Working in the entertainment industry allows many opportunities for interaction with celebrities of all types. I have had the privilege of meeting rock stars, actors, models, politicians, and even an astronaut who walked on the moon. Celebrities come in all types and working with them presents some unique situations and challenges.
Working in the entertainment industry allows many opportunities for interaction with celebrities of all types. I have had the privilege of meeting rock stars, actors, models, politicians, and even an astronaut who walked on the moon. Celebrities come in all types and working with them presents some unique situations and challenges.
Working with the Famous
I am often asked by non-industry friends if I get to meet famous people and what it is like to work with them. I think they expect me to give some sort of tabloid gossip about the behaviors of rock stars; however, that’s not what I share. I usually explain that working with a well-known person is no different than working with a not-so-well-known person. We are all people on this planet and just because one is adored by millions and another is known by only a few does not make a difference. When a “star” comes to a production meeting or visits FOH, I treat them the same as any of the other professionals I am working with. I respect that since they are the “artist” that they can make certain decisions, but this is no different than meeting with a CEO. Quite often the celebrity is a very creative individual that has some interesting ideas to share. Their years of entertainment experience from a unique perspective often lead to inventive concepts for lighting looks and staging.
I feel it is important to treat these celebrities as individuals and not show them preferential treatment or considerations. In other words, don’t kiss their ass just because they are famous. They get plenty of that on a daily basis and most of them just want to just get the show to a perfect state.
Respect Their Privacy
I happen to have the cell phone numbers and email addresses of some of the celebrities that I have worked with. Big deal, I know. But I respect their privacy and do not call them to chat about the weather. I am a working professional who has been involved with the same productions. We are not buddies so I don’t feel I need to call any of them just because I know their number. When we are working on a project and I need to speak about the show, then, sure, I will call. But otherwise I let them be.
Furthermore my Web site is not filled with photos of me hanging out with famous people. Again this is not why I work with them. I just happen to have worked on productions that included a famous person or two. I have seen some lighting guys that post photos of them hanging out with rock stars and the like only to get in trouble later, career-wise, due to their flagrant lack of respect. I was recently visiting friends at a show and one of the crew members was showing me some photos he took with a new camera. He said that he wanted to post some on his website, but had to get permission first from the management. That is the right attitude. His perspective is different than those of all the audience members with cell phone cameras.
Never Ask For Autographs
If you have ever been on tour, you have learned the unwritten rule about the toilets on the bus. Another unwritten rule in the entertainment industry is to never ask for autographs. You would not ask the lighting tech for his autograph, so why would you ask the same from the person on stage?
Sometimes you might get an autograph by accident, but you should never ask. I once had a check signed by a famous talk show host. The bank tellers could not believe that I would rather have my money than keep the signed checked. I insisted that I wanted to be paid for my work. The teller gave me my money and a copy of the check so I could keep the autograph, but I gave her back the copy. She was more thrilled about the signature than I was.
Keep Your Cool
Remember that celebrities have many people that want to talk with them. If you are at a show and need to talk with the artist, you might have to wait a bit. Some artists will call you into the dressing room before or after the show to discuss the evening’s performance. Don’t think that just because you are involved with the lighting that you have an open invitation to hang out with them. They have many other obligations as well and while your discussion is very important, try to remember they are being pulled in many directions at once. When you do chat with them, keep it professional and always bear in mind they are the “top of the food chain.” However do not let their status compromise your professionalism or the safety of yourself or others. Feel free to tell them when they are wrong or an idea is dangerous.
Advice from Others
To get another perspective about celebrities, I asked my friend (and lighting celebrity in his own right) Butch Allen to tell me his thoughts about working with and meeting famous folks. Here is what he said:
“Ahhh…meeting celebrities. I’ve been very fortunate, both professionally and personally, to meet quite a few people some would consider to be celebrities. Sometimes it’s a ‘sweaty hands, words fail me’ moment, and other times the first encounter is an ‘old friends getting together’ very easy kind of kinship. Always remember that what we know as a ‘celebrity’ looks in the mirror every morning sees the same face they have seen every day of their life. After 20-plus years in this business I still get the chills from a true ‘brush with fame’ moment.”
I then asked Butch who are the people that are some of his favorite “brush with fame” moments and he said: “In no particular order: Brad Schiller, Troy Eckerman, Arnold Serame, Eric Wade, Patrick Dierson, Seth Robinson, Cory FitzGerald, Warren Flynn, David Arch, Joel Young, Mark Foffano, Curtis Cox, Vickie Claiborne, Killie Knoble, Laura Frank, Mark Butts, Steve Kellaway, Dave Convertino, Federico Lafuente and many others. Oh yeah, never ask for an autograph. It is bad form.”
We Are All Celebrities
Being famous just means someone is well known. As Butch pointed out, there are many types of celebrities. You might get a chance to work with a well-known lighting designer or set designer and have more butterflies in your stomach than when you work with a movie star. Really, this is the way it should be as everyone should be treated the same. Whether a person is a big name LD or a badass rock star, everyone should be treated as another professional coworker. Sometimes they will become friends and sometimes they will be a thorn in our side. Either way, famous people are a part of our lives when we work in the entertainment industry.
Brad Schiller can be reached at bschiller@plsn.com.
