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00:00:41Michael apostolis is the creative Mastermind behind the production in lighting design of musical performances for Noah Cyrus. Billie. Eilish Travis Scott. Maren Morris, Alicia Keys and many more. He has directed music videos produced performances for the ward shows like the Grammys talk shows like Jimmy Fallon and variety shows like SNL Michael has worked on every performance with Chance the Rapper for the last seven years. He is the visual Storyteller for artists music to stay to and learn more in this episode of the setup podcast.
00:01:25Thanks for joining us on this at a podcast today. How are you doing? Good. How are you?
00:01:32I know just being at home nothing at too much going on other than this.
00:01:43This quarantine has been me working on things that I've been putting off revamping, you know, a website or you know, a portfolio pretty finally going back and going all this work that I've done last three years isn't on there and just kind of creating as things come to me, you know, even if it's not work specific, even if she something I'm just feeling inspired in the moment to take out the drawing book and draw something and be like, maybe this'll turn into something. I'm doing all the things that they haven't been able to do in last 3 years.
00:02:19Checking things off the list that have been long overdue. It is always a great thing. I'm sure that's a great feeling for you. I really wanted you to be in my little over here. I have this joke prepared with this like tiny little lighting.
00:02:43It's okay will do a part 2 over there putting on Chance. The Rapper's album release line event called the big store for his album. You so pretty much all of his fans were able to go through this door of his childhood his relationship with his old for memorabilia. What went into an inspired his his new album on it. What was your favorite part of a few favorite part to one of them?
00:03:38Being just like seeing all the fans and and his family and close friends come in and see all these things that they haven't been able to see where very few of them have been able to see, you know, I get a behind-the-scenes look on chances career chance personal life. See some personal things are just seeing people's faces light up when they go in new uniforms the Grammy's room where his three Grammys were on display, you know, like just like just those moments it made that whole hustle to pull that off worth it when I saw it. I'm like wow, like I can feel like Connection in a way like I just felt like a unique experience.
00:04:38Yeah, there's there's an energy in that room. I think everyone when they went in that room had a different energy, but I think there was definitely energy whether it was someone going in that room that said no she chances knows that he won Grammy Awards, but maybe never watched the Grammy Awards when it when it actually happened and how large of a moment that was how kind of monumental it was being the first artist to win a Grammy and and sweep the major categories and other people like myself. I remember the energy being at the Grammys when that happens and how celebratory it was and how the whole night was just after he won the first one it was just you know, Amber was kind of on this this energetic high in the background, you know, we had the TV playing the moment when he got announced that he won his speech. So just hearing those things. That was the whole point of like when we put it on once we want to make sure everybody
00:05:38Debbie room audio seems to work that you know, that would strike strike your York or you know and just bring back some memories.
00:05:49What is a my hide for like weeks I could still like I should have came to me. I would say maybe a month before that. Just put this idea that alongside the album release you wanted to have an interactive experience for people and the biggest thing was finding the location Lollapalooza was happening or about to start happening simultaneously. We had to have a closed to all these music lovers and a lot of them probably being his friend his fans show a big thing was finding a location. So once we found a location, then it then it allowed us really dive in and go through the list of ideas and decide. All right, this this can fit in the space. This one is not it's not achievable space like that is highlighted.
00:06:50Important things that he wanted people to feel and what he want people to people that experience and see someone from there. We just you know, what we put it up on the board and began deciding what things in each of the rooms that have importance the chance what things can you put in there that will magnify the feeling of that era that we are covering the hardest part especially during that time. I was very happy that you chose that one because that's like five blocks for my condo. That's awesome and also bouncing from that maybe were in the area and like wanted to check out a little bit. Would you describe what you do to let say your parents?
00:07:50When I first started I was in lighting design. So, you know, I start off as a pack from their ruin to an associate learning the consoles getting some opportunity program. Now, you know, I please come up to design and you grow from there. So I think I was pretty straightforward explain its people lighting for concerts and fur and prevention shows from there and I'm moving the production design creative Direction world. It's a bit harder to explain to people and I think the reason for that is is no no job is the same. So I just tell him that I am a creative director directions honor design anything from the stage to the lighting to the video unit to the visual piece of that you see me as a creative director at work with the artist and the team content designers and lighting designers and video editors to to create what the audience sees.
00:08:50What's in the stage in Suffolk? That sucks visual storytelling of the artist music days, especially more. So in the creative world really get it and I don't think my parents could actually tell anyone any of my job my past jobs were and shout outs mom, but I spent like an hour to try to get her to follow this on Spotify right of your career from the beginning of it. All you want until I designed right out of high school, correct?
