Company History
Wave Multimedia traces its roots back to 1995 when Steve Unkles founded his first company, Audio-Visual Archives (AVA). As a recording service, AVA’s mission was to “capture arts, ideas, and events” as audio and video. The company continues that work as well as archiving the past by restoring and consolidating analog recordings into new digital media.
In the late 1990’s, computer processing speeds and hard drive capacities were beginning to enable desktop video production. Teaming up with editors and other specialists, Steve began writing and producing short promotional pieces. To better describe the company, he added to the company name, now called Audio-Visual Archives & Productions. The company continued to grow in a more “horizontal” fashion, expanding its capabilities and services as new technologies allowed. With the development of the internet during this time, web-based technologies eventually opened the doors to the so-called “rich media” of sound and video on the web.
With demand for producing more content in so many new applications, and the reality that the web was beginning to trump traditional means audio and video delivery, a re-evaluation of the production process and business was in order. The original Audio-Visual Archives name still describes that business very well, but the production business had become a matter of integrating Web, Audio, Video, and other (Etc.) technologies into a coherent message. And so WAVE Multimedia was born.
Staff
Steve Unkles, Production Manager, has always had a fascination with sounds, images, and ideas. “To capture them and re-present them as well as I possibly can for others has been very rewarding”. His professional career in media began with his studies at The American University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Audio Technology in 1987. Having more interest in education than working in the music industry, Steve first worked at Boston University, and then in other academic and professional settings providing media support and production services. A series of artistic and professional audio, and film, and video projects lead him to dedicate his life’s work to the creation and archiving of recorded media as embodied in Audio-Visual Archives and WAVE Multimedia.
Dave Parnell, Post-production, began his work in media production as a photographer and video hobbyist. He soon took to the computer as a means of image creation, manipulation, and experimentation. His college studies led him to a series of acclaimed community projects in Holyoke and Northampton. Since then he has worked independently and in close partnership with both Audio-Visual Archives and WAVE Multimedia.
Pat Rowan, has worked in professional media for 25+ years. His experience and skills cover the gamut of photography and image-making, story-telling though mixed media presentations, and writing. He practices a unique blend of video producer, writer, director, and more. We are always grateful for and enjoy our collaborations with Pat Rowan.