This year’s “Opus Award in the category “Production Design – Tour” went to Milky Chance with “The Blossom Tour”. The light designer JoJo Tillmann has made essentially to the success of the stage show. In the following interview, he tells about the challenges and peculiarities of realizing the lighting effects for the tour.
JoJo Tillmann, responsible lighting designer of the “The Blossom” -Tour by Milky Chance
1. You are a successful lighting designer – winner of the Opus Awards for “Production Design – Tour” – did you expect that?
JoJo Tillmann: I think you don’t expect prizes in the moment you’re concentrating and working on something with heart and soul. But if you do it in the right way, you’ll achieve you best.
2. What was the special part of the stage and lighting design for “The Blossom Tour”?
JoJo Tillmann: This time I came across one of those projects where everything was right – working together, the band’s vibes, the music, the freedom to realize ideas.This way the show’scolors are closely tied to the music and the musicians themselves. I’ve actually never worked with such color diversity. And naturally this arose from the demands of going on an international tour with a relatively small production, an unusual stage design.
3. You only have a limited budget available for the show. Which challenges did that create?
JoJo Tillmann: I wouldn’t characterize it as a difficulty, but rather simply as a task in need of a solution. That way you don’t struggle with the conditions, but rather approach them constructively.
4. How long did it take from the basic idea to the finished stage and light design?
JoJo Tillmann: In this case I would like to characterize it as a process over several months that I can’t really closelydefine in terms of time. And that’s why I can’t set a precise start and finish dates.
5. You are considered a firm fixture of the German as well as international tour scene. What was the highlight of your work to date?
JoJo Tillmann: Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to relativize this moment – I am really happy about the award! But for me the essential things can’t be characterized as highs and corresponding lows.
6. Prolight + Sound is an annual trade fair for event technology. How important is this for you?
JoJo Tillmann: It’s very important – most of all when it comes to contacts. This is where you meet colleagues that you don’t see very often otherwise. I could also envision having my own experimental space at Prolight + Sound, where you can exchange ideas and know-how and develop projects together.
Pictures: © Anthony Molina