Freelance video engineer, operator, and lighting technician Rebecca Gerhard was instrumental in bringing Doja Cat’s Ma Vie world tour visuals to life on stage. Traveling to 30 shows across five continents, Rebecca did everything from physically building the tour infrastructure on a Disguise system for visual consistency, through to using a Sockpuppet workflow to busk the whole operation live, night after night.
We caught up with Rebecca below to learn more about her work on the show, as well as how she became interested in a career in live events, and her advice for anyone interested in following in her footsteps.
Live Design: What triggered your interest in live events?
Rebecca Gerhard: I was a rave kid and was always intrigued by the projection mapping and live visuals I experienced at EDM events. During my time at SCAD in Atlanta, there was this coalescence of working in nightclubs, vending and photographing shows and taking gigs as a stagehand.
This eventually led to my first job working as an engineer and technician at a regional vendor in Colorado, doing festivals and shows at Red Rocks. Doing these massive video rigs for electronic artists taught me to understand the entire video ecosystem from both ends of the snake. Transitioning from this gave me valuable experience to build upon when I went freelance and started touring on stadium and arena tours with media servers.
LD: How does your love of raving and EDM inform your work style today?
RG: My love for wubs and roots as a punter continues to inform my work style today through my passion for music. At the heart of all the shows I work on is the rhythm and community of live music. Music theory drives EDM VJing, and it informs the cadence of all my programming. If I can feel the music, the audience can feel that rhythm in the way I operate the show.
LD: What are the biggest lessons you have learned from your experiences on stadium and arena tours?
RG: The little things are the big things. This lesson follows through to any tour of any scale. Communication and collaboration are integral to being successful in these large touring environments. I have learned to be patient, to be humble, and to above all else — breathe. Behind the shows and the gear are people. And working with these people, understanding one another, is the only way to sustain a consistent show long-term. This can mean communicating with the vendor that provides the kit, which may need maintenance on the road. This can also mean learning how to work with people in other departments to make a sustainable system that is ready for the road. One conversation can mean the difference in hours of work and, most importantly, affects morale of the whole gig. Consistency in the little things shows in the big picture.
LD: You’ve just finished a run of 30 shows operating Doja Cat’s tour. What was that like?
RG: My run with Doja Cat was a whirlwind of exhilarating crowds speaking different languages every night, to late nights staring at rasters. There were obstacles, particularly when it came to managing language barriers across the many countries, but seeing the way her music transcends borders made it all worth it.
I was the Disguise operator and server engineer on the tour, which meant I operated the show day-to-day, integrated the show to the LED screens, and made creative adjustments on the road. Because of my video engineering background, I was also in charge of advancing and building the kit with a UK vendor.
The biggest challenge on the tour was the fact that the video system would change every day to accommodate the different locations we travelled to. Our stage setup consisted of a flown cube above the band riser, another cube that wrapped around the riser, and then, for the wings of the stage, we had ribbons tiered with lights as well as IMAG screens. I had to build a system that I could rely on every single day, no matter where I was, who I was working with, or what signal flavors we had.
LD: How did you do this from a technical point of view?
RG: From a technical standpoint, I would manage the server system day-to-day and advance with each local vendor; Hank Hankowsky programmed the creative and built the framework of the whole server ecosystem.
Disguise’s Designer software drove the whole show in conjunction with grandMA3, triggering the programming movements. Using SockPuppet and Notch was integral to the workflow. Running everything on Disguise GX 3 media servers has been a great way to keep the playback consistent every night through timecoded songs and live IMAG adjustments on the console.
LD: What are some trends you’re seeing in gear and workflows?
RG: Some recent trends in gear and workflows are a heavy emphasis on live and generative media. IMAG is so important to every show now, and content plays a large role in setting the stage. Being able to use cameras for live capture and then utilize the content for some of the major scenic elements has catapulted video to becoming another playing member of every band.
LD: What advice would you give someone starting in the industry today?
RG: If I were starting in the industry today, I would surround myself with people who know more about the skills I am trying to learn. I would move to a city where I could increase my surface area of gear and industry knowledge. If you have this direction you want to go, but you don’t know how, start by getting your hands dirty. Then, once you find a shovel, decide where it is you are really trying to go and dig your way into it. Put yourself in the environment that forces you to become the person you are aiming to be.