For 10 years Jason Guille ran two separate businesses from his small studio tucked behind Value Village. One was an event space for everything from office parties to kids’ birthdays. He even held a liquor licence. The other was a social enterprise that helped thinkers and creators produce virtual, hybrid and livestream events.
Then suddenly, several months ago his landlord demanded he stop all evening events, then for good measure raised his rent by two-thirds.
That motivated Guille to shift direction. He would merge his two passions and transform his studio into a high-tech production space for authors, teachers, content creators and non-profits.
Now Sunset Labs works with those who have something to say, to show and to share with the world.
The “labs” in Sunset Labs comes from “collaborations,” and from Guille’s vision of a multimedia laboratory full of brilliant, playful, creative mad scientists. His goal is to be as flexible and adaptive as possible, to bring ease and flow to whatever his clients may be creating. Sunset Labs has so far hosted more than 1,000 events, from a conference on Indigenous economics to poetry readings.
The recently rebuilt stage is 20 by seven feet and there’s 30 by 30 feet of usable space on the floor. With a grid of built-in anchors for hanging a green screen or backdrop and a unique 60-foot ceiling truss, the options for setting the stage, set and room are endless.
The studio is designed for the production of virtual, hybrid and remote online events, and it has an array of related services to support pre- and post-production.
Its technology is unmatched on the Island, from dual gigabit internet service to Sony PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) digital cameras to Sennheiser mics and an array of professional studio lighting.
A virtual event at Sunset Labs uses its interactive stage, with guests participating online. Generally a virtual event is less work to create, is more accessible, generates reusable media, produces higher profits and is easier on the environment.
A hybrid event is more complex, but arguably the best of both worlds. Speakers have a live, in-studio audience participating and providing feedback. And there is a live, online audience that can see, hear and engage with the event.
Sunset Labs is also mobile. Clients can be in a studio on the other side of the world, or on their couch down the road, with Sunset managing the event from its studio — from music to graphics, leaving presenters to focus on content and connecting with guests.
