PSP: 03 Liam Monroe

Liam Monroe

[00:00:00] Welcome back to the prosthetist podcast. I’m Drake and we have Jesse. As always. And this time we have Liam Monroe with us. Everybody. Liam is a expert, led tech and media server operator. So he operates media servers for the content that’s going on led walls actually. 

So Liam, how would you describe your title?

Cause that sounded kinda like, I dunno, I wouldn’t Say expert, I hate to use the term expert, but I mean, I would probably, Hmm. I dunno. It varies. I started doing, I started with doing media servers, doing content playback, all of that, and then have, as of recently, the last couple of years, move more into led tech and operating like all different led panels as well as processors and just integrating systems to.

Make it all work. And I know Liam is super humble, but [00:01:00] he has made a name for himself in the Christian and secular industry as being an led tech and running content. He’s done. He’s worked with Bethel music with us on tours and conferences. He’s also done stuff with Ted talks. And he’s also done stuff in Hollywood with music videos and songs and things like that.

So yeah, he’s very well rounded and definitely hits the pro status Mark in his industry. So to start things off light and fun, what is the newest piece of tech that you’ve purchased. That I’ve purchased. Yeah. Like for yourself, what’s the newest piece of technology that you’ve picked? Maybe a line item on a project.

My Apple watch, my series five. Ooh, did you, you had an Apple watch before? I did. I had like one of the first ones and it was, it was really old and didn’t really work anymore. After a couple of updates, it just [00:02:00] didn’t really do anything other than tell time, which at that point just. Buy something cheaper.

So that’s where my version two is right now. 

Yeah, I have the version two. Yep. Do you like it? Yeah, I’ll deal with it worth buying. I mean, I love it. I haven’t. 

I mean, the one I had before, the version two, like it didn’t really have anything on it. So this one has like the walkie talkie, which is amazing.

It’s really fun. I mean, that’s my favorite feature so far. 

So yeah, the lack of staff gate. Well, and I have a series four, but the ins, the always on display seems like it’s actually nice because I feel like I work and it doesn’t always turn out. Oh, it drives me nuts. So yeah, no, it’s always on.

I’m sitting here like twisted my wrist. Turn on. Yup, exactly.

 Yeah. Well, I think the Apple watch is super beneficial. They have a second Apple product in a row. Every, yeah. Apple. I mean, they just came out with a new iPhone. The new watch. I know. I just kind of went. [00:03:00] Full-on with Apple. The last like month I bought the Apple watch and then I got the 11 pro max and an iPad pro 12 inch and I just kind of went all in Apple, all the Apple products.

Which is funny cause this is another technical thing is. You have a macro pro, obviously for your everyday use, but then last of like the media server stuff that you use is on windows. 

Preferably. Yeah, I mean it depends on like the application and like how much, I mean primarily I’m using resolume as of currently.

Just starting to step into D3 stuff and disguise, which is Windows-based and resolume can operate on either. Um, and it’s just kind of application. If it’s just simply, if it’s just simply like playback of some simple clips, then Apple’s great are the easy to use. If it’s more like with capture and weird custom, he did some [00:04:00] different things like that.

Then like it’s a little bit different. Bike. I definitely prefer using windows just because of how customizable it is, but right. And you build like machines for that custom machines. Yeah. Is it worth it? Cause I know you ordered that custom build laptop. Oh yeah. Is that the better way to go or do you think building a custom server or a rack now.

I don’t know. It’s still, it also still kind of just depends on application. Like when Bethel music was deciding on like purchasing a machine, we were going back and forth on whether or not to, to buy a laptop, beefed up laptop or buy something that we could rack Mount and stuff. And I’ve, I had had both prior to.

Prior to us looking at something like purchasing something for Bethel music and they each have their like pros and cons, like something rack that you can rack Mount like can be way more customizable as far [00:05:00] as like input cards and like graphics cards and dual graphics cards, all that stuff. How many outputs you can have.

