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Bandit Lites 40 at 40: Mike Frogge
Job Title: Lighting Designer
When Mike Frogge first started out in the entertainment business, he had wanted to be a sound engineer. He started working in lighting to make sound contacts. His cousin Pat Brannon got him a job with a lighting company called Lights Up. Bandit ended up buying Lights Up, and that is how Frogge began his career at Bandit. Twenty plus years after starting a relationship with Bandit Lites, Mike Frogge is an established and respected lighting designer. Here are a few questions we asked to get to know him better.
Q: What is your title? Please describe your job responsibilities.
A: I'm a lighting designer and director. It is my job to accurately design and direct the lighting portion of a show. It might be in my vision or someone else's. If TV is involved, I must make sure it is lit correctly for the cameras.
Q: How has your job evolved / changed since you started working here?
A: I have worked at Bandit full-time for 15 years. I have worked here on and off for over 20. Don Lockridge and myself helped Dixie Fuller open the Nashville show in 1987. Although I am not currently a full-time employee, I will always consider myself a Bandit.
Q: In your opinion, what is the most significant technological advancement since you
started working in the entertainment industry, and why?
A: The most significant advancement to date is the moving light. I have been doing this long enough that all the shows that we did early on were with conventional lights only. I think there will come a time that you don't see any conventional lights any more. It is years off, but it will happen. The moving light is truly a time saver and allows the designer to achieve looks and effects that he or she could never have done before.
Q: What is the best part of working for Bandit?
A: The best part of working at Bandit is the people and the relationships that you form with them. I have been influenced by these relationships and will continue to be influenced for the rest of my life.
Q: Who has inspired your work?
A: My dad taught me early on, when it comes to work, to be a perfectionist. Early in my career, when I did shows with my cousin Pat Brannon, he reinforced that quality. I have learned to prioritise through the years, and knowing which details matter has helped temper that obsessive side.
28th November 2008
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