00:09:47Yes, I started the winter of Junior. That's when I started getting some more hands-on experience in arenas on shows as lighting Tech kind of just as an assistant to breakfast diner any lighting designers that were on the show before that beginning of my junior year. I just work there lighting shop in Chicago called performance lighting. I got an opportunity to a friend who work there to kind of intern there and just learn the ropes, you know, I became really good friends with rock armentrout was the president over there and she just kept asking me to come back. They have a large show come in if I was available and I if I was I'd be there I mean even when I wasn't I try to you know, whatever I had going on to be over there cuz I just wanted to learn and I started off, you know, just calling cables in the shop and washing cables.
00:10:48Restoring lights bring it back on the Shelf. I try wanted to make sure I I learn as much as I could find the scene because I knew eventually I wanted to get in plenty of time but I didn't I didn't just want to go into letting design and not know. It just only know the consul you're not know what went in to bring it up there. I think when you have that you have a different view on the show and kind of watch Cape what's what's capable and what you can make happen and it does that process concerts in lighting design world. Turn on the lights decide where they Point what color they are. What's in them pattern Wise Liquor Costco Bose prism want to do that? You have to program it on to a console which is like a giant computer protection series of computers kind of compiled into one. There's many different consoles the first one that I touch down and learn the table lights.
00:11:48Series of consoles that had like a pearl that I learned on and then from there I went into the hog, which is another series of lighting consoles from their Grand Am a wine and then granted me to next now. There's a granary 3 out with working in the shop as lighting Tech Whenever there wasn't something going on. Even when I finish my work early I'd be able to jump on the council's in the shop and just kind of play around and just trial and error figure it out in through working at the shop and and being able to go on little shows around Chicago.
00:12:24As a widened I got to meet a lot of other great lighting tax and Associates and designers who eventually your help me help can show me the ropes when I want to take the next step, you know, show me some shut down with me and gave me their attention and let me ask, you know, all the annoying questions that are 15 16 year old interested in lighting were asked and then that was great, you know Elliott little who worked at acto Productions. He kind of gave me my my first and a go at the hall console. He sat down and said at ask me any questions you want, you know, and I'll show you I'll show you whatever I know you and I knew some because each each each console kind of translate to the next but in a in its own way, so that's what consoles to would you suggest that's like the best.
00:13:15I think that Grandma met council's right now, you'll see the Grand Am a 1/2 + ni no.3. It's pretty popular across-the-board. I would suggest that anyone who's trying to get a starting lighting specifically try to get their hands on each council is obviously the more, you know, the better, you know, that the more jobs you can accept them or help you can offer to people advice I'd give them as get your hands on as much as you can you learn as much as you can be open or he's but you can't or don't just be like hey, I just want to learn MMA because I'm the biggest rock. There's other consoles that are not on the biggest rock songs, but they're on other amazing shows, you know, you have the series of experiments you can I don't know where
00:14:02Barber shop has issues early on before you are actually on like a huge performance. What was the toughest part about transitioning from lighting designs. Now what creative Direction my transition luckily came Pretty Natural down early came all working with chance. He was growing as an artist while I was simultaneously trying to grow as a designer in a creative. It allowed me to opportunity to show what I was capable of not just behind the console but also designing a production and from there working with him as a creative on PC Michelle together. So I think I think the hardest thing is just keeping up with the ever-evolving industry.
00:14:52Yeah, there's always new lights. There's always new tools are always new softwares. And I think that that was probably the hardest part was just like trying to hold on right and an in an Excel and keep growing while trying to learn to cuz you know you get so I think we are getting so busy with what shows are there was chance the chance with other artists that you're always thinking about the next show if there was a different song for that came out. How can I go? Okay, I'll get to that you don't get to that in a minute after we get through this round show some think I was too hard to say. He's just going to keep but as if you grow you adjusting you learn how to handle the pressure Handler handle the gross in a creative world. There's a hundreds of people who are wanting an opportunity to create and when an opportunity, as you have to be ready to to take it in and knock out a ballpark
00:15:52Are there any trends that you're excited about that people are starting a tap into them right now is really really exciting to me. You really haven't seen much of it done at you know, you you might have seen it here. There are some smaller scales in a concert and
00:16:19an interactive realm why I don't think we've seen even close to the you-know-what. What's the cheapest? I'm excited to dive into that. It was in the Acid Rap era. So he was playing smaller venues, you know, it was a box in the trailer. We had like we had four sticks of trust vertical Tressa which are just pieces of metal that hold up the the metal piece of trust. We had two or three lights on each. So we kind of aligned like career-wise and he gave me an opportunity to show
00:17:04Kind of what I had been working on and from there, you know we grew together. So I think he yeah, he definitely gave me one of the first the first go at it you do like just trying to find someone that's on the same level that is looking to go towards the same direction as you are in business. It seems that chance has been pretty involved with a giant cell is involved to some more than others. I've seen it both ways with the same artist before it depends on what the project is. What else is going on in their life personally or professionally majority of them are our hands on but it's always a conversation what they want to relate to Their audience what that specific song or music means to them. If sometimes they'll come with the idea
00:18:01You know where a vague picture of of what they're trying to accomplish and then and then charged up to translate that crazy ideas Hands Like Houses actually going to happen. Especially TV studios in all those shows SNL TV studios. Look they look pretty big on TV when you're there in person you you realize like it really how small is it? You have to fit a lot. We have to really be creative which items are physical pieces in the space. You know, what is just on a video wall or a backdrop? We definitely have to take their ideas sometimes and then really get creative on on how you're going to accomplish it.
