2 June 2022
Presentation René Bruisten
“Let me introduce myself, I am René Bruisten! I am a 30-year old man and have been involved in light and sound since my childhood. It was instilled in me from an early age. My father has had his own light and sound equipment business for almost 40 years: RB Sound Service Stein in the Netherlands.
As a little boy I used to play with lamps and speakers at the shop. I was sometimes even allowed to join him at a job to install permanent installations or build flight cases. In secondary school, I obviously chose to be schooled in Light and Sound in my 5th and 6th specialisation year at the VTI in Bruges.
Through my internships, I discovered that I was more passionate about managing live events than about selling stuff in a shop. That's why I didn't start working in my father's shop, but got my own VAT number after my graduation to take the plunge as a freelance technician under the name ‘Input’. It was the right decision, because Input has already been around for more than ten years now.”
From all-round technician to rigging specialist
“I mainly started out as an all-round technician. Then I started to focus on lighting, and in the last few years I have specialised in rigging. Hanging up hoists, drawing plans, calculating weights ... Recently, I even got to discover the motion side. Quite a challenge, if you ask me: making these trusses and objects move during a show gives it an extra dimension.
BUT, Rigging is a separate department in our industry and it is currently expanding rapidly at Lust For Live I had worked for Lust For Live quite a lot in the past as a lighting technician or rigger, when they suddenly asked me if I wanted to work for Lust For Live on a permanent basis and specifically in the rigging department. This was obviously an opportunity I couldn't refuse.
Together with the Lust For Live team, we made good use of the lockdowns to take the company to the next level. Some of the things we did:
- Followed specific training courses to specialise in, e.g. VectorWorks / BraceWorks ...
- Put the warehouse in order - I focused on the rigging part of course
- Maintained the materials and even upgraded the rigging department, where possible.”
Wanted: freelance colleagues
“Lust For Live is now absolutely ready for the season ahead. However: as a freelance rigger, I can't do things on my own. We are looking for certified and motivated riggers to literally come and help us pull the strings at beautiful live events, large festivals and other cool jobs.”
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, René. Are you interested in working as a freelancer with Lust For Live after reading this? Please contact crew@lustforlive.eu and check out our page for freelancers!