Inspired while self-isolating (2)

Inspired while self-isolating: Crt Birsa

With Covid-19 lockdowns worldwide and health authorities urging people to self-isolate and practice social distancing on a massive scale as part of an enormous effort to #FlattenTheCurve of this global pandemic … we are reaching out to industry friends, colleagues, associates, partners, etc., and asking them to share their #StayAtHome and #QuarantineAndChill activities with us during this extraordinary time.

Robe: What do you do normally?

Crt: I am a lighting designer, working mainly on live shows and music TV productions, and recently I have been touring worldwide for most of the year including for artists like 2CELLOS, Peter Bence and Dubioza Kolektiv.

Robe: Where are you right now?

Crt: I am home, in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Robe: one of the most beautiful capital cities in Europe – although we are a bit biased being from the Czech Republic and having our own gem!

Robe: What are you doing to fill the time whilst isolating / on lockdown?

Crt: All the things that I could not do while I was travelling and working on tours!! One of them is repairing minor things in my home that did not bother me before when I was away for most of the year, but now they are screaming at me!!!

Maybe this is a little embarrassing, but a few days ago I made the first loaf of bread ever in my life. :)

Robe: What’s the most creative thing you’re able to do in isolation?

Crt: Sleep in the first place!! When awake, I am preparing some shows and designs for later on, because I think the demand for entertainment specialists will be high when this is over … and there will be less time to spend at home or being imaginative behind a computer.

Robe: Are you looking after anyone else during the Covid-19 crisis?

Crt: Yes … Looking after my mother as and when she needs assistance.

Robe: Has anyone inspired you since this started?

Crt: Ask me this one a bit month or so please. :) This is all new!

Robe: Favourite book / movie / Netflix series / viral video

Crt: I don’t have favourites - they are just good and bad to me! Currently, I am watching The Man in the High Castle (based on the alternate history novel by American writer Philip K Dick). I am a fan of the Vikings series and one of the good movies that has stayed in my memory is The Gladiator. (Ridley Scott’s 2000 epic historical action drama)

Robe: What’s the first thing you’d like to do when we are through it?

Crt: Go to the mountains and be closer to nature than I have been in the past years.

Robe: Own question / answer / message of solidarity or something you’d like to say?

Crt: Please be responsible – to yourself and the people around you! Only we can help ourselves and take measures to reduce the number of victims of this modern disease.

And when all is over, I hope we won’t forget … and will start treating the world better than we did before!

Inspired while self-isolating: Tim Routledge

With Covid-19 lockdowns worldwide and health authorities urging people to self-isolate and practice social distancing on a massive scale as part of an enormous effort to #FlattenTheCurve of the global Coronavirus pandemic … we are reaching out to industry friends, colleagues, associates, partners, etc., and asking them to share their #StayAtHome and #QuarantineAndChill activities with us during this extraordinary time.

Tim is a well-known award-winning international lighting designer whose recent work includes tours with music artists like Stormzy, The Spice Girls, Florence + The Machine, Dave and more and this recent television work has included BBC dance talent show The Greatest Dancer.

Robe: Where are you right now?

Tim: Home in Hampton Wick, which is in the London Borough of Richmond, UK, where I already have a home studio and office set up, complete with lighting consoles and visualisers.

Robe: What are you doing to fill the time whilst isolating / on lockdown?

Tim: The biggest thing is that I am home-schooling my daughter full time, which is brilliant! Although … I’d not give up lighting design as a career! I am really enjoying the quality time with her; we have a good and varied timetable which includes French which she wasn’t learning at school. She is loving that and enjoying the one-on-one attention!

I am also doing a few hours of design and concept work each week on some future upcoming projects.

“Crumbs” a lively Cavapoochon (a triple-cross breed combining the best traits of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Bichon Frise and Toy Poodle) joined the household in September and is providing hours of amusement and fun! She helps keep us all sane and exercised with her daily walks!

Robe: What’s the most creative thing you’ve done so far in isolation?

Tim: I presented a webinar demonstrating Depence2, a new visualiser from Syncronorm GmbH that is becoming popular with LDs. 166 people watched live with around 70 watching again later.

I have been super-impressed with the software and it’s completely changed my preparation workflow with incredible results.

After some initial Instagram posts about it, so many people contacted me that I decided to set up the webinar … I believe we’ll be hearing a lot more about this product in the future.

Anyone wanting to catch that webinar can check: www.twitch.tv/trld_lighting

Robe: Are you looking after anyone else during the Covid-19 crisis?

Tim: Yes - the family.

Robe: Has anyone inspired you since this started?

Tim: It’s really been the collective effort and imagination of people in creating a range of improvised content for all sorts of platforms that I have found inspiring. People have an appetite to see and absorb this, gain knowledge and learn. Also watching TV shows adapt to the ‘new normal’ has been pretty interesting!

Robe: Favourite book / movie / Netflix series / viral video?

Tim: American comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm on Sky is very funny and I am also enjoying Breeders, a new American-British comedy series.

Robe: What’s the first thing you’d like to do when we are through this crisis?

Tim: Have a good get-together, catch up and night out with all my friends.

Robe: Own question / answer / message of solidarity or something you’d like to say?

Tim: I hope things are different afterwards! There’s potential for the world to change for the better and maybe worry and obsess less about trivial things, while I hope we can all care for each other a bit more!