You know, how many inputs, all that stuff can be way more customized on that. But. It’s not as like, it’s not super portable, obviously, like, I mean, it’s something that has to rack Mount and like once it’s packed in the truck, it’s, it’s yanked on the truck. And also like on the ground, you’re like, you know, I mean, you can build out like a rack where everything’s more like permanent, but we.

We hadn’t. And obviously that and like that involves more costs. So with that being said, like, you know, on the ground would be setting up your, your whole little station with your monitor, pulling at your monitor. And then where do you store the monitor? And again, this another cost of like figuring out where you’re gonna store the monitor and then like your mouse and keyboard and all the other peripheral stuff.

So. It’s great, like we’ve used it for bigger conferences where we need that, [00:06:00] but what we landed with for, for Bethel, music’s like Turing was just a beefed up MSI laptop that was all, it was all custom built and it has dual tiny DTI cards in it ball. It is amazing. So it’s got like 16 gigs of Ivy Ram.

It’s got 128 it was just maxed out as just like 128 gigs of Ram, eight terabytes of storage. For voyage. Four terabytes is a raid zero, like two S two two terabytes that are rated together. And then the other four terabytes is M to flash storage. And then, I mean, yeah, that’s about it. But let’s be computer.

Very beefy computer. But again, like the can handle just about anything and it’s great for us on tours. The only thing is that it has a single HDM I output and display display port out or mini display port. Actually, it also has USBC, so I mean, you can use some, you know, some [00:07:00] Different, like, you know, some adapter for it, but that’ll process off the CPU versus the So again, it’s just something else to think about.

So, so yeah, so it’s just really, it depends on the application, but the great thing with the laptop is being able to work on it anywhere and it’s just, you’re not setting up anything other than opening it up. So, yeah. Yup. So what about like, what’s the craziest, I want a crazy story, like the craziest setup.

Craziest content. I dunno. The craziest set up would probably have been Ted talks. It was, I don’t remember how many, I think it was, if I remember I, it was like 1616 projectors. It was basically eight sources, but they were all double stacked, if I remember correctly. All I remember from my set up though, cause it was all projection mapped and it was this massive like crap round stage kind of a thing.

And. [00:08:00] What I remember from my outfits as like I had two machines. Primary and backup are redundant and. I mean, that was really where I learned a ton about like just how like different, the different like components to the computer just interact with one another and what it like what it does like for performance.

Cause we were really just pushing it to its limits. Like literally we had the two machines and they were identical besides, uh, besides the Ram. And that was one of the things that I, I found out on that one. Was that how it shares like. Video Ram shares space with like your computer Ram. And so what ended up happening was like, our backup had more Ram than our primary.

And so, uh, when we were trying to set up the primary, it just wasn’t working. And then was, then we moved to the backup and it was working. And the only thing. The only thing different with it was the Ram, the available Ram. And so, yeah. So anyway, so, but the crazy, I [00:09:00] mean, what, what that looks like though, as far as like, like system was, we had, we had that one machine and it was pushing an eightK signal out over display port, a single eight K, which was.

Going into, into a debt, a data path. I’ve X four which then looped into another data path of X four so the data path takes a forecast signal and splits it to four 10 80 signals. But if you push it an eight K, you can loop multiples or, I mean, you could, I mean, theoretically if you have, if you can output a higher than a K eight K out of the computer.

The computer was able to push the AK with it had had dual, I have 10 ADTI cards, so they’re, has the library changed and so it was over, it was over display port display port out of the machine into the FX four looped into another to give us eight, 10 80 signals, which each went to its own, its own image pro.

Um, there were [00:10:00] all frame sinked with the broadcast system. It was then all went to. That it actually all went into their, um, their switcher, which I don’t remember what it was. Then they basically took all those, all those outputs and mapped it to the project or maps to the protectors. And then we did that physical mapping on the set pieces.

But so, so basically, yeah, if you kicked your computer wrong. Everything. We do want to add? No, no pressure. Yeah. I mean, we didn’t have, we ended up not really having a backup because the primary couldn’t handle what? You didn’t handle that. Do you want to see it at first, but then it was like, it was really, yeah, it was.

