Reed Rankin and RPM
Reed Rankin’s path to his current position as head of RPM Entertainment Productions, housed in the old Larkin warehouse on Seneca Street, would seem to be almost superfluous until it becomes evident that each and every endeavor he was involved in for the past 30 years somehow lends itself to what he does today.
Rankin’s circuitous route, without any real forethought to this final destination of head of RPM, could not have been better calculated had he known he’d end up planning some of the most elaborate events the City of Buffalo has ever seen.
RPM is in its 12th year, started in 1994 by jazz saxophonist and former Tralfamadore Café owner, Bobby Militello, as a vehicle to produce shows when not on the road. Militello hired Rankin in 1998 to create posters, advertising and lighting for the Tralf, and to assist in producing events for RPM. Ironically, Reed opened with his comedy act as the very first performer of the Tralf’s new stage at Theater Place in 1982.
A true jack-of-all-trades where staging, lighting, design, and performing are concerned, Rankin developed RPM with zeal after buying the company from Militello in 2004, and has continued to grow his market along with a knack for bringing large-scale punch and the utmost integrity to the local events that bear his thumbprint. But it was a long journey in the making.
Back in the early 70’s, with a Regents scholarship in the offing, Rankin was considering the Museum School of Fine Arts at Tufts University, but he kept finding better things to do. He was offered a job in commercial art on the same day he was accepted in Tuft’s summer program to pursue that very course of study. He chose practice over theory. Next stop, Erie Pennsylvania working in a film production studio where he gained experience creating cell animation, graphics, and titles.
After that, came a stint with a group who was trying to produce an independent martial arts film. When that failed, Rankin found himself with some time to continue his education, but the last thing he wanted to do was load up on liberal arts courses in order to pursue that which he had been doing for years…he opted instead to go for a marketing and administration degree from a local business college.
Back to hands-on work: In 1976 Rankin took a job with Buffalo’s Litelab Corporation, a company that produces special effects architectural and entertainment lighting. He and the company’s owner Paul Gregory moved to NYC to open an office. These were disco days, and lighting was king. When Litelab got a call from RSO (movie director, Robert Stiegler’s organization), Rankin found himself in Brooklyn with a motion picture art director, suggesting lighting elements--in a dump of a disco. The movie the group was creating was Saturday Night Fever, and the dance floor and lighting Rankin helped to create are preserved forever in that film.
While in New York, Reed got a call from his old friend, Bobby Militello, who was playing Madison Square Garden with Maynard Ferguson. Bobby explained that Ferguson’s daughter, Kim, wanted someone to join their road crew to assist with lights. Rankin was quick to volunteer himself. He left Litelab and toured with the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra for two years, acting as lighting designer, stage manager, and assistant road manager. While with the band, he also designed their new album cover.
Leaving the band in 1979, he returned to NYC and Litelab, this time in international sales. He also designed lighting systems for clubs in Belgium, to Venezuela, to Martinique. He met his wife, Dora, at Litelab, and the two decided to head to California after a summer in Buffalo. California never happened. They made a home base in Buffalo while Rankin did comedy, freelance art, and millwork. Starting in 1989, Rankin spent the next six years on the road with comedy, opening for Jay Leno, Howie Mandel, Dennis Miller, and Natalie Cole among others. But the deeper he got into performing and the comedy world, the less he liked it.
Back in Buffalo, Rankin tried to pull off one more coup, using his marketing, designing, and mill working skills to make large-scale activity toys for the early childhood market. With initial clients in FAO Schwartz and Hammacher-Schlemmer, the future looked bright, but after three years, sales never reached the optimum level of business needed in order for the start-up company to succeed.
It was at this time that Rankin availed himself to Militello and the Tralf. When he initially took over the helm of RPM, Rankin inherited a few of Militello’s established clients. He’s spent the years since cultivating more clients and growing events on a grand scale. His experience with graphic design, film, lighting, sound, millwork, and performance lend themselves perfectly to his ability to produce shows and events far beyond his client’s expectations.
Reed’s partner in an evenly balanced team of creativity and technology is Craig Chapman. Chapman’s expertise as a production manager in all things technical, along with his ability to direct a crew in maintaining even the smallest detail, makes him an invaluable asset to Rankin and to RPM. Describing what they do, Rankin says, “We help a client to realize their message in the most creative and meaningful way possible.”
Working closely with corporate planners, Rankin asserts,” We bring things to an event that they may never have seen before. We can bring production value to what may be a generally mundane event. Our goal is to create a full environment…an experience.” For instance, as part of a theme RPM developed for an M&T Business Banking event, Rankin built a 1/12th scale Apollo Moon Rocket to represent employee goal reaching and team effort. Likewise, he designed a Mayan Temple stage set for M&T Investment Group’s ‘Quest For Success’ Conference, along with devising puzzles and word games for the attendees.
In addition to staging, sound, and lighting, Rankin has at his disposal a wealth of theatrical talent. In a recent fund-raiser for Upstate New York Transplant Services (UNYTS), held at The Church, prominent local business people were invited to showcase their musical talents. RPM provided the sound, lights, and video. RPM also procured The Jim Tudini Band as the house band, and Rankin himself acted as Master of Ceremonies, singing his trademark combination of Canadian and American anthems (a piece he wrote in order to speed up the start of hockey games).
Scot Fisher of The Church was impressed with RPM’s transformation of the venue to the point of passing Rankin’s name on to CNN, who brought their Lou Dobbs Live show to the Church in December.
One can only guess what will come next for Rankin and RPM, but it’s certain that with a growing reputation for putting on big city productions, bigger productions will come to Buffalo and to Rankin.