Mark “Fifi” Miller is a lighting designer, VJ, and all around jack-of-all-trades with 30 years of touring production experience. Fifi is Poison’s LD and the owner of the one-of-a-kind “Poison Green” Ohm controller. We had a chance to chat with Fifi about his experience in the industry and his thoughts on how video has changed the role and job description for the lighting designer.
You have a lot of years of concert touring and production experience; can you tell us how you got your start?
When I was 15 a guy named Buddy Barry was working in the high school theatre that I spent a lot of time in, yeah I was that popular. He asked me one what I was going to do with the rest of my life. My reply…. “Not a clue”. His reply…. “Be at the Baton Rouge Centroplex on Saturday, 7:30am and we’ll see what we can do”. Yeah right, child hood dream come true. So I had my mom drive me down there on Saturday morning, boy was she pissed, walked in looking around for Buddy and hear this voice yell, “Hey kid, grab a 5’ steel and a shackle and tie it on the rope”. Again, “right”. So, after faking it, tied the stuff on, wrong of course. Again with the voice, “Nice kid, we have to work on the knot, but you got the other stuff right, hang out we’ll see what we can do”. “Right”.
After a bunch of stuff I won’t bore you, a gentleman named V.J. Carouso ran the place and took a liking to me and gave me my first step into this insane business. After a couple of years being a stagehand I had heard so many stories of life on the road that I too wanted to join the circus. In ’79 I called the largest lighting company in the states at the time and lied to get my foot in the door. When I got there I didn’t have a clue, again faked it till I got a clue, but I was in. My first real tour was “Sammy Hagar’s Three Lock Box Tour”, trying to keep the first eight color changers ever made in the U.S. running. I could go on for days, but I’m sure you’re getting bored…
What are you currently working on?
Trying to make a paycheck, No, really….
Poison, Benise, HASC, Gpha Annual Meeting.
Can you tell us a little about your setup?
The basics for Poison are:
500 Par 64’s
240 2.4k Dimmers
11 Martin Mac 700’s
50 Chauvet Colorado 3’s
2 Avolights Sapphire Lighting Desks
2 Lighting guys
Crew:
Mike Deitz
Kevin Brophy
1 Livid Ohm Controller
1 Alienware Laptop PC
1 Video Switcher Rack
5 Robot Cams
1 Martin Maxedia
2 DVD players
1 Video Processing Rack
1 Video Guy
Ryan Schaddelee
2 20k Projectors
How has your setup changed over the years?
Depends on the artist. We try and add to the show, not distract. Although there have been times that I wish I could get the audience to look in another direction. For the most part it’s what the artist’s vision is. And then there are times where we just shoot from the hip, as it were.
What is your ‘must have’ piece of gear?
The crew!
Consoles, GrandMA is the first choice, Avolites consoles are second. As far as video goes, so far the Ohm controller and the computer for all none production shows, is a must have. You can get through airport security easier when travelling abroad than having a road case with you. TSA will still look at you funny and want you to pull it out, the controller, duh, leave everything else where it should be! Don’t wanna be shot for pulling out yer piece!
(editors note: When traveling abroad list it as a “portable musical instrument” to avoid paying import taxes. As it is a MIDI controller it does fall under this category though every country has different exemptions)
What do you think is the biggest technological evolution you have witnessed since you began your career?
I been here for a long time and have seen a lot of things come and go. I would have to say moving lights and LED technology, although we in the circus have gone a bit overboard with all of it. I’m waiting for holograms, and some other really depraved sh!t to come along.
What would you like to see happen to make your job easier?
Really? You want me to answer this one? Ok, but I’m warning you…..
People…. For some strange reason it would seem that people in general are getting dumber as we go on. I have been traveling the world doing shows fro the past 30 years and either I’m loosing my patience with people or things are taking a drastic turn for the worst! I have a lot more to say on this, but not now…
What Livid gear do you have and how do you integrate it into your setup?
The Ohm controller
Union 2.5
We use the above stuff for all overseas and nonproduction shows. Everything goes through the laptop then gets sent to the switcher rack and then the projectors.
We created a custom “Poison Green” controller for Fifi, read more about it at lividindustry.comHow does being the technical and creative guy at the same time affect your work?
I would have to say it makes things a bit easier. It cuts out the middleman for sure.
The hard part IS being the creative guy! It also adds a bit more stress to a project because you have to pay attention to a lot more details.
How do you integrate lighting and video?
Well if you ask my Production Manager, Mark Hogue, He would say that the lighting rig steps all over the video. We have gone round the bend on this one! A lot has to do with making sure the lighting rig doesn’t wash out the video, I like to use truss spots on a lot of shows and we always seem to be moving them around to give us maximum video output. Sounds kinda dumb doesn’t it? Well truss spots are angled more toward your audience and when they move in front of a video screen you tend to loose intensity from said screen. So we move the spots around for at least the first week of a tour trying to get as much out of each as we can. There’s a lot to work out before you start any tour adding the element of video that it to another level.
How do you see the role of the LD changing?
It would seem that we are becoming video directors and I guess that would be the next step. With the advent of LED technology as it is and lighting becoming what it is I see us all becoming video guys in some shape or form.
What do you use to create your content?
A video camera, what ever is around at the time, Quicktime Pro, Final Cut, Photoshop CS and anything else we can get our hands on.
Are there any other LD’s or VJ’s that you get inspiration from?
Mostly lighting designers, Mark Brickman (Pink Floyd), Mick Thorton (Moody Blues) Freddy Mercury (Queen), yes that’s right sports fans Freddy was an LD, John Osbourn, Roy Bennet, and that’s just to name a few.
There are a lot more, some are long gone, some are still around, but for the most part anyone who does something creative or has not used something to death, that’s where I get inspiration from. We have a saying in the circus… If you stole someone else’s cue, look or what ever it’s a compliment.
Do you have any specific themes or styles that influence your video?
As far as Poison goes I would have to say Mark Hogue! We pitch something to him, he ponders, hates it, and we go back to the drawing board as it were till we come up with something that he would like and then we know that we won’t have problems with the band, for the most part.
As far as doing solo projects, color and content depend on the mood, tempo, and feeling from each song. Which has been a three-year building process. Collecting content has been the biggest part.
Is there any advice you can give up-and-coming designers?
Run like hell in the other direction! Well if you’re in the theatre, go look outside, that’s what you’re trying to recreate. Rock shows, to complement not distract. I got nailed by Prince with this statement “ Mark, They don’t go home humming the lights.” Asshole, but he’s right! VJ’s repetition will kill you. Keep it fresh.
Where can we see your upcoming shows?
Poison’s “Live Raw and Uncut” DVD Sold at your local Best Buy
Prince’s “Rave unto the Year 2000” DVD I have seen this in various music stores
Prince’s “Beautiful Strange” this one is a bit more obscure and will be hard to find
I’m not giving you a full list, we’d be here all night! Poison usually tours in the summer and in the winter months I do a lot of corporate work.
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