It was really interesting. It was an interesting environment because I kind of went into it expecting that everyone is going to be just really like. Just kind of rough kind of person. Yeah. Cutthroat kind of a like environment and it wasn’t whatsoever. It was, everyone was like very positive and like supportive.

So [00:11:00] it was really interesting. It was great. So I mean I was nervous, but then kind of being in the environment like kind of realizing like, Oh actually there’s like, everyone’s just super chill. Everyone just kind of, I mean this, I think everyone’s kind of chill cause they expect, like if you’re there like.

You’re able to do it, you know? So if you’re writing it to an issue, like I think there’s kind of the assumption that like, Oh, you’ll, you’ll figure it out. And so it’s just like super chill. That’s actually great. Which is amazing. So basically everyone has a pro on that. Everyone, I mean, everyone there was like, was essentially headhunted to be there.

Yeah. That was just really interesting. I mean, amazing. Today they found that content and they re release it strategically. Um, they might not release the content for a couple of years until it’s relevant and then they publish it like they know what they’re doing when it comes to the marketing stuff that hasn’t been published yet.

Yeah. Some of it was immediate. Some of it hasn’t [00:12:00] been. The weirdest thing was like, I had gone on a flight to Manila earlier this year, and on that flight. Majority, like on the United flight, they had Ted talks and majority of the ones I had available were the ones that I had done. So I was like, wow, it’s fun it.

And I was like, wait, I did all these. Well, I’ll tell you a link those in the show notes so that way you guys can actually like watch them and see what it actually looked like. Cause that I saw some photos on that site. It was pretty It’s very cool. It’s cool. Yeah. Sweet. So you’ve recently started working in like Hollywood.

And doing like music videos and some TV stuff and led his new in Hollywood or like new kind of explain like why and like what, what you’re doing with led in Hollywood. Yeah. I’m, I work a lot, like, closely with, uh, with concept pixels versus a good. Friend of all of ours, Eddie [00:13:00] Superman, and he’s based out of a down in LA.

So I do a lot with him. And that’s kind of like how I’ve gotten into doing a lot of this stuff down in LA and Hollywood doing these music videos and TV shows and whatnot. And he’s been kind of pursuing very heavily entering into that market because up until like recently. I mean really a like primarily it’s all green screen is what’s been been done in the past and which involves a lot of posts and involves actually a lot more, I didn’t realize this until stepping into, but it involves a lot more like artificial, like elements, not just what’s created in post and like put in, you know, the picture and stuff.

But even like. You know, as far as lighting, I mean, because the lighting actually isn’t there, you know, from, from the set. Like if it’s just a green wall, so they’re having to like introduce special lighting effects so that on the real elements like the actors and things like that, like lighting and whatever [00:14:00] other special effects are actually like interacting with them.

One, even though there’s nothing there. So if you get like driving in their streetlights it, I mean if it’s just a green screen and a car, those reflections of the streetlights. Exactly. So, so that’s kind of where like the concept of Ellie utilizing led in like movies on Hollywood kind of kinda came about.

I mean, early on I think a lot of the led product was just bad and sufficient. Like it was not like it kind of sufficiently like. Are adequately accomplished what they were needing it to. And look, it’s not but obviously as like time’s got gone on and product has gotten better, like it’s way more passable.

And so, I mean, the idea is that you can generate like these scene scapes using led, and it’s. It is a light source. It’s giving off like lighting onto the sets. And not only that, but the [00:15:00] actors themselves can see what is happening and what’s going on. So then they kind of. They don’t know how to interact with like the environment that they’re in versus just incidentally assuming, yeah, like down the cool green still can actually help the actors too, because they’re in, yeah, they feel like they’re in the set instead of just performing screen interact with it.

That’s so cool. And there’s a few like companies. Obviously, like we’ve been starting to try to step into it with, with concept pixels, like starting to like step into it, but there’s a few that have been doing it for a little bit. One of the like top ones at the current moment is Lux Makena, which again is based out of LA, and they’re the ones who have, who did, they did like star Wars.