It’s our chance to reset. We will never get this time back, so a good point for reflection!

Inspired while self-isolating: Elliot Baines

With Covid-19 lockdowns worldwide and health authorities urging people to self-isolate and practice social distancing on a massive scale as part of an enormous effort to #FlattenTheCurve of this global pandemic … we are reaching out to industry friends, colleagues, associates, partners, etc., and asking them to share their #StayHome and #QuarantineandChill activities with us during this extraordinary time.

Robe: What do you do normally?

Elliot: I am a lighting designer / show designer and director of Spiralstagelighting. Usually, if I’m not working on a show, I’m working to get more shows or making production YouTube videos. Most of my work is lighting music shows and festivals.

Robe: Where are you right now?

Elliot: At Home in Halifax, UK.

Robe: What are you doing to fill the time whilst isolating / on lockdown?

Elliot: Learning the industry, making videos for my company’s YouTube channel and planning on how I can gain more shows when this crisis is over!

Robe: What’s the most creative thing you’re able to do in isolation?

Elliot: I've decided to use what I have at my disposal right now. If you have the right mindset, there are no creative limits!

So … I have been designing stages on Capture and learning new software. I initially created a stage in Capture and – deciding to train myself – went on to build a festival stage and create a show file for it.

The idea is to be putting myself in a few different scenarios e.g., how much can I program if the doors were soon going to open.

I am also operating / busking to different sets on YouTube to improve my improvisational, operating and programming skills.

Robe: Are you looking after anyone else during the Covid-19 crisis?

Elliot: No, but I’m looking out for my family and friends and offering help to people in my community if they are in need.

Robe: Has anyone inspired you since this started?

Elliot: Yes, how everyone Is supporting and looking out for each other keeps me positive and inspired! I also love watching videos online like the Robe on tour series and those on the German media portal, Event Elevator.

Robe: Favourite book / movie / Netflix series / viral video

Elliot: One show I absolutely love watching is (American sitcom) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Even though its nothing to do with the industry, I find it so funny! It entertains me and just puts me in such a good mood to start working, even if there aren’t any shows! It’s always good to find something that makes you happy and feel like you’re on top of the world!

I also enjoy watching online lighting videos and channels, as watching that kind of stuff is interesting and invigorating!

Robe: What’s the first thing you’d like to do when we are through this?

Elliot Use everything I have learnt through this crisis and put it out to the world! Work as much as I can, still learn as much as I can as every day is a learning day … and basically spread my wings and fly by putting so much effort into shows!

When you take a break from something you enjoy, you have such a strong desire to go back and give it everything you’ve got!

Robe: Own question / answer / message of solidarity or something you’d like to say?

Elliot: To the industry community. These are very scary times. Especially for the ones who need to pay rent and feed their families. Stay positive because the show must go on!

When I lost my brother three years ago, it really changed me. It changed me into who I am today.

With that happening, I now work my absolute best no matter how hard or easy the challenge is. Don’t give up, keep on going and show your clients what you’ve got! Make them proud.

Right now, we must reflect and help each other as much as we possibly can. Even though our industry can be very competitive, and you can also get nasty people, we need to get through this together as we are all in the same boat.

Keep striving, keep setting goals … and stay focussed and creative!

Inspired while self-isolating: Sven Kučinić

With Covid-19 lockdowns worldwide and health authorities urging people to self-isolate and practice social distancing on a massive scale as part of an enormous effort to #FlattenTheCurve of this global pandemic … we are reaching out to industry friends, colleagues, associates, partners, etc., and asking them to share their #StayAtHome and #QuarantineandChill activities with us during this extraordinary time.

Robe: What do you do normally?

Sven: I am a lighting designer and managing director of LumiLas LLC, a company specializing in lighting engineering and design and laser show technology for large and high-profile concerts and shows.

Robe: Where are you right now?

Sven: At home in Zagreb, Croatia. :)

Robe: What are you doing to fill the time whilst isolating / in lockdown?

Sven: Working on some plans for future show projects, and also finishing studies for my commercial Pilot’s licence which I started almost two years ago. :)

Robe: What’s the most creative thing you’re able to do in isolation?

Sven: It’s hard to be creative while in lockdown, but thankfully WYSIWYG and grandMA3 can’t contract COVID-19!

Robe: Are you looking after anyone else during the Covid-19 crisis?

Sven: Yes, my immediate family … who had their houses severely damaged in the earthquake which struck Zagreb on 22nd March, right in the middle of the Coronavirus crisis. The 5.3 magnitude quake was the worst in Zagreb for 140 years

Robe: Has anyone inspired you since this started?

Sven: I’ve endured much harder periods in my life, so I don’t regard this as the end of the world! :)

Robe: Favourite book / movie / Netflix series / viral video

Sven: Well … the only book for me currently is “EASA Professional Pilot Studies” by Phil Croucher. :)

Robe: What’s the first thing you’d like to do when we are through it?

Sven: Probably go for a long bicycle ride with my friends.

Robe: Own question / answer / message of solidarity or something you’d like to say?

Sven: This crisis will pass, and I’m certain that there are many lessons to be learned from it, so I hope we won’t take things so much for granted anymore. I’m sure I will not … :)