The designer and founder of 5600K Designs, a production and lighting design company based in Minnesota, Tegan Curran has already worked on some high-profile projects. She talked to Live Design about problem solving her way into a career in live entertainment and why lighting can be the spice for the meat and potatoes of a production, but don’t overdo it or you’ll ruin the recipe.
Live Design: When did you realize you wanted a career in the theatre/lighting?
Tegan Curran: I don't remember a specific event that was like an "ah ha" moment for me, but that being said, when I look back on my early years, I can see a definite path that brought me to this industry. Growing up I was not only interested in computers and electronics, but also art and photography. My dad is an electrical engineer and my mom was an art teacher and I was fortunate that they let me get my hands on things to figure them out.
I'd say my journey into this career started around 7th grade at my parents’ church. That summer the pastor decided that one of the services each week would have only bluegrass and folk renditions of hymns. The musicians set up this large condenser microphone in the front of the church with the PA pointing at it. This would probably not have been a problem if they had a sound engineer, but there wasn't anyone in the church who could do it. So, of course, there were a lot of pops and squeals. It got so bad that one Sunday I went to the balcony and started adjusting the EQ and gains. Problem solved. The musicians weren't too happy that someone messed with their settings, but the pastor was very appreciative and so I started running sound every Sunday.
When I got to high school, there was a sophomore student who laid claim to running sound at the school, but they said I could do lights. The teacher in charge of the afterschool program would bring in lighting and set designers that she worked with at the university and in community theater. I learned a lot about lighting theory from those designers as well as books I found in the library.
LD: Where did you train to be a lighting designer?
TC: Even though it's safe to say I learned much of my craft at Belmont University, it was all on the job training. I didn’t take formal lighting classes, instead I started working at the Massey Performing Arts Center (MPAC) as an LD. Before I was put on gigs for MPAC my boss, Frank Baird, had me train under Thom Roberts, who at the time was Randy Travis' LD. I worked with Thom to learn programming moving lights on the Hog 3 console. All of my experience up to that point was with conventionals and old ETC desks like the Express and Impression 2. One funny moment from my time with Thom was one day he asked me to make the movers do a ballyhoo. After he explained what it was, he went to go take care of something and when he came back I had a very terrible looking ballyhoo which I built using a chase and positions. He looked at me and was like, "Impressive, but you know you coulda just hit the ‘Circle’ button in the FX window." After that I was a quick study and ended up in the crew rotation.
Also at Belmont, I volunteered with Showcase Series for the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. The Showcase Series is a unique opportunity at Belmont where students get to have hands-on experience with a live production in different roles. As a freshman I was a lighting hand for these shows and started learning my way around Vectorworks. By my sophomore year I was designing at least one of these six showcases per year. Chris Lisle was the mentor for the Lighting Designers for the series. I learned many helpful lessons from him. I also learned many lessons from Brent Barrett (now retired) who was the Belmont client rep with Bandit Lites. As I became more seasoned, some of the younger LDs would come to me for advice or Vectorworks help. Like Thom, Chris and Brent, I was happy to share my knowledge with the others because I never liked the idea of gatekeeping knowledge.
For people starting out, I would recommend they find something to do in the industry while they learn. A lot of the people I know started as stagehands or at production companies. I spent a summer at Bandit Lites taking apart looms, learning the ropes, and getting to know people. I feel like getting to know people is just as important as learning the ropes. A few of my mentors have said that, "80% of this job is dealing with people, while 20% is the actual job." What they meant is that this industry is built on, and held together by, relationships.
As far as learning resources go, there are some great YouTube tutorials for programming consoles or using Vectorworks. Console Trainer, Christian Jackson, and Jason Giaffo are some.
The best resources are other people in the industry. Sometimes it can be hard getting information this way as some folks fear that helping will put them out of work, but that is the wrong mentality to have. There have been many times when a friend of mine asked me a question and I didn't know the answer and so we went to find it together. Sharing of knowledge benefits everyone.
LD: What is a great piece of advice you’ve been given?
TC: One piece of advice I got early on, was "Just because the light can do something doesn't mean it should." That, along with my background in theatre, has shaped a lot of my approach to lighting. My role as a designer is to enhance the performance without distracting from it. When I design and program, I follow the song's structure. Some songs don't need every light in the rig on, sometimes it's ok to have a single look for a song or an asymmetrical look now and again. It has to make sense for the subject. I feel like lighting, sound, video, pyro, automation, etc.. are all spices meant to enhance the meat (or tofu) and potatoes that make up the client's performance. The spices are delicious, but too much of even just one of them and the food is spoiled. Everything has a balance.
LD: What’s the story behind your business name, 5600k, the color temperature of daylight?
TC: I'm so glad you noticed! It's probably not the best name from a Search Engine Optimization standpoint. Referencing daylight in my business name is a promise to my clients and a reminder for myself. To me, daylight brings life, joy, warmth and beauty to the world and I want to bring those qualities into everything I do.
LD: You have a solid career as an in-demand lighting director and programmer, was your goal always to design?
TC: Since high school, I've had the goal of being a designer in the back of my mind. I wasn't sure how to accomplish that, but it has always informed my decisions. When I can, I try to take gigs with folks that appreciate my creativity and allow me to use it in my work.
Recently I feel like my creativity and work ethic have been noticed and I've been lucky enough to have my name put forward for some pretty cool projects.
LD: What insights or benefits do you have as a designer because you started out as a programmer and lighting director?
TC: For the majority of my career I've been expected to help with loading in the rig. This has really informed my design process in a beneficial way. I strive to make sure any rig I design is as tech friendly as possible while also meeting the design goals from the client. Sure, the design works on paper, but it also has to work in real space. If the rig isn't crew friendly, there's a real possibility for missing deadlines or burning out your crew.
LD: What goals do you have for the rest of your lighting career?
TC: I would love to be involved with really big, cool projects. I always have ideas for shows and I would love to have more opportunities to express them. For me, being a lighting designer tickles the technically minded and creative sides of my brain. I love finding creative ways to solving technical problems with design.