They did a oblivion, the Tom cruise movie. And you can like see on their website some like examples of like how this like practically like works and they have a really cool video of just like practically what, what it all entails. [00:16:00] Like utilizing like projection and led like as a scene scape instead of just green screen.

Huh. So, well I felt like that BOLO T so that way you can check that out. Super cool. Is there a huge difference that you noticed? Cause it. You’ve worked in the Christian industry and you two are Bethel music and some other artists, and then you also work in the secular industry, like in Hollywood.

Is there a huge difference working between the two. Like staff wise expertise, like levels like our people required to know more in one industry or the other. Is one more cutthroat than the other? Like, yeah, I think like ironically my experience like in like the Conan coat, like secular, like industry has typically been, I don’t know if it would be better, but like interactions with people are like a lot smoother.

And I think part of it is like. Part of it is like there is a little bit of a, an assumption that [00:17:00] like if you’re here like on this, on this gig, then like you know what you’re doing. And so, yeah. So there’s, I think there is an element of like assumption that like. Everyone if they’re there than like they’ve gotta be doing something right.

And I mean, along with that thought like you could, there’s also like, you know, the, I guess the cutthroat of it that like, I mean, they can find anyone, you know, those, those two thoughts kind of go hand in hand. Like the fact that they can find anyone and your here kind of lends itself. To everyone, assuming if you’re here, you know your stuff or like, you know you’re good and so like, so all that to say there is like that element of like of yeah, it can be replaced, but like in my experience with it, it’s never like showed up in interactions with anyone.

Like it’s very much like in my experience, I know I keep saying that cause I’m, I dunno if that’s necessarily everywhere, but yeah, it has been like for me, like. It’s always been [00:18:00] really positive cause everyone’s rooting for you in a sense like unbelieving that like, you know, you’ve got it again because you wouldn’t be there if you couldn’t.

Kind of a thing. Yeah. Which that’s a little different than the Christian industry because I think like in the Christian industry, there’s a lot, and I mean, not like I started obviously like just doing stuff for church and doing stuff. I mean, originally started in production, you know, doing stuff for youth groups and stuff like that.

So like, and I think that’s how a lot of like the world and like the Christian industry, like. I dunno. I think that’s like how a lot of like the texts and stuff like come out in that industry is like, you know, they’re helping at the church and then most of us 30 yeah. It’s how, how all of us started in that.

And I think for the most part, and so there’s not necessarily that assumption that you know what you’re doing and so. There’s, there’s a bit more of the, there’s a bit more of like the hierarchial [00:19:00] thinking a bit more of the like overbearing management and not saying this like necessarily in my experience, but like I’ve, I’ve seen it in like in the, in the past and stuff and with other people that I’ve, I’ve worked with in that.

And so like. Yeah. There’s just not always the like assumption that you know what you’re doing and so therefore, like people feel the need to like want to step in more, can kind of just be more overbearing and be done with them micromanaging and type of thing and yeah, just reacting exactly. Yeah.

And so it’s just so, yeah, I guess that’s the biggest, like, like cross cultural difference I guess that I’ve noticed in doing it. It’s funny because like in as far as like in my, in my role as far as like what’s being like created and whatnot, like as far as like what, what I’m needing to do in the secular world as far as simpler, as long as like, it’s cool and kind of.

Cool and weird and in some [00:20:00] ways, like in my opinion, trashy. Sometimes they’re super into it, like they just want something that’s like, that’s odd. Typically it’s just like. Evoking any emotion. Whereas in the Christian industry, it’s a lot more specific. It’s, it’s typically wanting to evoke a specific emotion, a specific encounter.

And so it’s a lot more like the, there’s a lot more detail and a lot more thought. I mean, I know like in the preparation process, planning with other people as well as like just in my role is like operating when I operate, like there’s a lot more thought into what I do and when I do it because of your more of like fostering something coming.

