The Process

Growing up some of my friends had a camera called the Izone from polaroid. I thought these were so cool, you can take a picture and then it spits out a physical photo you could stick on your wall, which felt instant but you needed to let the picture develop even after you had the physical photograph. These days we can take a picture, edit it, and post it to the world in a matter of seconds, the time needed for development of the photo is no longer needed. In my brain I may have a full render of what I want the stage to look like, however it still needs to go through the process of development in order to be brought to life. The process of development can create efficiencies, think through potential problems, identify pain points and solutions, as well as ensure there is thorough and complete communication. Much like that small polaroid camera that my friends had, even though I had the physical photo, even though I have the idea and have captured the direction of the design, I still need to put that design through the process of development if I want to bring that design into reality. Whenever I set out to do a stage design or whenever a stage design or creative element is pitched to me my brain goes through the entire process from start to finish. What are the weeks leading up the deadline going to look like, what will we need for load in, how much will need to be changed and swapped out, when do trucks need to arrive, how will we store dead cases and set pieces, when will we get programming time and rehearsal schedules sorted, what does load out consist of, and what will the week after look like? Process can be one of the most frustrating aspects of any project, however it is the most necessary component, get comfortable with the process of development. 

Instant results can be enticing, as seen with the Izone Polaroid camera, the true value lies in the development process. Just like those photos needed time to fully develop, any creative project requires careful planning and refinement. This process enables us to perfect our ideas, foresee potential issues, and communicate effectively, ensuring a successful outcome. Embracing development is essential; it transforms our initial concepts into reality and enhances our efficiency and problem-solving abilities. Whether it’s a stage design or another creative venture, the journey through development is what ultimately brings our visions to life.

The Stool

I remember getting my first magazine subscription when I started in production, I poured over the pages and read about all the audio and video products, case studies, industry news…etc. Thumbing to the lighting section, I drooled over all the lighting products that were featured that month like a kid looking through the toy store window at Christmas. I would learn manufactures and fixture names like they were players on a professional sports team. I would cut out stage designs that I liked from those magazines and pin them up at my desk, almost like some sort of stage design goals that I wanted to achieve. When it came to lighting, I wanted to be the best, know the most, and have all the ideas. My stool was either on the stage, behind a console, or in front of a screen learning, testing, ruminating, experimenting, thinking and soaking up every bit of information I could. The stool is discipline. The stool represents years of investment into the craft, countless late night programming sessions to get the looks just right, infinite rabbit trails into the pros and cons of certain fixtures, hundreds of hours of reading user manuals and watching thousands of tutorial videos. It doesn't really matter how comfortable the stool may be, there will no doubt be a time when that is the most uncomfortable spot to be in, but the discipline of staying on the stool almost always pays off. There is a grit that is needed to push through the mental roadblocks, ignore the desire to give up on a particular software, and dig deeper into the user manual to figure out why something is not working. The stool is often the epicenter of creativity disguised as seemingly aimless reading and investigating, get comfortable in the stool, it is important.

Three C`s

Each weekend stories are being told in churches all over the world, and in each one of those rooms there is a wide spectrum of lighting needs from traditional lighting with a set look to fully programmed concert style light shows. No matter the style, the lighting is serving a purpose in the context it is operating in in order to make a connection between the word of God and the people. I want to break down how lighting plays a role in that process in three large pieces

• Context

• Not every design or element requires a full lighting rig with haze and 5 fixture types, additionally, a full lighting rig with haze and 5 fixture types needs to be moving and flashing all the time. Know the context and cater the look accordingly.

• Character

• Understanding the roles each fixture plays in telling the story can help establish your look as well as open the platform up to different styles and perspectives you may not have seen. Your brightest and biggest fixture doesn’t always need to take center stage, let the support roles lead every now and again.

• Connection

• Keep the main thing the main thing. Lighting supports the story, it helps connect pieces together to create a cohesive narrative.