Auckland Live Staff Spotlight

Please introduce yourself and your role at Auckland Live.
I’m Carl Wanoa, and I’m the Senior Lighting Technician in the Production Department (AKA Deputy of Lighting).

 

How long have you been at Auckland Live?
Ooh, very close to about 16 years.

 

In one sentence what does your job entail?
I take care of and manage all the lighting crew. I look into every single job we do and make sure the equipment – everything on the lighting department’s side – is ready for the job and liaise with the other departments to make sure that we all are doing jobs on the right timelines.

I take care of the look and feel of each job – is it right, is it wrong – as well as filling all its troubles and requirements.

 

Now, in just one word explain what your job entails.
Firefighting.

 

Paint a picture of a ‘day in the life’ of your new job
Ermmm every day here is a little bit different but mostly the same routine. Get into the office, check who’s working where, see they’re okay and everything’s fine with them, and then do a general walkaround all the venues every day to just make sure they’re all in line. I make sure jobs have happened the night before and everything is in the right order.

 

What’s your favourite thing about what you do?
The fact that every day is different and we have such a variety of shows. No two days are the same.

 

Do you have any highlights or special memories over 18 years?
Special memory that I always hold dear and felt inspired by was an event called TED Talks and the last speaker on that one was a man called Chris Moriarty. He was a big event guy and at the time I was feeling a bit down about the events world and he gave such an inspiring speech that inspired me about catching the moment and every show has a moment.

People who work in this industry, that’s our sole goal: to capture that moment, lift the crowd and inspire people. That meant a lot to me and that’s been my general work practice ever since.

 

How would your colleagues describe you in three words?
[Laughs] Helpful. Mischievous. Very pushy.

 

What’s something surprising that your colleagues might not know about you?
In my spare time, which isn’t much, I handmake Mirror Balls (AKA Disco Balls). I make and sometimes sell them.

 

How long does it take you to make them?
About a week each. I have a little Mirror Ball suit that goes along with it. That’s a thing I started doing during lockdowns as a mental health project and it’s just been continuing on ever since.

 

Do you find it therapeutic?
Yeah, I find its very therapeutic and it helps me switch off at the end of each stressful day.