Although Concept One Media founder/president Linda Livorsi runs a bustling $1.3 million-grossing production company in Downers Grove, she occasionally gets behind the camera as the shooter on the job, especially if it involves sports.
This month Livorsi’s business celebrates its 25th business anniversary, a journey she says is still “a fun ride with something different going on every day.”
Livorsi, who functions as a director, started Concept One as a video company in 1984 after she had been a camera person ? one of Chicago’s female shooters – for Trio Video, the mobile TV company that specializes in sports events.
For her it was a perfect combo. “I enjoyed being behind the camera and I love sports.” She directed and shot college sports videos while at SIU, where she graduated with a degree in television production.
Livorsi married, had two children (one now in college, the other in high school), and divorced 10 years ago. She remained in Downers Grove to be close to her home and family members.
In retrospect staying in the Southwest suburb was a good choice, since many of her clients are headquartered in the area.
“The DuPage Board of Realtors was one of my first clients and they’re still a client today,” she says. “Real estate has been a big part of my business.”
Concept One occupies 5,500-sq. ft. of space in two offices in a downtown Downers Grove industrial park. A full-service script-to-screen company, it offers single and multi-camera set-ups and crews, editing, duplication, programming and can create interactive content.
In the facility are a small studio, an audio recording booth, three edit systems and a frequently used Final Cut Pro suite for location editing, a green screen and offices.
The company has “a great team” of nine, most of whom have been with Livorsi for a long time. “They work hard and I try to keep them happy,” she says.
Maria Terziski and Del Feltz are her two producers, David Hendryx is DP, and her two full-time editors are Scott Baker and Lisa Conant. Matt Lueken is her jack-of-all-trades graphics wizard.
Throughout the year, “We may hire between 23 and 30 freelancers,” she says.
While corporate videos and TV shows, such as their recent BET series, “Urban Livin’,” are the company’s core business, Concept One tries to produce one documentary a year.
In the works is an hour-long chronicle of the 1960’s Haight Ashbury scene in San Francisco and its continued resonance today. Concept One and an investor are co-funding.
Using the archive of San Francisco photographer Don Atyers, the doc promises never-before-seen images of that seminal period. Actor Peter Coyote agreed to narrate the doc from his own Los Angeles studio after he saw the demo.
“Haight Ashbury” should be finished this spring for airing on either the History Channel or VH1, Livorsi says.
Concept One Media is located at 2723 Curtiss St., Downers Grove, Ill.; phone 630/810-9303.
