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New York based programmer Zak Al-Alami is the Lighting Director at Jazz at Lincoln Center and Arc3 Design. He recently stopped by the ETC video studio to talk us through his process of busking for concerts and other live performances.
What is busking?
“The general idea of busking is being able to light something on the fly,” says Al-Alami.
“All of it is about getting to a place where you have a comfortable level of organized improvisation….It could be busking a dance set, it could be busking an EDM concert, or it could be busking for a band that you know and tour with, but their set list is so vast and their shows change so much from night to night that it’s not worth cueing it out like a regular theater show.”
Building your toolbox
A busking toolbox includes pre-programmed content, arranged for quick and easy access during a show.
This content includes groups, effects, focus palettes, color palettes, beam palettes, submasters (Zak is a big fan of inhibitive subs), macros and cue lists. Here are some of Zak’s content layouts:
Watch the full video to see Zak in action
Watch the full video below to hear Zak explain how he sets up his Eos software show file and see him program songs in real time.
Want to learn about other Eos topics? Do you have busking stories of your own? Let us know at blog@etcconnect.com.
