LD at Large

I’m always asked how I get lighting design gigs. Half the time they are return gigs, meaning it’s the same trade show or band that goes on tour every year. Forty percent of the time I am called by production people or other designer friends to cover a gig. The other 10% are people calling because they’ve seen one of my shows and want to hire me based on what they’ve seen. You never know who’s in the crowd watching your work.

Whoa! Wait a minute. What I am doing back here on the LD page? I was hired for the programmer’s gig! Okay, I can do the LD gig too. I hope I will get paid the LD rate. What? You expect me to be the LD for the same rate? Okay, just this once. But next time I’m getting paid as both the LD and programmer.

I’ve worked with a lot of different production managers. Each one has their own style, their own way of getting things done. Many PMs are hands-on guys who are on stage for a good portion of the day. It is their show and they feel responsible for everything that goes on. During the course of the day they will put out fires that range from lack of rigging points to dry cleaning last night’s clothes on a Sunday when you’re playing Peoria. Some are really good at what they do and some pretty much suck. But they all have one thing in common: They run the show. And as a lighting designer they can be your best asset…or your worst nightmare.

Almost every show I light involves scripting cues. This is the process of breaking down a show’s events. If it’s a corporate production, most likely I will be handed many pages showing the schedule of rehearsals and performance times for the next week. If it’s a musical or theatrical play, the lighting department may get a full script with hundreds of hand-written notes detailing potential lighting cues. If it’s a rock show, we may get a set list with some discs of music you can expect the band to perform.
   

Last winter, I got a call from a Chicago friend asking if I would be interested in designing the lighting and a set for a theatre tour. The artist is R. Kelly, a popular R&B singer, and he wanted to do something different. Robert (the artist’s real name) was used to playing arenas, but this time he wanted an intimate show in a theatre environment, complete with set changes and different themes for five sets of music.

There are two main ingredients that I need for every gig; the local crew I work with and my “go-to” guy. I believe there is an art form to working with people and getting the most use out of each person based on their individual persona. The word “stagehand” covers a broad spectrum of people all over the world.

In the concert and theatre worlds, the lighting techs are often fortunate to work with IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees), or union, stagehands. These crews have been around the block and are pretty familiar with most gear that crosses their paths. They build different shows constantly, so they get to work with just about every gadget, light fixture or P.A. that’s out there. On the contrary, touring crews constantly set up the same light rig and P.A. every day. They don’t always see all the advantages of how other people may do the same job they do. You can learn a lot by watching some IATSE guys work.

Lately, I’ve been trying to figure out what my actual job is. For the last 20 years, I thought I was a lighting designer. After this week, I’ve pretty much realized that I am not just an LD; I wear a whole lot of hats at gigs. And I’ve been doing this more and more over the last five years, so much so that I am at a loss for words when trying to describe my title.

Let’s face reality: Video elements have become implanted on most touring shows and all the industrial shows I work on. If you’re an LD and you haven’t jumped on this wagon yet, you’re late. I am not a huge fan of all this technology. I still prefer good theatrically- lit scenes as opposed to high-tech gadgetry, but I would be ignorant to ignore it. It’s fun. But why am I picking and choosing video content, let alone creating it now?