Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Miller and Gordon Allen.
Megan and Gordon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My partner and I (Gordon Allen) were immersed in the event production business for years before we decided to start our own 3D and Virtual Reality Experience company. With a background as a Wildlife Outreach Specialist and Educator, creating memorable, inspirational and educational moments was something that I did on a daily basis. I decided to transition away from live animal events and presentations to pivot towards live event production for humans in 2018.
With this transition came challenges as most career changes do. My greatest challenge was communication with not only my team but with the venue, as well as other vendors and contractors. It really does take an army of people behind the scenes to make it all come together. This was a shared challenge that both Gordon and I faced, as we both worked freelance for the same production company, just in different capacities.
Both of us saw the challenge and decided to do something about it to not only help make our lives easier but to help everyone involved. Little did we know how much this technology would revolutionize how events are produced.
I thought it only possible in my dreams that I would ever arrive on-site, and have a team who already knows what goes where, by what time, and how it’s supposed to look. By eliminating the guesswork when planning an event and going 3D, we were able to solve our communication woes and focus on other high priority tasks that allowed us to produce amazing events for our clients.
After years of researching VR and 3D technology, we decided to dive in head first back in October of 2019 and make it official. The launch of BirdsEye VR was exciting but also a bit nerve-racking (for me at least, Gordon is as cool as a cucumber). Starting a business from scratch takes a lot of research, diligence, patience and determination which we were in no shortage of. We quickly decided to join and support our local chamber of commerce, as well as the Temecula Valley Wine Growers Association to network and gain some traction with our community.
Unfortunately, right when we got up and running, COVID-19 shut down the entire event production industry and we were in a standstill with event planning. We temporarily pivoted our focus to help essential businesses during this time, which mainly comprised of Real Estate Agents and Brokerages. We’ve been slowly getting back into the event production world by partnering with local businesses and global non-profits to help them generate alternative revenue streams and stay connected to their audience during these times of social distancing.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to success is usually a long one, but when you do it with your partner in life as well as in business, it makes time go by a lot faster. Gordon and I have faced a handful of challenges starting our own company together, most of them related to how to best serve our clients’ needs. When we had to pivot from the production industry to real estate the learning curve was evident. We had to learn a new industry from the ground up and do it quickly while navigating our competition as well. We didn’t want to underprice our services, but we didn’t want to overprice as well. We learned all about MLS rules, which are changing constantly, especially during COVID-19. Lastly, when you work for yourself, sometimes you never “clock out”, if you know what I mean. So balancing business and personal time is always a challenge, but never-the-less when it comes down to it we put on our polos and get to work!
We would also like to give major credit to everyone who has supported us along the way whether it was as big as being our client and trusting our services, giving us a referral or as simple as sharing one of our social posts. We recognize everyone’s role and involvement in our journey to success and are so grateful for the outpouring of support. We see 3D technology playing a huge role in today’s world and sticking with us into the future.
BirdsEye VR – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
BirdsEye VR specializes in curating 3D experiences to help their clients tell their story and create engagement between them and their audience. You may wonder how 3D virtual tours improve communication in the events and production industry. Imagine throwing on a pair of VR googles and jumping into a venue from anywhere in the world. The technology not only brings the space to you, but with some customization of embedded interactive elements such as text, photos, videos, and links it can easily become the one-stop shop for running your event. This tool is a game changer when it comes to remote planning, especially during times of uncertainty or travel restrictions. No need to plan in person, when you can plan remotely. We’ve had executive producers exclaim that they use our 3D tours almost every day to communicate with clients, up sell them on fabrication or branding requests, and more.
The functionality doesn’t stop after planning; instead of having to travel or host in-person de-briefs, all you have to do is send your production team as well as vendors a URL link to the 3D virtual tour with all the relevant color-coded information inside. What a huge time and money saver!
So what set’s BirdsEye VR apart from other 3D tour companies, you may ask? It’s our combined skill set of professional presentation experience, knowledge of specific industries, how to effectively apply new technology, and our commitment to our work that allows us to stand above our competition.
For instance, Gordon has directed and filmed countless green screen video shoots for our clients, which he then edits and uploads into strategic points of interest inside of our 3D Tours. His background as a video technician and creative makes him very skilled at what he does. Gordon’s attention to detail throughout the entire process is unmatched and after observing him time and time again, I am always taken aback at his work as are our clients.
My background as a certified interpretive guide, wildlife educator and traditional artist may seem far off from the world of 3D, but it has allowed for a unique approach to problem-solving for our clients. We want to tell our clients story by utilizing 3D technology, so what better way than to have someone who’s versed in interpretation with the added bonus of having an artistic approach.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Our proudest moment thus far would have to be landing a partnership with a global non-profit organization, but you’ll have to visit our website to find out who! Anytime that we are able to assist a special events team present their venue spaces to their clients safely, remotely and effectively especially during challenging times when COVID-19 closures prohibit showings and/or in-person meetings is beyond rewarding. We are not only proud that our services bridge the gap in communication, but also that our clients are so receptive to this technology and are eager to start implementing their 3D solutions as soon as possible. We work around the clock to deliver our client’s assets and couldn’t be happier with the results.
Pricing:
- 3D Virtual Tour à la carte | $225
- Commercial 3D Tour Package | $799
- Production 3D Tour Package | $999
Contact Info:
- Website: www.BirdsEyeVR.com
- Phone: 1-866-360-2387
- Email: info@BirdsEyeVR.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdseyevr/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BirdsEyeVR/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPsnAT_xagYbALRj5DxjSEg
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