ETC's Congo console made its professional debut with the Eurovision Song Contest (pictured, right) broadcast to over 250 million viewers around the world. Since you were a programmer on the show as well as a part of the console's design team, were you nervous about using a new console for such a major production?
I wasn't any more nervous than usual. The Congo software is built upon a software engine, which has proven its functionality in three Eurovisions. We also had very few problems during the development of Congo. The challenge for me as developer was that it was quite a big network, which I know by experience can cause problems, but it didn't. The thrill for me as a programmer was that I could work with a hardware platform that is designed by people who use consoles and with a graphical user interface that doesn't steal the show or attention. The GUI is fantastic and it works extremely well.
What is the best career advice you've ever received?
The best advice was something I heard when listening to a seminar by Patrick Woodroffe: “If you're going to do it, do it all the way. Don't make 20 lights red, if you can make all 40 red.” I live by that rule and my motto: “The world will never remember a coward.”
And what is the worst career advice you've ever received?
The check is in the mail!
What has been your proudest moment in your career?
Opening show of Roxette's Join The Joyride Around The World Tour in 1991-92 in Helsinki, Finland. It was the first world tour I did as a lighting/set designer. We (Mike Owen was Vari*Lite programmer) had put down some serious hard programming work, and it all paid off. It looked fantastic!
What product can you not live without?
My mobile phone or maybe my laptop. It's hard to put it down to just one product, though.