Designer Watch

Lighting designers Seth Jackson and Nathan W. Scheuer, media/video director Brent Sandrock and project manager Jack Rushen have teamed up to launch 3SRCreative (3srcreative.com), a new design firm. In addition to concert and theatrical work, the group will spread out into corporate, architectural and event design.

This month’s “Designer Watch” column started with two simple questions: How will you remember 2013? And what do you resolve to do, or expect from, 2014? We got informative, enlightening and entertaining responses from more than 20 lighting professionals. Read on, and enjoy!

Lighting designer Jeanette Farmer has formed her own new design service, Jeanette Farmer Theatrical Design, LLC (JFTD) in Las Vegas. We caught up with her during LDI, when she was ready to spread the news out about her theatrical design venture.

Mandylights LD Richard Neville — assisted by his associate Alex Grierson — designed the lighting, video design and programmed the Ricky Martin Live tour, which was an all-new show following the artist’s success as a judge on The Voice Australia. Lighting Director Churry Lafuente is operating the design on tour, which wrapped up in Australia (Oct. 3-20) and heads to Mexico in December. Veikko Fuhrmann created the stage design.

Metallica is known for making memorable concert moments. It could start out simply as a little pre-planned spark of a lighting fixture that would trigger crashing light towers, destroying the set to a controlled chaos while the bewildered audience sometimes raced for the exits. Variations of these destruction scenes over the years loom large in their legacy. Now they’ve poured all these gags in a virtual cement mixer, set the volume to “roar” and captured it on film — 3D IMAX, no less.

One of the most enjoyable rehearsal processes I have ever experienced.” That’s how Seth Jackson describes the new Selena Gomez Stars Dance world tour, which kicked off Aug. 14 in Canada. “Taking on the role of creative director and production designer for the tour allowed me to call in a great team of people to put all of this together. Lighting designer Nathan W. Scheuer and video designer Brent Sandrock and I have all worked together in the past, and I really enjoy the energy that this team brings to any project I’m offered. Add in a great management team, a terrific lighting director (David Convertino), a great artist and an organization that is run brilliantly and you end up with a great tour.”

Destroid is using hundreds of custom LEDs — not in the rig or lining the stage, but clothed on their bodies.  The EDM group is outfitted with specially-made $100,000 body armor — complete with smoke machines, CO2 and laser arm blasters, custom LED panels and animatronics and built-in video cameras feeding live visuals. That doesn’t even take into account the rest of the production. LDs Michael Smalley and Kyle Kegan worked together on the show for the group, which is performing at some summer festivals and is planning to embark on a major tour in the fall.

Lighting designer Howard Ungerleider felt a momentary rush of stardom — on the artist’s side of the velvet rope, you might say. It was the night before Rush was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles. Outside the band’s hotel, fans gathered in wait for Rush’s Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson. But those weren’t the names screamed when Ungerleider made it to the glass lobby doors. “Howard!” they shouted.

Some LDs seek out assignments during the cold-weather off season for outdoor concert touring. Michael Keller, LD for Ozzy Osbourne and other touring artists, has worked with the auto shows on and off for more than 20 years with titles ranging from designer to master electrician.  This year, Keller was involved with NAIAS in Detroit, LAAS in Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Auto Show, the St. Louis Auto Show, and CIAS in Chicago.

Sydney-based Mandylights lighting designers Richard Neville and Alex Grierson were part of the international creative team that designed Dubai’s 2013 New Year’s Eve celebrations. And it was a tall order — instead of focusing on, say, the 141-foot descent of an elaborate ball in Times Square, the 25-minute show took place in front of, and included, the Burj Khalifa skyscraper — officially the world’s tallest building at 2,722 feet high. The pair illuminated the Burj, lake and surrounding area with 15 individual performer stages and a 689-foot-long (210 meter) seamless projection screen.

Production/lighting designer Dale Doucette describes Heart’s touring schedule as “Two week tourettes.”

 “During March to November, we do ‘tourettes’ — two weeks of shows in a particular section of the country in casinos and small 3,000-5,000 venues, then we go home. Every day is a different gig. I carry a file of shows and a handful of songs I keep consistent.