Today we’d like to introduce you to Ty Cunningham.
Hi Ty, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I started in event production back in the fall of 2015 when I started school at The University of North Texas. I graduated in May of 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre – Design Technologies, where I focused on lighting and sound. I also received my Undergraduate Academic Certificate in Theatre Technologies as well. After that, I continued to freelance as an Event Production Lighting Designer and Electrician. I am now a full-time employee for a bespoke event production company that focuses on high-end corporate and wedding events. We have worked with numerous artists such as Jason Derulo (and his production team), Dolly Parton (and her production team), and Journey (Their team as well), to name a few heavy hitters. We travel all over the country setting up, running, and tearing down all custom-made events. We work with companies such as Jackson Durham, Todd Events, and Fabulous Fete. I have been with this company since September of 2019 and plan on staying with them for the foreseeable future.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not. To start, COVID completely wiped-out live events for a very long time. I graduated when we were in lockdown, and the road ahead was extremely bleak. It was incredibly defeating. As events started to come back, though, the work picked up at an incredible rate. All these events that were planned that had to be moved started to pile on top of one another, and honestly, I thought I would never get another day off again. Thankfully, we are finally getting back to a sense of normalcy now, and I’ve never been more busy in my life. Even finding the time to sit down and type out this has been a challenge.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Well, we (Stage 2 Entertainment Equipment) are a bespoke production company. It doesn’t get more custom than that. We mainly focus on lighting, audio, and video needs for whatever is needed to make your day that much more special. We’ve made projection-mapped bridal cakes, LED walls, and full-scale lighting rigs for receptions and after parties, decor lighting to make the room feel intimate, and PA systems to fill the space. There is nothing that we can’t / won’t do with enough time to plan everything out accordingly.
I am most proud of the work that you get when you book with us. We may not be the biggest production company out there, but we do some of the most well-thought-out designs and bring it to life with passion. We all care so much about the quality of our work, and I really think it shows. We will go the extra mile so that our work is felt and not always seen. That means running cables outside of the tent, using appropriately colored lighting instruments that blend in with the scenery, cables, and gaff tape that also blend so that when you walk into a space that we lit, you’re asking yourself, “How did they do that?” We take tremendous amounts of pride in our work, and I believe that’s what sets us apart from others.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
That art is collaborative, especially in the work that we do. We all have the same goal: to throw an incredible event.
Contact Info:
- TikTok: @TyTytheLightGuy
