About
Live production experience shaped by theatre, touring, freelance engineering and years of church event work.
M. Daniel Engineering is a sole trader business which I run part-time alongside a full time job as a software engineer. It's an unusual setup but not having to make a living from the business means I can keep prices down and any profits go back into supporting future events.
Part time but fully committed
My life in tech
Early roots in church and school
I started out doing sound at my local church and helping with lighting at school, by the time I left sixth form I was taking on the responsibility for design and delivery. I went to university to study Computer Science but was heavily involved in the Christian Union, my church and the Gilbert and Sullivan society. I loved the creative process and the technical challenges and I was determined the events we put on were to be of the best quality. That led to frustration about by the lack decent equipment. I started to invest in equipment so the things I did could be a little bit better. I also started to hire equipment out and do paid work to fund the investment and improve my skills. Those principles have carried on undiminished for more than twenty years.
Professional grounding in theatre
On leaving University I wanted to serve and I went to work with Saltmine Theatre Company as a touring theatre technician. They are a Christian charity sharing the gospel through Creative Arts. I gained a huge amount of practical experience across sound, lighting, set design, and technical event planning. We toured churches, theatres and schools putting on shows for adults, youth and children. Working full time in outreach and in tech was an amazing but exhausting time but it became clear that neither full-time touring nor freelancing suited family life and when I got married I started to look for steadier employment.
Expanding horizons
After Saltmine I freelanced for a while but quickly moved to work as a software developer for Avolites, a lighting desk manufacturer. Although I was primarily office based I got to meet the lighting designers for some of the worlds biggest bands and shows and occasionally work on site or see them in action. I gained a huge amount of knowledge about lighting control and how large shows are designed and operated; one highlight I remember was turning the London Eye into a Wheel of Fortune for a major drinks brand. At the same time Avolites were very supportive of me continuing to go out and do my own shows and use our products in the field. As well as serving on the tech team of my local church the activities of M. Daniel Engineering grew significantly. During this time I was working with Brunel university Christian Union, The Roots of Jazz, Word Alive, UCCF Forum, 29th Chapter, Treasure Field and numerous other events.
Ongoing freelance and production work
Eventually Avolites and I parted ways and now I work for a software company in Nottingham. I continue to do freelance work, especially corporate conferences, often for large international brands with very high standards. On the production side some of the relationships from my time in London have continued such as my involvement with The Roots of Jazz but as others have come to an end the Lord has opened new doors such as with Keswick Ministries and Handiwork Productions. I always look forward to the next event in the diary and planning to make it the best one yet, if you have an event that needs tech support, from a tiny CU even with a handful of people to a touring show that might be seen by thousands of people, get in touch, I would love to help.