Q: What’s the difference between a Lighting Designer and a Lighting Director?
A: About $20,000…
As a touring lighting director, I get asked this a lot — and the reality is few people outside the industry really understand it. The roles are similar, but the responsibilities are vastly different. The lighting designer is responsible for pitching, selling, and securing their visual concept for the show to their client. The lighting director is responsible for implementing the design and making sure its vision remains intact for the duration of the tour.
We all know what it takes to be a successful lighting designer — imaginative brilliance and business savvy. But what does it take to be a successful — and always working — touring lighting director? I have outlined my seven most successful tips below.
1: Be Nice.
The first thing a lighting designer or production manager will consider when choosing a lighting director is their attitude. I know of several talented directors who have been replaced solely because of their bad outlook. I replaced one guy mid-tour just because he spent too much time in the tour bus bathroom! So be good to your bosses and your crew equally. PMs like to see you treating your guys well. It keeps stress levels low and morale high. Praise your crew out loud when they do something properly and discreetly when they error. The need for politeness is amplified out on the road when packed into a bus with 11 other roadies for weeks at a time. Keep your own requests to a minimum and your spirits infectiously high.
2: Be Honest.
Be upfront and honest with what you can and can’t do. This is more practical than anything else, as the truth will come out. When I first started as a touring director, I had only called followspots on a few occasions. Then, later, when I first had to call six followspots for multiple lead singers, I was intimidated. I told my designer that I was concerned about the situation. We took time to go over the notes several times and I made sure that every one knew that this was a skill I was developing and I needed everyone’s support. It took time to master the skill, but by being upfront and honest, everyone knew this was going to be a bit of “on the job” learning for me.
Also be honest about your experience. I once heard someone say that they designed the “Monsters of Rock” tour only to find out that they merely attended the tour. Trumping up your resume will catch up with you and it’ll be ugly. Inevitably, the question will come up — “You were on that tour? You must know John so-and-so….” If you don’t know John so-and-so, you will be recognized as a fraud. We are a small industry, and word gets around fast.
3: Be Humble.
Being a director feels a lot like being the designer, but it’s not. Stay humble and always give credit to your designer when compliments are given. Your designer has put a lot of themself into the look of the concert, and that includes one of their toughest decisions, choosing you as a director. Your job now is to carry out your designers’ vision and ensure that its integrity is maintained as well for the 110th show as it was on their last day of rehearsal. I know that directors have lost their jobs by failing to recognize that the designer was the one actually running the show — don’t let this happen to you.
4: Be Competent.
This point is the most over-looked, but yes, be amazing at what you do. Pay attention to details. Study your craft before and after the show. Join a group that enjoys discussing lighting-related topics. Go see other shows. Learn new tricks. Figure out ways to do what other people are doing and then improve on them. Research the latest technology. Discover new software that allows you take your skill set to that next level.
Lighting directors are only one level ahead of a lighting operator, but it’s a big level. An operator is a person who can hit a go button or start the timecode when they have been told to, while a touring director structures and programs a show, getting final approvals from the designer. Once the rig is designed, plotted and built, a rock ‘n roll director needs to interpret the designer’s intentions and move forward quickly. I’ve been complimented on putting a lot of pre-thought into the artist’s songs while maintaining the designer’s vision. As soon as I know about a gig, I will listen to that artist’s songs for weeks. I will download song lyrics and break them down into sections and figure out the mechanics of the song. I will figure out where the chord changes are and how they will best be translated into looks. These are examples of going above and beyond, and maintaining a high level of competence.
5: Be Social.
There are many social media sites today that can give you an edge, so take advantage of them. Facebook and LinkedIn have been the most beneficial to me. I use LinkedIn to see who is designing what. I use Facebook to see who is where and when, and when certain key people are in my town, I reach out to see if we can get together for a meal or drinks. Most of my best gigs have come from Facebook. I post as many of my gigs online as I can so that past and future clients know what I am up to. This allows those who are looking to know instantly what my skillset is, which is reinforced by pictures of me sitting at the console on successful tours.
6: Be Punctual.
Production Managers hate it when crewmembers are late. PMs spend hours putting schedules and timelines together, and when people are disrespectful of those schedules, they get understandably upset. And should a PM get upset at you, they will make sure that everyone is upset at you. That is never more true than when a bus full of roadies are sitting in a parking lot waiting to go to breakfast with only five minutes to choke down some fake eggs to begin with, and it’s you who is holding them up. Trust me, you keep them from their black coffee a moment more than absolutely necessary, you will hear about it all day long. Touring happens on a tight schedule, so respect the schedule.
7: Be Unforgettable.
Make sure that the people remember your name by doing such an amazing job for them they can’t possibly forget you. Be memorable by making a consistent, positive impact on your client. Make it so your client becomes so accustomed to your superior quality of work that they can’t possibly do a tour without you.
Being a lighting director has been the most fulfilling position of my career so far. I enjoy assisting in producing beautiful, stunning looks and then making sure that that creative work is maintained throughout the tour. Making art that lasts is rewarding, and I hope these pointers will help you experience that yourself.
Chris Lose is a lighting director, content designer, and programmer with Las Vegas-based Q3 Event Productions. Reach him at www.q3lv.com.
