LD at Large

Teamwork. It’s a big word. Everyone nods their head and agrees that, on any show, big or small, it’s about the teamwork. But lately I’ve been wondering why so many people in our business don’t really practice what they preach. Don’t get me wrong, I watch them work their butts off, doing great at the task they have been assigned. But the minute they are done with that, they are out of there. Gone from the arena. Waiting for that silly inconvenience between the load in and the load out (the show), to be done.

Each year I get a few calls from bands looking for a set or lighting design for their tour. It’s always an exciting process as I let my imagination run for a few days before I start putting pencil to paper. Last month, I got a call from a booking agent looking to hook me up with one of her new acts. So I contacted the management company and they emailed me a response. “Before we chat, take a listen to this music and let us know if this is something you would be interested in.” Nobody has ever approached me in this manner before. I had not thought I heard the band’s name previously.

This month, I continue on my quest to figure out which gear has the best return for a lighting company investment. Is it as easy as following the old “Supply and Demand” way of thinking? I always assumed that a lighting company chose what fixtures they would purchase based on what the customer’s latest needs were. But what if you did many shows each year with various LD types, and they all want different fixtures? Do the lighting buyers choose to base their decisions on the latest, coolest moving heads in the business? Or do they buy from certain manufacturers because they have good, lasting relationships with them and their salespeople?

I work with a vast array of people in our business. I get along with everyone regardless of color, religion or sexual preference. I like to think that every project needs teamwork to get it done. I firmly believe that if my crew likes me, my show will be better. I may be a production designer, but I value everyone’s input. The lowest guy on the totem pole may sometimes have a great idea that I will incorporate into my show, so I listen. I try my best to avoid being a prima donna, and I believe I have succeeded in that.

Last month I once again dealt with some of my favorite, yet most feared, lighting fixtures. The dreaded Christmas lights. Sure, they look great once the darkness comes and they cast a glow over my snow-filled front yard. The view is fab when the wrapping paper clad presents are illuminated solely by the blinkety-blink emitted from the corner tree. But for some reason, getting there can be a comedy of errors.

I read a lot of interviews with production designers in our business. I listen to them at speaking engagements. I see their posts on social media sites. They remember to credit their programmers and production managers, but it just seems like they never mention the countless individuals whose input was necessary for their vision to ever reach fruition. Most designers are not engineers. That’s why we put those little waivers on our plots that say we accept no liability for the structural design or integrity of a project. We just had the design concept. But we all need a team to cover our butts.

I spent some time recently talking to the people who run a few different lighting companies. Being an LD myself, I don’t see the business through the same eyes these people do. I tend to pick on them to lower prices on older fixtures. I don’t look at the big picture, what it really takes to run a lighting company. Besides just purchasing new realms of sexy toys, one has to take into account all the other nuts and bolts; the non-sexy items that enable these fixtures to perform.

Fall is one of my favorite times. Because that’s when all the lighting manufacturers showcase their latest products. For me, it’s a chance to see what the coolest new toys are out there. For lighting vendors, I think they may see it another way. Kind of like a Catch-22. They get to see what’s out there, but then they have to make some serious decisions on whether or not to open their wallets.  People like me don’t make it easy on them.

Last month, I wrote about the benefits of working with some small lighting companies. But this article is dedicated to the shoddy lighting vendors out there. They will promise you the world and an abundance of fabulous gear. But as soon as you get to the gig, it doesn’t take long to realize some salesman/owner of a little company has bent you over a barrel. I’m like an elephant. I don’t forget these people.

It’s a good year for work. The usual constant stream of emails from friends looking for work has subsided. There is actually a shortage of board operators for tours this summer.  Lighting companies are running out of gear, but more important, running out of good techs. I walked in to a mega lighting shop last week and the first thing I was hit with was “Do you know any guys we can throw out on the road?”

This month finds me programming a rather cool show. It’s an Idol-type tour in which four contestants do their best to imitate Freddie Mercury while playing live with a Queen cover band. The “Queen Extravaganza” is an actual professional touring show conceptualized by founding Queen members. The show itself is quite different from any others I have done, as designer Rob Sinclair has a unique game plan and a simple set of rules that we must follow for the entire performance.

Over the last 10 years, the live entertainment business has been overrun with video panels. We have high res, low res, 6mm to 80mm, cubed-shaped and cylinder shaped — heck, they have video elements that roll up into a truss like your overhead garage door. I like to play with all of it. But the problem I notice is that, no matter how high your screen’s resolution, it never looks as good as a well-projected image.