30 Under 30: Matt Webb, UVLD Lighting Designer

Aug 24, 2018 6:00am

In celebration of LDI’s 30^th anniversary—1988-2018—Live Design gives a shout out to 30 Under 30: thirty young movers and shakers who are changing paradigms, looking at things from new angles, and rapidly rising to the forefront of their field. From scenic, lighting, projection, and costume designers to technicians and programmers, as well as those who work for manufacturers, production companies, or rental shops, our 30 Under 30 are the harbingers of tomorrow.

The design is strong in this one. Since the young age of 13, Matt Webb has been working lights like nobody's business. He got his start at his local church, and then after several years of freelance design and programming, Webb joined UVLD as a design partner in 2012. His work has been seen in venues around the country as well as on television, including projects such as the 2017 NHL All Star Game, Dell, Google, GSK, Hyundai Auto Show press events, and Prestonwood’s The Gift of Christmas, for which he received the 2016 Live Design Excellence Award in Theatre Performance.

Name: Matt Webb

Age: 29

City, State of residence: Dallas, TX

Position/title: Lighting designer and programmer

Employer (if not freelance): Unlimited Visibility Inc. (Design Partner)

Current project(s): MLB Fan Fest at The 2018 All Star Game, NHL Draft 2018, and 31 Gifts National Conference.

Most notable achievements: Production and lighting design for The Gift of Christmas; lighting design for NHL Draft 2017-2018; lighting programming for Walmart Shareholders Meeting 2016-18.

When I started in this industry: I got started in the industry very young. At 13, I started running lighting in the church I grew up at, which eventually led to meeting Cameron Yeary and being introduced into the UVLD world.

How I got into this industry: After learning things at my church, I got introduced to Cameron Yeary who was doing some projects there at the time. He quickly sucked me into the freelance programming world after high school, which eventually led to me joining UVLD as a design partner in 2012.

Influences: John Ingram, Greg Cohen, Greg Norgeot, Cameron Yeary, and the rest of the UVLD team. I always enjoy seeing the latest projects by designers like LeRoy Bennett, Baz Halpin, Jon Kusner, and many others.

Worst advice I’ve ever heard: “Don’t worry about that yet. You can figure out the details later.”

Best advice I’ve ever heard: “Keep your wits about you” and “We are not curing cancer” are both probably some of the best reality checks I’ve been given over the years.

My favorite thing about the production industry: The speed at which things change and the challenge to always stay ahead of that curve while not getting cut by the cutting edge. And of course, all the people we get to work with on a daily basis makes a lot of time away from home much more enjoyable.

Favorite design/programming/technical trick: As a programmer, staying on top of the console organization and having a very clean ability to manipulate the tracking of the cuelist. On the design side, I wouldn’t really call it a trick but being surrounded by the best team of people possible can make or break a project.

Plans for the future: Continue to develop more design projects while also spending time at home with my awesome two young daughters.

Other interests/side gigs: Texas Rangers Baseball! I used to play the drums, but more loud than good!

Awards, honors: The 2016 Live Design Excellence Award in Theatre Performance for The Gift of Christmas 2015

Organizations, memberships: IATSE ACT member

Website if applicable: uvld.com

Check out Live Design/LDI's other 30 Under 30:

LDI's 30th Anniversary