Obviously coming underneath something versus in the secular industry, you’re more creating something as like as a show piece versus. Actually fostering something that may necessarily be there. That makes sense. That makes sense. So yeah, an old boss actually talked about, he was talking about like different artists and stuff [00:21:00] and talking about like how you can tell, you can tell like great showmanship by whether or not they have a group of people around them or not.

And if they can shine and you look at like, you know, Beyonce and she can be there by herself and she’s still putting on a great show and you can look at like Bruno Mars and. You know, he can be there at the same time surrounded by a bunch of people. He doesn’t have to be the front person, but you know, he’s like the one commanding the show, so to speak.

And then there’s others that like, obviously like need, like this huge show to like. Supplement, but they’re not caring. Right? Yeah. And so, yeah, so there’s a lot more of like that where like the elements that are being created in that world are more of like actually just, they are like the wow factor.

They are the in like. The encounter moment. They are the the on inspiring things. Whereas like in the Christian industry, it’s, it’s not like it, like it comes along side amended, but it’s [00:22:00] very intentional to do just that. Like come alongside or underneath your like partnering with what’s actually happening on the stage and what’s when, what sorry.

And what’s happening in the room. Yeah. I would probably say like. One of the things that probably your experiences is probably a little bit unique just because I do know you and your, your professionalism comes from the fact that when you care, right, and so you’re probably going to be invited to projects with higher level people or higher caliber people.

And so your experience is probably much more positive, I would think. Yeah, and I think the projects that you’ve done and like Ted talks, that is a very high caliber project and it’s in the corporate space, but it’s like the highest caliber you can get in the corporate space versus some other.

Projects, and they probably have a lot to do with just the fact that you do show up, ready to be a part of it. Team, team player. Right. And so those assumptions, [00:23:00] I mean, sometimes they’re there, you know, they’re there. There’s probably is a better culture naturally, but I would give yourself some more credit that it’s probably because of how you carry yourself as a creative and competent in your work.

So thank you. So we don’t want to go too long, but to one of the other questions, and I think this lends itself to being a pro, how when you’re going into a show, whether it’s in Hollywood or like on a tour, what do you usually do to prepare yourself? Say you’re just the, the media server operation.

Oh, like operator. Like what do you usually do to prepare for a show or an event. I mean it kind of depends on, on what it is. I mean practically like just getting everything together, like all the equipment that I’m going to need. It’s funny cause I didn’t, I wasn’t necessarily always in like in this position or like had this like voice I guess like in, in the projects that I worked on now.

So now like I have like the, the freedom and the [00:24:00] opportunity to actually like speak into like, you know, rentals and like gear and like making sure like that I have. X, Y, Z. You know, that is needed for whatever I’m going into. Uh, which again, like wasn’t always the case. Early on. It was more of just like, here’s what you have.

Figure out, figure out what’s possible with this, which I think is kind of the dynamic of most churches, but I think that lent itself to getting you to where you’re at. Yeah. Yeah. Having that like here, make something out of this. Yeah. Really forces you to learn your stuff, but also become creative with that and make something out of nothing sometimes.

Yeah. I mean, yeah, no, exactly. I mean, I know I had, uh, an opportunity to work with someone. Um, there was, uh, he was just a really, like, incredible, like, and. Rather, like high-profile, like job, I guess. And it was amazing, but I didn’t realize [00:25:00] fully what I was getting into. And I ended up, like, I was asked to like create all the content for this, like for this artist, for this music video.

And I didn’t totally know what that was. All meaning. And anyways though, and so like I created, I created it and long story short, like it, they all loved it and all that stuff where like it. Just see. Yeah. The whole time I got it, I was just like, thank you Lord for all the years that I just had to figure it out.

Cause I wouldn’t if I was just, if I was in any other position where I, if I was given this having only ever been given. This like, you know, like this, that role, like just being thrown into like this high level thing where I’ve never, everything’s just kind of there and hand it to you if it, if I was organized.

Yeah. Yeah. I was always only in those situations I would not have been able to do what I was able to do. So it was just like constantly, like on that specific gig, I was just constantly like, thank you. I would have not been able to do [00:26:00] this. I would not have been able to do this had it not been for all the years.