00:18:50Share of one of your pass works on site for one of those tacos few months ago and worked on Noah Cyrus on Late Late Show in then she also did Jimmy Fallon and they were both within the same creative realm different times of the day in different styles of the outdoor nature. The first one on The Late Late Show. She wanted to give a nod to the music video over song and that took place in a in a large field with the really tall grass and weeds growing and I like in the middle of nowhere. There's a singular tree in the field Chevrolet that that was kind of like the main picture of the music video for the most part. So we have to take that really scaled down and fit in the space, but you know, we chose to do physical tree that mimic that the actual one from the music video we got as close as we can get you know with with the resources.
00:19:49Maribel was to wash in in the backdrop was we are going to do a series of high grass and and and try to build some sort of the physical plane. We ended up just doing a backdrop that mimicked the elevation in the background dinner music video and then did kind of small strawberry and on the floor and Mariska Civic on how we shot it so that it stay within the space. We didn't show the The Late Late Show Seth and then lighting's big thing with the late late shows lighting designer to make it feels realistic as possible performance with Leon bridges on Jimmy Fallon was similar we wanted it to feel like it was fall. It was a golden hour today in a forest Berry just cozy and warm and inviting also very raw and so, you know in order to make that happen, we want to make sure again that you felt immersed in the space, you know within the world.
00:20:50So we we relied heavily on a video while for that the whole backdrop is it was Donna video wall that was that at the Sound Studio. So we had our content designer for that by Design, you know 3D elements for this backdrop that made it feel like they're you know, it had Dimensions had. And I think we had two or three actual physical trees and bushes and some fake some fake leaves on the ground. And that was it. You don't have to necessarily filled out this humongous three-dimensional physical set. Are you going to cheat a lot of content and the way you like it as well? There's like two specific examples of taking a larger idea, you know being outside condensing it.
00:21:50During it I get to enjoy them especially with television. You have a few passes before the actual live taping you have a you have a few rehearsals are blocking moments run-throughs and then in a dress rehearsal some piano some shows you have more time than others. It's usually has a cat that we're running around from the studio floor to the control room and you're talking with the director and in the lighting designer and then the Artist as well. You're just making it making sure everything's perfect. You know after dress rehearsal will sit down with the director will it will go through it and we'll make no chill. Let's not take this, Let's take this camera instead. Hey, we're looking at you this so that's the time when we're really going crazy, but during the actual performance. We're just sitting back in the control room.
00:22:40Watching it all unfold before I obviously given notes but at that point you handed over you no to this to the to the show's director to execute all of those things that we all put together earlier today.
00:23:01When I first started I have these Grand ideas and I would want I want to execute it. Even if it was really pushing the line in a pushing the bubble in the space. The first thing you need to do is understand the space that you get to created before you even get into the ideas understand space understand the venue. I understand your limit then from there you can get creative and how you can achieve those moments when
00:23:28That got difficult is, you know, when you're trying to put a lot of physical large pieces into a small small Stevia, but that's a learning experience learning experience of other ways that she bit you know, and what studios in all that works in which to get stuff for you in the Direction with everything going on. What was the most challenging yet rewarding part? All of it was rewarding in their own ways. I think each job has its own challenging parts of it. It's obviously rewarding seeing the the project the finished project, you know in front of your eyes and seeing what you were.
00:24:28Done with the artist in the team around you you're seeing that come to life. That's so rewarding and see the artist very happy and you happy with what you created and what you helped greater than the obvious in the audience. I'm enjoying it and getting something out of gas and emotionally-charged Care Center Point Universe with a great year. I'm grateful for all the opportunities that came up. We ended up by Inna opening up a kind of Mount creative Hub to to work out of it. I've been working freelance my pretty much my entire life and I just wanted to let you know create a company that all my work could fall under that will allow me to bring on other people for them to create under as well and income just build something bigger than my own name and there was a great way to end 2019.
