Every now and then, we come across a story that feels very familiar. It’s the kind of journey many people in our industry have lived in one way or another. It starts with a bit of curiosity, a chance opportunity, and the willingness to follow where it leads. Then, before you realize it, that first step becomes a profession, the small projects become bigger ones, and experience grows along the way.
That’s exactly the kind of story we’re sharing today with Alberto Gottardi, owner of Go.Service in Bassano del Grappa, Italy.Over the years, Alberto has built his work around theatre and dance lighting design, developing a personal approach that has become a defining part of his identity as a lighting professional.
In this conversation, he talks about his journey from audio into lighting, the creative possibilities he found behind the console, and how discovering ETC and the Eos platform changed the way he approaches programming.
For Alberto, Eos is more than just a lighting control system. It is a tool that brings precision, flexibility, and that sense of elegance needed to shape complex and visually powerful productions such as “Confini” by DinDonDown Teatro.
Here’s what he shared with us.
Welcome, Alberto. Can you tell us a little about what you do and how you got started?
I am the owner of Go.Service in Bassano del Grappa, and I mainly work as a lighting technician and lighting designer in theatre and dance.
My journey started in a fairly unexpected way about fifteen years ago. I have always played music and, at the time, I was finishing a three-year course in Music Therapy. Because of my connection with music, I was asked to work as a sound engineer for a local choir, even though my technical experience at that point was very limited.
Project after project, my interest grew and the work increased, until in 2013 I opened Go.Service together with my father.
Over time, I became more and more interested in lighting. Eventually, my focus moved from sound to light. In many ways, I find lighting to be a more open and expressive discipline compared to audio. It gives me more space to experiment and to bring something personal into the work.
Over the years, I worked across different areas, from live events and conferences to various types of installations, before finding my real home in theatre and dance.
My experience with ETC is quite recent. I have been part of the technical team at Operaestate Festival for several years, so I often had the chance to see Eos users working and to understand how they approached the system.
Eos was always described to me as a platform that naturally belongs in the theatre world. Last summer, a conversation with a colleague I really respect, Orlando Bolognesi, made a strong impression on me.
Orlando has worked with many different consoles and brands over the years, and he described Eos as an elegant software. The way he explained it, Eos allows you to shape and refine your work with light with a level of precision and care that really stood out.
The idea of describing lighting software as elegant immediately caught my attention. I started watching tutorials online and studying the system. It was love at first sight.
I soon purchased an ETCnomad with a Gadget II, and I began converting my existing shows from other platforms so I could start using Eos as my main programming environment.
Can you tell us about “Confini” by DinDonDown Teatro? What were the lighting requirements?
“Confini” by DinDonDown Teatro premiered in 2024 at Venere in Teatro, a festival organised by LiveArtCultures in the beautiful setting of Forte Marghera, where I have been following technical direction for several years.
The company was hosted at the venue as part of a residency. Like many of their productions, the process started from experimentation and research, focusing on identity and the idea of going beyond boundaries.
Lighting became a central part of the performance from the beginning. The design combined traditional theatre fixtures with LED tubes, which were moved and used on stage by the performers themselves, together with a video projector used in a less conventional way to create certain effects.
The use of haze was also a key element, helping to create a soft and diffused light and building a dreamlike visual atmosphere.
How did you use ETC in the programming and live operation of the show?
From the start, I chose the ETCnomad + Gadget II setup as my main system.
It was the first time I approached a new software and felt I didn’t really miss having a dedicated physical console. The shortcut system is extremely intuitive and well thought out. Especially with ETCnomad, Eos gives you the possibility to create a workflow that really fits your own way of working.
Since I travel a lot and move from theatre to theatre, I have always preferred a compact setup. My goal has always been maximum control with minimum equipment. At the moment, I work with a laptop, a Korg NanoKONTROL Studio for faders, and the JOSC application for encoders.
For “Confini”, the first step was converting the original programming. Once again, Eos surprised me. I was able to rebuild the show at home without any problems and without using a visualiser, while also simplifying and cleaning up the cue list.
When I brought it into the theatre, the adjustments needed were minimal. The show itself changes slightly from performance to performance, so being able to make precise edits quickly is extremely important.
The tracking system is also a major advantage because it gives you confidence that every change will behave exactly as expected within the show.
Is there a specific Eos feature that makes a real difference in your daily work?
The shortcut system is probably one of the things I appreciate most. Once you understand the logic behind it, programming becomes extremely fast.
For me, Eos is a real theatre tool. You can feel ETC’s experience in the way the software is designed, from the functions to the terminology and the small details that make a difference when you are working professionally.
Compared with other consoles, I think Eos is particularly strong when it comes to tracking. It allows you to manage every part of a cue list in a very clear and controlled way.
Another important aspect is colour management. In my work, I try not to rely too much on preset palettes because I want every show to have its own identity.
The ability to work on every single colour parameter with such accuracy allows me to create very specific atmospheres and makes matching LED fixtures with traditional fixtures much easier.
Are there other ETC products you would like to explore?
I always try to stay updated with new developments and, even before moving to Eos, I already appreciated ETC for the quality of its fixtures.
At MIR, I had the chance to see the new MegaPix and GigaPix fixtures, as well as the Source Four LED Series 3 profiles, and once again I was impressed by the attention to detail and by how clearly everything is designed around real theatre use.
I should also say that, although I am a big supporter of the “Nomad in a backpack” approach, the comfort and possibilities offered by consoles like Gio @5 or the Apex range are undeniable.
It is a great example of how flexible Eos is as a platform. It works equally well for people who need to travel light and for larger-scale productions with full-size control environments.
Enjoyed this? Here’s another post you might like: Lighting for musicals with Emanuele Agliati & Oscar Frosio.