Yeah. So appreciate the low budget is what you’re saying sometimes. Oh my gosh. Not what I wanted to hear, but that was good. Funny, quick backstory. William and I actually switched roles a few days ago. I used to do. My job was like content and media server stuff, and Liam did vibing and then somehow we switched.

I started doing lie to you and William did meaty server stuff, which is just some random fun backstory to that. Okay. Well, to wrap it up. Quick, like techie questions like popcorn questions basically is what we’ve been doing. What led product do you typically use? Like recently? Typically it’s row row just has consistently been superior.

Um, is there a specific product from them or just a lot of them, bro. Like. The M’s, the MC [00:27:00] seven stuff, something that concept pixels carries. So that’s what I use a ton of. And then also the BP line, BP, which is black Pearl MBO, which is black Onyx. Yeah. Okay. Last question. If a church is wanting to get into led, what, what’s something that you would suggest to them to like watch out for and what to look for?

Because there’s tons of products out there, like what would you say to a church or in maybe even a venue that’s just looking to purchase led. Yeah, I mean, there’s a lot, um, with that, but I mean, as far as like navigating, like what product? I think it’s just application. I mean, obviously thinking to your application.

Yeah. I would recommend one thing if it’s just for like a static, just like in the building, you know, just to put something up on versus like what we’ve been doing, like with, with the church or, or with tours and conferences and whatnot. [00:28:00] Um, worse being filmed the way that a camera captures it as.

Drastically different than your eye. So it’s just something to keep in mind. One of the biggest things to keep in mind, because that’s where you’ll noticed a cheap product. You won’t notice the cheap product necessarily by just your eye, but you will if you’re filming it. Yep. Hundred percent super good advice.

So you want it in your background and you’re going to be filming. Whatever you’re doing, don’t cheap out. Basically, there’s specific products with high refresh rates and better shutters to actually make the product look good from every angle. One more thing to the person who is like. Wanting to be more creative there.

Their tech director, they just got an led wall. They’re trying to put content out there and then need, they’re struggling. Do you have any words of encouragement or what? What do you wish someone told you? That’s what I want to know. Yeah. Definitely less is [00:29:00] better. And I think that’s, that’s the thing that like people always think about is like when they get something like that, it just, they just as kind of this big wow factor.

So then you just kind of go all out on it. But it’s actually the benefit of one, in my opinion, the benefit of proj, sorry, led over projection is the black space. So like it can one it elements that. Aren’t, or an areas, you know, where it’s just black on the led screen, like it just kind of disappears versus like obviously projection, a big white surface.

Like you see it more there, some things on it or not so. I think like the like biggest benefit to having projection or sorry to having led is it’s actually utilizing that black space. So being far more simple, just utilizing texture more than footage at great pack, which we can throw at Lincoln as your Cohen has lots of.

Great packs. I’ve just kind of textural stuff, [00:30:00] um, that you can use lots of black space and it’s great. So that’s also thing, just yapping far more simple. Well, and just to add to that, you can use led as a light source to and I think I tried to tell people that is, it’s been simple. Yes. With textures and stuff and also being simple with, you can just throw a color up.

On the whole thing. and match your lights or contrast your lights, whatever you want to do. It is a giant light after all, super versatile. Yeah. And so it’s super versatile and usually your led is going to be brighter than anything else. On your stage no matter what that is. So use that to your advantage too.

Yeah, I always, it’s funny, like when I do hotel stuff or conferences, so many people just throw up a logo. So we were on the other side. They just throw up an image and it’s just a big banner, and I’m like, that’s so lame. Yeah. But it’s amazing what you can do. Like just interactive elements, some motion or light light stuff.

[00:31:00] Yeah. It’s pretty rad. Well, I think that wraps up this episode of pro status, Liam, thanks for being here. Yeah, of course. If you want to hear more content like this, make sure you subscribe to wherever you listen to your podcast and we’ll catch you in the next one. That’s rap.