until the church sanctuary was almost full…and that was an hour before the concert began!

It was a rare sight, but as the hour slowly passed, Roger Talley and Greg Cook kept coming on stage to encourage folks to squish in (a good ole South Carolina term) to fit as many folks as possible in the pews. After three times, Greg invited people to come sit in the choir seating on stage. Once they filled that, the balcony and set up chairs in the aisles…we had a full house!

When the clock read 7:00 PM, Rodney from Life FM came on stage, welcomed the crowd and brought Ray Flynn up to speak to the audience. After an opening prayer, Ray said, “Welcome to The Gospel Through Girls and Guitars!” Each artist – Karen Peck & New River, Emily Ann Roberts, The Talley’s and High Road – stood on stage and kicked off the night with an incredible ballad called, “We Believe.” This power ballad goes through a list of the things that are foundational to our faith; and with ladies like Karen Gooch, Lauren Talley and Emily Ann stepping out for a solo on certain lines, there was quite the energy in the house.

Each artist brought their hearts to the platform in an attitude of worship that made the evening not just a concert, but a service. And twenty-four people coming to Christ is a confirmation of that! Thank you, Abraham Productions and all the artists for a wonderful night in the presence of God!  If the tour is nearby, save the date and make the effort to attend – you won’t be disappointed!

“In every genre of music there are men in Country music, Pop music, Rock music and even Gospel music where man will take the glory.  But tonight, there are some women who God has a touch on.”  – Ray Flynn

Gatlinburg, Tennessee has always been a favorite place for us to visit and when the Monday of the solar eclipse rolled around, the team was already in town and decided to stay and watch this moment in history! With tours going to Cades Cove and other places in the national park, we expected Gatlinburg to be pretty busy. Surprisingly, downtown Gatlinburg was fairly deserted on Monday afternoon. We found ourselves at our favorite Mexican restaurant and took advantage of the rooftop patio to watch the eclipse.  We found a table, ordered some sweet tea and snacked on chips and salsa as we waited. The media was predicting full coverage by 2:30 p.m.

Though we originally wanted to be in Marion, Illinois or Nashville, Tennessee for the event, we are glad that the lack of hotel vacancy in Illinois and the price tag on the Nashville hotels kept us in the Great Smoky Mountains. Gatlinburg has always been a favorite spot for us and it was a great way to see the eclipse.  In case you were wondering, we shot mostly with our iPhones during the eclipse. Once the moon covered the sun in totality, we pulled out the Nikon to catch that diamond ring.  To see another total solar eclipse in the U.S., we’ll have to wait until April 8, 2024!

Last week, Ex Nihilo Media led the social media coverage for Singing In The Sun; a multi-day event hosted by Abraham Productions at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  The event began on Monday night and ended on Saturday, giving attendees a week’s vacation at the beach and numerous concert activities during the morning, afternoon and evenings.  Some appearing artists were Emily Ann Roberts (second runner up for The Voice, ? season), Jason Crabb (Grammy award nominated artist) and guest speaker Dr. Robert Jeffress (radio show host and Fox News contributor.)  During each session, our team captured the key moments from each artist/guest speaker through videography and photography that appeared on the event host’s (Abraham Productions) social media outlets, such as, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, ect.  Our specialty was getting these videos and photos on these outlets while the event was in progress to promote the event to the outside world.  To do this, we engaged two Nikon D7000’s and multiple lenses that would best capture the atmosphere of the event in low-light settings.  The performance of this equipment can be viewed on the ENM Event Photography tab.

But…the visibility of our work didn’t stop at the event itself.  All material has been organized and filed into a system that allows the footage and photography to continue to promote the event from year to year.  When tickets go on sale for next year’s event in Myrtle Beach this October, the material gathered this April will be circulated daily through multiple social media sites on the host’s Facebook page as well as different media platforms the performing artists post on.

Ex Nihilo Media has always enjoyed working with Abraham Productions and looks forward to working their event in Gatlinburg, Tennessee this August.  For more information on Abraham Productions, please visit their website at: www.abrahamproductions.net.

March 2014, It was an iconic moment.  At intermission the promoter asked the two groups if they would “do something together” on the second half of the program.  That Saturday night in Marion, Illinois the Second Half Quartet appeared for the first time at The Truthseekers Homecoming.  Greater Vision and The Mark Trammell Quartet took the stage with Gerald on piano, Chris as tenor, Rodney as lead, Mark as baritone and Pat Barker singing bass.  That night went down in history as the birthplace of the Second Half Quartet.

A few months before the 2017 homecoming, we were asked to create a tee shirt concept commemorating that special event.  Knowing that the Second Half Quartet would be appearing once again, we began planning a “special moment” for Saturday night. During the SHQ’s set, we would stop the program and have each of the guys hold one of the commemorative tee shirts in front of them and take a group photo for the Singing News Magazine.  Coordinating with the promoter, the SN Magazine and each of the guys who would be on stage, the plan was in place.

