Confidence is not just a positive trait but the cornerstone of our industry. The mega-stages that thrill our audiences are not only built with steel and aluminum, but they are also built with trust. Trust takes time to cultivate, nurture, and flourish. Confidence in our own abilities and others can only be obtained after trust has been formed. For better or worse, confidence is built on an unstable foundation. A single mishap, or lapse in better judgement is all that it takes to crumple years of accumulated confidence. The longer I am in this industry, the more often I witness examples of this hard truth. When I was younger, I used to give trust until trust was no longer deserved. As my beard turns greyer, my list of prerequisites for giving trust has become stricter.
The Nook Story
In 2013, I took a side gig as an Account Rep for Morpheus Lights. Part of my gig was reaching out to designers and letting them know what Morpheus Lights was up to. I had the pleasure of running into Nook Schoenfeld at a corporate event in Las Vegas. This was long before he became my dear friend and mentor. I let him know that I took a gig with Morpheus and without hesitation, he launched into a lengthy diatribe about how much he loved the fixtures, but he would never use Morpheus Lights again. According to Nook’s recollection, somewhere around the late 80s, or early 90s, Nook had done some work for Morpheus Lights, and they took over three months to pay him. This one bad experience was enough for Nook, a prolific designer, to cancel the future use of any products that are even associated with the Morpheus brand. I started to let him know that Morpheus Lights had changed a lot since the early 90s, but that did not matter even one bit. None of the people responsible for Nook’s late payment were even at the company any longer, but because the check was supposed to come from Morpheus Lights, his confidence in the brand was demolished. No amount of reasoning or pleading would change his mind. Even after more than three decades, that memory had not faded, and his confidence had not been restored.
Lighting Providers
Fast forward several years, and the topic still comes up often. Just today, I got off a Zoom call and we are looking for a large amount of gear. We were brainstorming potential providers. I threw out the name of Generic Lighting Company. My suggestion did not go over well. Our Production Manager was very clear that he would be fine with using any gear from Generic, but we would have to find a crew from a different company because last summer he had hired a Generic crew member, and they made a mistake that delayed the show. Without being overly specific, this crew member was not a popular addition to the team. Even though Generic was not directly at fault for this system failure, the mere fact that this crew member had a Generic logo on their work shirt was enough to shatter any confidence that our Production Manger had in Generic. This crew member was the sole representative for Generic onsite and the reputation of Generic rested completely upon their shoulders. This crew member could have had a hundred successful previous shows, but as I have heard many times, “You are only as good as your last show.” This show cost them not only this gig, but it cost the rest of the Generic crew the privilege of being held in high confidence by a very busy Production Manager.
Work/Play
When it comes to other people, I’m like a puppy dog. I love everyone. I find most people to be fun to be around and I enjoy listening to their stories from the road. That being said, I have had to harden my heart out on the road. I generally want to work with all the people that I like the most. Unfortunately, some of the people that I like to hang out with are not always the best suited for the positions that need to be filled. Some of the people that I enjoyed hanging out with on the bus, were also the ones that may have spent too much time partying on the bus. I’m just old enough to remember when partying until load-in and then working a full 16-hour day was a badge of honor. Our industry has changed. Even though we are not doctors, or air traffic controllers, our job can be dangerous, and lives can be on the line. We are hanging a lot of cack over the heads of the rich and famous. One mistake can be the end of the livelihood for busloads of hard-working people. Without confidence, no one walks onto a stage. Without confidence, no one goes under the thousand pounds of hanging gear that has been provided by the lowest bidder. Being sociable on the tour bus used to be enough to solidify future gigs, but with modern mega-structures, and increasingly complex networking systems, a winning attitude is only enough to get you a spot on the bus. A lifetime of building confidence is the only thing that can keep your spot.
Confidence in Technology
Confidence does not only apply to humans. Confidence extends to objects as well. No matter what the sales reps might want us to believe, many products are over-hyped and will not produce the effect that they have been marketed to provide. Designers tend to stick to the products that they have confidence in. This makes it difficult for newer products to break into the market. Why would they try a new product, when the VL3500 Wash FX has been providing them with everything that they wanted for over two decades? The VL3500 Wash FX had to fight for that confidence, and it will take a lot of effort from a competing brand to build up the rapport. I have seen many fixtures come and go. At one time, the VL5 was the reigning king of the wash lights. No other light on the market was as dependable and as versatile as the VL5. It took an LED revolution to knock the VL5 off the pedestal. As soon as MAC Auras and Elation Impressions flooded the market, VL5s were relegated to just a few loyal clients. In 2024, personally, I have more confidence in most LED fixtures over a filament lamp nine days out of ten. I’m confident that an LED source is more reliable, will last longer, and provide me with the looks that I need for a successful show.
Confidence in Ourselves
Building confidence is a daily task. We need to under-promote and over-deliver whenever possible. We need to prove that we can do what we say we can do. The only way that we can get other people to have confidence in us is to have confidence in ourselves without overstepping into cockiness. Self-confidence cultivates a positive mindset, fueling perseverance and collaboration. Confidence is the fuel that propels us to seize opportunities, overcome obstacles, and achieve our full potential.
Reach Chris Lose at close@plsn.com
