Picture and Sound Productions

Hello!

For 27 years Picture and Sound Productions has provided crew and equipment services to the broadcast television industry. Owner and director/cameraman Tom Tanquary created this company in 1992 after an already successful career in television news and documentary production. He has built it into one of the leading names in network news and news magazine production.

We now offer a fully integrated production service combining broadcast, cable, internet, and direct delivery programming to a wide variety of audiences.

News, Documentary, and Corporate Video Production

I started working in the news media as a newspaper photojournalist in 1972 while attending the University of Illinois. I worked in radio there for 4 years, as well. My TV career started as the night-side film processor for the local news station WCIA. Back then news was shot on 16mm film.

That turned into a full time photography job as the station switched from film to video tape for its news coverage. I took that experience to Tucson, AZ to supervise that same transition at KVOA in 1978. By 1984 I had built an all award-winning photo staff at the station. Later that year I moved on to KNBC in Los Angeles.

After 6 years in local news there and an additional year as staff at the local PBS station, I went freelance. I worked on a variety of productions at first from Lexus recall instructions for Toyota to a crime-stopper syndicated show called Prime Suspect.

In 1992 I went to FOX TV to be the resident photojournalist for their beginnings of a news department. I helped create the look and feel for the news magazine Frontpage. The effect of the show's visual style can still be seen across today's TV landscape.

For the last 20 years I has been mainly working for the show Dateline at NBC News. From Britney Spears and Madonna to visualizing 20 year old murder investigations,  I have been involved in just about every major story that Dateline has done on the west coast for these past 20 years. I have won 2 national EMMYs and 4 Los Angeles area Emmys.

Whether it's using the camera hand-held to follow a homicide detective during an investigation or supervising 10 cameras on an hour prime time special, I have pretty much done all aspects of TV production.

And I can bring all of that experience to your production as well.

One of the more rewarding aspects to my career has been to work with former First Lady Nancy Reagan. For about the last 11 years of her TV interviews I was her Lighting Director. As is common in Hollywood, people that are conscience of their public image like to have someone on the set that makes sure they look the best they can. I have been lucky enough to be that person for Mrs. Reagan. It is a faith in me that I don't take lightly. From Mike Wallace to Larry King, to whomever she'd talk to, I made sure she looked good. RIP, Mrs. Reagan.

The chance to work with the giants of this profession is a true honor.