Now, when we say the crowd that attends the Truthseekers’ Homecoming is exceptional, we aren’t exaggerating.  We attend a host of events and concerts throughout the year, and there’s nothing like being at the Marion Civic Center with these folks.  It’s more than just singing – it’s family.  When the big moment arrived to stop the evening program and take the photo, the audience was more than willing to oblige.   They all stood up, even those seated in the balcony, so that the audience could be framed in the background when the guys held up their commemorative tee shirts.  A fun crowd and a moment we’ll all remember with a smile!

This iconic moment appeared in the April 2017 issue of the Singing News Magazine.

We just arrived back from sunny Florida and a week on the Carnival Paradise.  Why?  You may ask.  Templeton Tours has a 44 year history of offering the World’s Largest all Christian cruise.  If you have never experienced a full charter with Templeton Tours, it’s quite the unique atmosphere.  All the bars and casinos are closed and the theaters throughout the ship are filled with the sounds of Gospel Music.  Our ports took us to Grand Cayman and Cozumel.  Our week was filled with capturing moments in photo and video form for our Artists and collecting the atmosphere of being on a ship filled with 2200 people from all over the world as we compile our marketing plan for the next year!

DOUGLASVILLE, GA, December 29, 2015 – Dove Award Winning artist Brian Free & Assurance (BFA) will host their very first Unashamed Fan Retreat in October of 2016.  Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina at LifeWay’s Ridgecrest Conference Center, BFA will spend three days with a limited number of fans on an exclusive weekend with the group.

The campus at Ridgecrest encompasses 1,300 acres and is conveniently located just east of Asheville, North Carolina and is less than a day’s drive from over 15 states.  Ridgecrest Account Manager Annette Frisby states, “Ridgecrest is delighted to have Brian Free & Assurance as part of our fall calendar!  They will bring an excitement to this Spirit-filled place in the Blue Ridge mountains!”

Unlike a homecoming or three day event with multiple artists, the Unashamed Fan Retreat will solely feature Brian Free and Assurance with unique day and night time activities.  A special feature during concert times will be a live band, with Brian’s oldest son, Ricky on drums.  Brian shares, “When we were planning this retreat, we didn’t want an event that people would come to and just be sung at – yes, we are going to sing – but more importantly, we want to interact and spend time with our fans.”

VIP Packages go on sale today.  For information about price, location and activities during the fan retreat visit the website at:  http://www.BFAfanretreat.com   Reservations can be made by calling Ridgecrest directly at 1-800-588-7222.

About Brian Free & Assurance:  Brian Free and Assurance has been traveling full time in Gospel Music for over 22 years and are the recipients of multiple Dove Awards; most recently, Southern Gospel Performance of the Year for “Say Amen” in 2014.  The group was chosen by BBC to represent Elvis Presley’s love of Gospel Music on That’s Alright Mama, a Tribute to Elvis Presley. They have made a number of notable television appearances, including TBN, Gospel Music Channel, Prime Time Country (TNN), The “Today Show” (NBC), and 27 of the “Gaither Video” series.  With 34 years of experience, Brian Free is the genre’s most awarded tenor.  To learn more about Brian Free & Assurance visit their website:  http://www.brianfreeandassurance.com.

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CLEMMONS, NC, April 28, 2016 –  Abraham Productions, Inc. (API) reached over one million people on Facebook with a video segment from their Wednesday night concert at Singing in the Sun last week.  The video featuring Gerald Wolfe inviting twelve year old Eli Shaw to join Greater Vision on stage to sing I Know A Man Who Can, experienced an exponential response – something rarely seen in the genre.

Eli Shaw sings tenor for Children Of The Promise from Cedartown, Georgia.  The group performed in the Regional Artist Showcase on Tuesday at Singing in the Sun – an annual event held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center hosted by Abraham Productions, Inc.  The audience immediately fell in love with Eli’s clear, full tenor voice.  On Wednesday evening, Greater Vision, Southern Gospel’s most awarded trio, called the twelve year old on stage during their set.  Eli’s vocal ability captured the attention of both, the artists and audience, which is evidenced in the reaction seen and heard on the video segment shared on Abraham Productions Facebook page.  To view the video visit: 

Abraham Productions, Inc. President Ray Flynn states, “To be able to reach over one million Facebook feeds from the Southern Gospel genre is something rarely seen, and to do it in less than 36 hours is extraordinary.  This was one of those God appointed moments where an individual from our regional showcase shined so brightly that fans and artists alike, revel at his talent.  Then, to see that talent in such a young individual really super-charged the atmosphere on and off stage.”

Singing in the Sun is an annual six-day event held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center that attracts thousands of attendees from over 45 states and Canada.  The event combines quality Christian music and world renowned speakers in a concert setting creating an atmosphere without denominational barriers.   For more information on the annual Singing in the Sun event or to learn more about Abraham Productions, Inc. visit their website at:  http://www.abrahamproductions.net.

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