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FEATURE
Who You Gonna Call?
Programmers Reveal Why They Stay Busy
By Kevin M.Mitchell
“
“ Keep your mouth shut and pay attention,”
or variations on that theme, was
how three top-shelf programmers answered
the question, “What’s the best advice
you’ve gotten about this profession?”
All three laughed it off and tried to take
it back, but it’s certainly telling. Of course, it’s
not the only thing Nick Militello, PLSN columnist
Nook Schoenfeld and J.J. Wulf have in
common. A passion for what they do, a near
death-defying ability to keep up with the
technology, despite their demanding schedules,
and a combination of talent and speed
keep them on top of their game.
Nick Militello
Since getting into the
business, the biggest change
Nick Militello has experienced
is the push into video
and media server programming.
“It has forced me to
learn about what it’s best to
play back on, what formats
are best… I still do lighting
design, but this type of programming
has opened me up to a whole new
side of things.”
What hasn’t changed? “Deadlines!” he
laughs. “From day one, there is never enough
time to do everything that you want, get everything
you want into a show.”
Militello, president and CEO of Los Angeles-based
It Factor, has been in the music business
almost a decade. He graduated from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
with a BFA in lighting design and has recently
worked with the Dixie Chicks, Korn, John Mayer
and several corporate events. His console of
choice is the Flying Pig Systems Wholehog III. “I
used to work for High End, and I got deep into
the console when I was there,” he says. “I feel
comfortable with it, and it’s usually the console
that I’ll spec on a job.”
He likes to ask a lot of questions when he
gets a programming call. He wants to know
what is going on with the video programming,
if the content is already prepared or if stock clips
are going to be used, and he wants to make sure
they have the right compression. He also learns
what kind of atmosphere they are trying to create,
and then it’s a matter of how much he can
prepare before showing up.
Keeping up with technology includes a lot
of research for Militello. “I keep up with all consoles’
updates and with what consoles and media
servers are offering new features. It’s figuring
out how I can make my life easier when I get on
a site, and a lot of the top manufacturers have
listened to us and have made consoles increasingly
more friendly.” It’s daunting, he admits, but
diligently reading the trade magazines and the
ads helps. Otherwise,
Nick Militello it’s also the proverbial
“word on the street”
that counts for him.
As to why he’s one of the guys at the top of a
short list, Militello says modestly, “In all honesty, I
simply try to have a good attitude. I’ve been on
a number of productions when above or below
me on the food chain key people have bad attitudes,
and they aren’t fun to work with.
“I feel that I’ve been lucky to work on any
given job, and I’m excited when I come to the
gig.” Helping considerably, though, is his ability
to keep up with the machines, so when a
designer asks for something, he can produce it
quickly. “By no means do I say I know it all!” he
laughs. “But I try to learn all I can about every
program and piece of gear, and if you know
any piece of gear really well, your speed will
reflect that. I love what I do; I have a good attitude,
and I know the equipment.”
Nook Schoenfeld
“I’ll light anything!” an exuberant Nook
Schoenfeld declares. When we spoke he had
just finished programming Bob Seger’s new
tour. Other recent clients include Kid Rock,
Jack Johnson, Counting Crows and Paul Simon.
Heap on top of that some corporate work, and
you have a pretty busy telephone.
Schoenfeld started working for See Factor
in New York. In 1985 he was working for
Morpheus, where he became a programmer.
In those days, manufacturers sent programmers
out with the gear, so he was among a
select few who have done it from the very
beginning. Based in Chicago, he recently cofounded
the design company Visual Ventures
with LD Mike Ledesma. [See www.plsn.com for
their new blog. –ed.]
A John Mayer show programmed by Nick Militello
Today, his tool of choice is the Martin
Maxxyz, which he declares “the easiest console
in the world — it’s the only one you don’t need
a book to explain how to use it.”
Schoenfeld says he first tries to get a feel
for what the artist is doing and then asks if
there are set ideas on the table, yet. And of
course, he asks about the video element. “It’s
very important that lighting and video work
together,” he says. “If there’s a big video center,
I don’t compete with that, and we’ll just
use front floor lights and light from the side.”
Also important is respecting the budget. He
sees others draw up extravagant plans in the
hope that when the client sees it, he or she
will magically be inspired to come up with the
funds. Schoenfeld says he tries not to waste his
client’s time on such adventures. “Know your
limitations,” he cautions.
“In the old days you had designers, and
you had programmers. Now the designers
are the programmers on 50% of the show.”
Interestingly, what hasn’t changed is the
way he programs. “The consoles are better, and
the tricks got better, but my lighting theory
hasn’t changed in 20 years,” he says. “It’s just
gotten easier. Instead of taking 20 minutes to
write a cue, it can take 20 seconds.” Also, the
business is still word-of-mouth, and how you
behave effects the amount and type of work
you get. “I call it ‘playing well with children.’ If
you’re nice to people and
play by the rules, people
want you back. Two-thirds
is based on personality, and
a third is talent. I know nice
guys with no talent who get
great gigs.”
Keeping up with the
technology is tough, he says,
but he’s fortunate. “Companies that develop
new products send them to me. Robe sent me
some lights two years ago, and I’ve been sold
on them since. Same with Coemar. I don’t like
everything, but I liked those.
“Otherwise, it’s word-of-mouth. I’ll be having
dinner with LD John Featherstone, and he’ll
tell me something I have to try.”
Being in touch with other programmers is
key for him, he says. “I still see others do a trick,
and I’ll go, ‘Wow, that’s cool! How did you do
that so fast?’ And I’m quick to show things to
others. Programmers really benefit from trading
tips.”
Schoenfeld also learns what not to do from
others. “I saw a show a few years ago, and saw
the same darn color peel over 50 times. And
I’ve seen shows with a hundred moving lights
but all in the same focus.
“Last year, a designer was doing this band,
and every song I would see the same light
sweep with gobos going into the audience at
the same place in a song. I could almost guess
exactly when it was going to happen for the
next song!”
J.J. Wulf
For J.J. Wulf, it’s all about console management.
“If someone doesn’t have good console
management, you can usually tell,” Wulf says.
“If I walk in to use someone else’s board and
see they have five different reds, that they
haven’t merged them… When you’re working
with 3,000 or 4,000 lights, there is no way you
can work with something like that.”
Wulf, who is owner of Las Vegas-based
Wulf Designs, says his ability to manage the
console, to arrange elements as opposed to
Nook Schoenfeld
34 PLSN FEBRUARY 2007
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