OWEN MECHLING
DIGITAL PORTFOLIO
hello
My name is Owen, and I am one of the owners of Stupid Happy Collective. I primarily handle stage and lighting design for live performances, and create most of the digital media used by the collective. I began my lighting career 4 years ago and am almost entirely self-taught. Stupid Happy was born shortly after I discovered my lighting passion.
I grew up in the perfect environment for the career path I have chosen: my mother is an artist and my father is a professional in the videography industry. As such I grew up in the backstage environment, learning the basics of entertainment industry work by the age of 10.
My constant obsession for technology brought me to the South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City; where in the same sense my addiction to live events has taken me away from the engineering path. I did gain a good deal of (very relevant) computer science knowledge while I was there.
I currently live in Rapid City, SD where I work as a freelance Lighting Designer, Lighting Director at Perfect Wave Productions, and an Operations Capitan for Stupid Happy.
Lighting Design Portfolio
Summary
Born as a passion project for electronic dance music in my college dorm room; my lighting design career has evolved into something I never would have imagined.
In summer 2018 I began doing semi-professional lighting work for Stupid Happy events and other local music groups, honing my skill working with computer based consoles.
My first professional lighting experience came in August 2020. I got booked to do the Iron Horse Saloon for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally; this was the first time I got to use a physical Lighting Desk.
My work has taken me to 8 states for Regional LD + festival work since then, mostly through both Stupid Happy Collective and Perfect Wave Productions.
I pride myself on quick learning and my ability to use common sense and critical thinking when it matters the most.
Console Experience
Physical Consoles
( in order of desk time)
-
AVOLITES
-
QUARTZ + WING
-
TIGER TOUCH II
-
SAPPHIRE
-
PEARL 2K
-
-
CHAMSYS
-
MQ 200 STADIUM
-
MQ 60 + WING
-
QUICK Q 30
-
-
MA
-
GMA 2 LIGHT
-
GMA 3 COMPACT
-
-
HIGH END SYS.
-
HEDGEHOG 4X
-
Digital Consoles
( in order of desk time)
-
USB -> DMX
-
LIGHTKEY 4
-
GrandMA onPC
-
M-PC / ONYX
-
-
-
CHAMSYS MQ PC
-
AVO TITAN PC
-
FREESTYLER
-
-
VR / AR
-
UNREAL ENGINE
DMX PROTOCOL /
VIRTUAL STAGING
-
-
LASER CONTROL
-
PANGOLIN QUICKSHOW
-
Skills + Traits
-
Quick Learner
-
Critical Thinking
-
Adaptability
-
Troubleshooting
-
Light Fixture + Console Repair
-
Stage Design
-
Scheduling
-
Understanding of Live Audio
-
Cable Management
-
Stage Flow
-
Light Fixture Rigging
-
Truss Rigging
-
Chain Hoist Rigging
-
Line Array Assembly
-
Trailer Packing
-
Weather Protocol
-
Forklift Experience
-
Skidsteer Experience
-
Experience With Most Power Tools
-
Carpentry
-
Fluent in Various Computer Languages
-
Stagehand Experience
-
Stagehand Lead Experience
Who I've Worked With
Production Companies
-
Stupid Happy Collective
Rapid City, SD -
Perfect Wave Productions
Rapid City, SD -
Black Hills Sound
Piedmont, SD -
Nightlife Sound and Lighting
Bismarck, ND -
Purple Hat Productions
Fargo, ND -
T & E Concert Services
Duluth, MN -
The Business Entertainment
Rapid City, SD -
LC Audio
Bismarck, ND -
4GrandEntertainment
Bismarck, ND
Acts / Performers
-
Chancey Willams and the Younger Brothers Band
-
STVY HVZVRDOUS
-
Oddio.Files
-
Fuel
-
Bone Thugz & Harmony
-
Hairball
-
Meso
-
Um..
-
Cofresi
-
Prophet
-
Templo
-
Indubious
Festivals
-
Prairie Pothole Music Festival
Anamoose, ND -
Synesthesia Music & Arts Festival
Black Hills, SD -
Sacred Space Music Festival
Black Hills, SD -
Mad Mountain Music Festival
Venues in Rapid City
-
The Monument (Formerly RPCC)
-
The Cave Collective
-
Aby's Feed + Seed
-
Iron PHNX
-
Haycamp Brewing Co
-
445 Martini Lounge
-
Lost Cabin Brewing Co
-
Downtown Square RC
Gallery
Notable Shows
+
Projects
Black Hole Era
Black Hole Era is a collaborative electronic music project between myself and Austin Settje. We both make the music, but when we play live, Settje DJ's the audio and I take control of the light rig from the stage.
Fuel 2022
Fuel marked my first gig I have ever been flown out to. At the tail end of the 2022 rally, I got contacted to fly out to Duluth MN. Got my LD shifts at the Knuckle Saloon covered and shipped out the next day.
Iron Horse Saloon 2020
As mentioned before, this was my first professional gig and I of course had only a slight idea of what was expected. I learned how to program a workable Avolites show in about 12 hours, never having touched a physical Light Desk before.
Chancey Williams
I have done quite a few shows with Chancey Williams and his crew. We were in Alamosa, CO last summer and their Chamsys MQ500 would not turn on when unpacked. I managed to get the console diagnosed and repaired by showtime.
Digital Design Portfolio
Summary
I got GIMP as everyone does: Out of necessity. We needed show flyers designed for Stupid Happy shows, and they needed to not suck AND they needed to be done yesterday. In came GIMP.
Out of that need I found a joy for graphic design that turned into website design and eventually 3D level design + entry animation.
Gallery
Physical Consoles
( in order of desk time)
-
AVOLITES
-
QUARTZ + WING
-
ARENA
-
TIGER TOUCH II
-
SAPPHIRE
-
PEARL 2K
-
-
CHAMSYS
-
MQ 200 STADIUM
-
MQ 60 + WING
-
QUICK Q 30
-
-
MA
-
GMA 2 LIGHT
-
GMA 3 COMPACT
-
-
HIGH END SYS.
-
HEDGEHOG 4X
-
Digital Consoles
( in order of desk time)
-
USB -> DMX
-
LIGHTKEY 4
-
GrandMA onPC
-
M-PC / ONYX
-
-
-
CHAMSYS MQ PC
-
AVO TITAN PC
-
FREESTYLER
-
-
VR / AR
-
UNREAL ENGINE
DMX PROTOCOL /
VIRTUAL STAGING
-
-
LASER CONTROL
-
PANGOLIN QUICKSHOW
-
Design Platform
2D
-
GIMP
-
Adobe Photoshop
-
Adobe Illustrator
-
Microsoft Publisher
-
MS Paint
-
Procreate
3D
-
Unreal Engine 5.0
-
Unreal Engine 4.27
-
Blender
-
AutoCAD
-
SketchUp
WEB
-
WIX
-
WordPress
-
Basic HTML5
-
SEO