Act Out

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Be confident in what you have created.
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Remember who your audience is.

Be confident. You got yourself behind that desk for a reason. Somebody wants you to run their lights for them. That’s a great thing; be proud of that. You will always feel the pressure of others in the industry watching you, just as you have watched others. Who hasn’t thought, “I wouldn’t have used that color in this song,” or “What’s up with that look?” (I know I have). That doesn’t mean what the LD has done is wrong or bad, it’s just different than what you would do.
So, design your rig and program your show, then tweak it, and tweak it again. Just like writers need to fix grammar errors and plot points you need to fix things like color pallets, gobo rotation speed, etc. Get it dialed in. Tighten your programming as much as you can. Then when it all comes together, step back and look at it: All the work and effort. Appreciate it. You created it, enjoy it.

Remember who your audience is. Your audience (in this case) is the actual audience: the people in the seats, not the other guys on the crew. This is very easy to forget because you hang out with other LDs and techs, not the people watching the show. Just like there may be one writer for every thousand readers, there may be one other LD for thousands of fans. You programmed the show, you are happy with the show. You tweaked all the timing and focus positions. So just because LD Bob tells you blue would look better here, or LD Jane says you should change the chorus because it’s not a big enough look doesn’t mean they are right. They are NOT your audience. It only matters that the people in their seats enjoyed the show.

BUT WAIT.

This does not mean you shut yourself off from advice or constructive criticism. Just like writers, LDs can out think themselves. Doubts sink in. What if LD Bob was right? Should I change that color? When this starts to happen, just stop. Step back. Is LD Bob talking offering some actual insight? If he is, you should probably really think about fixing it. Or is it just his opinion? If you like his idea, then go with it. If not, guess what? That’s okay. You programmed it that way for a reason; don’t let the doubts take hold.

Be confident.

Until next time, “Whatever it is you seek, you have to put in the time, the practice, the effort. You must give up a lot to get it. It has to be very important to you. And once you have attained it, it is your power. It can’t be given away: it resides in you. It is literally the result of your discipline.” –Michael Crichton