00:25:24I love following your Instagram account. So I look forward to following it's your journey advance. But what is your all-time favorite last year Kirk is a gospel singer multiple Grammy, award-winning a singer and composer and musician tons of artist me to look up to him. But that one stood out to me because I think there is a person there's a personal connection to it. I find myself constantly going back to church music when I need some inspiration or I need to get uplifted, you know, where I find myself in a rut whether it's meant mentally or something that's going on Christmas kind of always always motivated me.
00:26:24You know, I'm a fan of Kirk Franklin huge fan of him, I thinking, you know his music so I changed my life in a way so have an opportunity to work with him and to create with him build a friendship and help him creatively put on this masterpiece of a show was just show fun rewarding it was celebratory and he is such a great person to work with that's like the dream and it is 100% dream. I remember the first time I met Kurt he featured on Chance's Grammys performance. The number of years ago was the first time I met him and being able to work with him on that was was a highlight, you know, and I thought while this is amazing, but then being able to do is being you're going to call to do is to her work with him kind of what I wanted and cray was
00:27:24That was that was a high with myself talk with the artist and a lot of times for musical director or MD who's in charge of creating setlist with them the arrangement that September starts with that kind of get a feel for What music he wants to play or the artist wants to play old and new and we get an idea of the vibe of the show the energy of the show. Is this a show that you are celebrating something album. Is this a throwback to where are we playing some oldies and bring it back to install Jake pieces for for fans. So usually starts with the with the music in the set list and from there or I'll sit down with the artist or we're going to call and we'll talk over your ideas. I try to not put in a
00:28:24Hang out there until I hear their ideas because I don't want to muddy the Waters of something that having her head. If they don't have any ideas, you know, I just like to have that battle off in that the connection of understanding what their music means never what their this show means to them. And then from there I'll work very close with them and management and create a stage designer from the show and from there it sits budgeting and it's a lot of drawings renter's Credit in around you, you know figuring out what what team the artist Rd has. You know, who we need to find a filling pieces. It happens very quickly next thing, you know, you're in rehearsals whether it's in a Sound Stage or theater in rehearsals, and you know, the First shows me in 2 weeks show up. It's a it's a fast process.
00:29:24It's a rewarding process with the fun process. But that is really great to hear. What are the best resources that have helped you along the way she said going to the many shows that you can I remember if I received in the industry, I would just I love going to shows and seeing the production and I would always think you know, how does that happen? Who does that? You know who makes that happen who makes the lights do this? How does that happen? And I'm just going to shows and just always inspired me and got me motivated to learn more. If you see a show that you like the internet that you're at your fingertips and you can almost all the time figure out who was the creator of on that show or who was letting the timer on that show and from there are no thankfully you don't do social media. You can oftentimes follow that person's life and kind of what they're doing and I think reaching out
00:30:24Asking for opportunities and taking advantage of opportunities at you know, don't be free to reach out to people who inspire you or who you look up to. I have a ton of people cry look up to who I always reach out to when I still do to this day reach out to them and a lot of them is grown in the friendships now be hungry reach offer opportunity ask a lot of questions and I'll be free to try you don't don't be afraid afraid to take an opportunity and give it a shot. You have to put yourself out there. If you really truly understand what you're passionate about and ultimately failed like another learning experience. If you're able to just connect with other like-minded individuals in the industry in your opinion. How has the industry been changing will I think that a lot of people are trying to find other cool ways of putting out content whether it's
00:31:24Concerts from your living room or you know other than usual kind of VR experiences and affection to the industry's really tryna Catherine those Waters and experiment with that which I think is really really cool and they're all still allowing themselves to take a break to take a deep breath and to like I said at the beginning catch up on a lot of things that we haven't been able to do early and I think with everything going on all this new innovation is what's going to make the music industry bedroom apt M apostolis. You can you can tag that one cuz that's that's a mouthful and my company's on there as well. When I create event. That's why I try to put all the all my recent work for all of those.
00:32:14Thank you so much for doing it on this episode of the podcast day Michael. I was such a pleasure. Of course. Thank you for having me and best of luck for all the future endeavors for you.
00:32:29Thanks for joining us on another episode of the setup. If you enjoyed this episode, please review the setup podcast on Apple podcasts. It's the best way you can let us know and I encourage you to share this episode with your friends and colleagues. If you have any topic recommendations or questions visit us at ww.w. The setup series.com or send me a voice message on Instagram next week. We'll Explore More Tech in music. My next guess we'll share a new way. You can submit your music to record labels. You don't want to miss this one. See you then.
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