# Jaded hack sez hello.



## DredheadV2 (Jan 29, 2010)

"Hello."

I'm a completely atrocious tech who started out doing theatrical lighting and sound in community college, along with props n stuff. I sucked at all of it, but it was fun welding, and I got to hang out with hot girls. Plus, mixing 16 wireless packs with Countryman mics (plus chorus and orchestra) on a well-funded community production of A Chorus Line kinda hooked me on this line of work.

Went to school at Columbia College in Chicago, learned how to fake my way through various classes, managed to get through with a degree. Studied directing and lighting design, but the only thing I was good at was stage combat. I also got to have Feedback Jack Alexander as a teacher, which was awesome. He couldn't make me good, but he was a riot to listen to.

Went to work at a performance lighting house in the 'burbs, and hardly ever got sent out on shows. Ended up doing a lot of raves, which did nothing for my sobriety and even less for my ego: A DJ could make $10k in a night without breaking a sweat, and I got around $100 for 15 hours of crap. And I mean crap, as in someone crapped on the feeder and I didn't know it til it was mostly in the case. Hooray for gloves. 

Jumped ship while making a delivery to a place called China Club, some Clear-com they'd rented for the night. They said "hey dude, can you run monitors?" so I lied and said "yes." Did monitors and dance lights there for a summer, and somehow ended up at another club, then another, and eventually I was one of the best-liked club lighting guys in Chicago. I got to work side by side with some of those high-dollar DJ's from the raves (but still made crap money, all things considered... but at least no one crapped in my booth). Became the club "utility infielder," adept enough to get by, but not really good at anything.

My skills finally found their niche when I got picked up by an event marketing agency which needed a technical director for their tours. Although I knew little about the job, I knew more than the git who hired me, and the rest is history. 

've loaded up my laptop with tasty bits of code like Arkaos Grand VJ, Vivien, and ShowCAD which I use to impress the easily duped; I can make simple pretty things happen, and it's enough to convince them. My only real skill is being the middleman - a guy who kinda knows what needs to happen, and kinda understands what the capricious nitwits (a.k.a. "Clients") are trying to say with their endless cascade of meaningless corporate buzzwords. And because of that, I get paid to hire all you people to do the real work. 

Yay me.

I've been to a couple LDI shows, the first one where I picked up a little AutoCAD and the other one I picked up Vivien. Thankfully that's all I picked up, Vegas being Vegas after all. Hopefully I'll be there again in 2010.

Cheers!
D*


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## DaveySimps (Jan 30, 2010)

Welcome! Good to have you here. That is quite the into you gave for yourself. Hopefully you will find the info here you need to help fill in your gaps in knowledge and help you turn from "middle man" into the main man. Let us know how we can help you. Enjoy CB!

~Dave


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## derekleffew (Jan 30, 2010)

DredheadV2, dude, you need to chill and not take your job so seriously! After all it's just showbiz, not like it's anything important. 

One of the best New Member intro's ever on CB!
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/members/dredheadv2.html


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## DredheadV2 (Jan 30, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> DredheadV2, dude, you need to chill and not take your job so seriously! After all it's just showbiz, not like it's anything important.



Pssht. It's marketing - even less important ^.^


> One of the best New Member intro's ever on CB!



I'd like to thank the Academy, and all the fine people at John Jameson and Sons distillery, Bow Street, Dublin.


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