Arnoldo Offermann, president of 4SchoolsOnly, is a DJ-turned-lighting designer who has taken his love and passion for the marriage of a live DJ show and a stunning visual appeal, and combined it into one amazing experience at school dances. Naturally, as 4SchoolsOnly grew, it has given its parent company, A Premier Entertainment, the chance to grow into more upscale A/V events, weddings, and corporate events. He is a national speaker on creative lighting design for high-energy dances and multi-themed events and made his debut at LDI teaching a full-day course on ArKaos GrandVJ software, which has helped him grow his business to new heights.
1. What was your career path to becoming a DJ and lighting designer?
I was always involved in music, with my parents involved in the music industry when I was young. After a hair-pulling career move into IT, I realized I wanted to go back to the entertainment industry. The company I applied to—and work with to this day—A Premier Entertainment, needed a DJ, and I did just that. But in a few short years, we have developed to so much more than just a typical DJ setup.
2. What tools are in your DJ bag?
We have multiple systems and use anything from controllers to turntables. Personally, I love my new Reloop RP-800 turntable, as they took what I loved about the classic techniques but added a modern twist to it. Lighting-wise, we are very brand-loyal and use almost all ADJ and Elation gear. The value and performance-per-dollar ratio is insanely great. Lighting alone has changed how and what we do as a company. Working in many gyms, hotel rooms, or even a country club, power is truly a luxury. LED and MSD lighting has revolutionized what we can set up on limited power. Whether we’re using an 80W LED or a power-sipping 2R bulb, it still blows my mind what we can set up under 20A, let alone 100A. I love the look of shock when hotel A/V staff ask me, “Do you need a three-phase drop for all that?” Speaking as a DJ, I don’t want to discredit sound, either. Powered speakers have become more efficient and more powerful than ever imaginable. Our main control software has been Elation Compu Show. With multiple DMX universes—physical DMX outputs plus Art-Net—and easy patching options of any fixture, this is the best software for our company to grow with.
3. What’s been the best development in the industry in the last 10 years?
Given my love for LED, you’d think that’s what I would say, and perhaps that’s the right answer. However, I think too many would be quick to jump and say LED, so I’ll think outside of the box here and say: control options. If you told me 10 years ago that I could learn to projection map a house, room, truss, etcetera, I would have two responses: “What is projection mapping?” and “No way.” If someone who’s been in the lighting business for decades knew then that you can now have 10 DMX universes, full-feature control—palettes, followspot options, remote options, matrix control—for under $1,500, they’d scream “witchcraft.” Think about it; no matter how advanced lighting gets, especially at decreasing price points, we can do things with lighting, video, and lasers that we never thought imaginable, or even attainable, thanks to software. Every time I fire up our consoles, I just sit back and think, “Man, someone actually had to program this from scratch.” Wow.
4. What’s your favorite piece of gear now?
Why don’t you just ask me which child is my favorite? I used to hate moving heads when compared to scanners. Ten years ago, scanners were more affordable—I could do a bigger show for the same price—and much lighter. That’s slowly changed, and I can use movers for anything from a followspot, pinspot, gobo projection, or even adding texture to various surfaces. As a class of gear, my answer is moving heads, in general. There’s no limit to what they can do, but I think we all know this by now. As for a specific piece, I have to say the ADJ Inno Beam LED. It gives me that tight beam effect with only an 80W LED that cuts through all our other lights. It’s lightweight, it’s sharp, and the crowd does notice it when programmed right. Of course, I have a feeling this answer will change once I get a hold of some Elation Snipers.
5. What other jobs have you done in the past?
My first job—at 15—was working at a skating rink, but it was more than just being the DJ and telling kids to stop skating in the opposite skating direction. My countless hours I spent in the library let me brush up on web design, audio, electricity, etc. I helped fix several lights at the rink, improved the audio system, and even rewired that nightmarish DJ booth. Ever seen lamp cord run straight to a breaker? After that, I worked in IT long enough to know I wasted time in college. I hated it. I regret nothing, however, as it’s all helped me in some way, shape, or form with my current position.