Ok, Ee-Shyan let’s kick things off with a glimpse into your personality:
- If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be? Lovely, loyal and curious.
- What’s your go-to comfort food? Ramen 🍜
- What’s your favourite way to unwind after a long day of events? Reading a book while listening to my favourite music in the background.
- What’s a hobby or interest of yours outside of work that might surprise us? I love to knit and crochet.
Soybean & wool blend knitted pullover created by Ee-Shyan
Can you share a memorable project or experience from your work at the MCA?
In August, I was lucky enough to be able to work on a popular event called MCA Late. This event hosted local Australian creatives and brought them together to perform on Sculpture Terrace. I absolutely loved the energy and the music that was performed and it felt so surreal to be mixing an amazingly talented performer on Sydney Harbour. The setup was gorgeous with the DJ right in front of the view and plenty of uplights providing a warm and comforting ambience for the night. It was one of the loveliest events I’ve done and a night I won’t forget.
MCA Late in Sculpture Terrace
What piece of AV equipment or technology fascinates you most, and why?
Cables are a huge part of the AV industry, and the technology that can essentially make ten cables into one is fascinating in my eyes.
The humble stage box can basically send all your audio information from the stage to the ops desk with one single cable! This can make all the difference when plugging in bands with multiple instruments and singers or setting up big sound systems. A stage box helps keep every input and output coming to and from the stage in one place. I know gaffing cables is not everyone’s favourite thing to do, but train tracking five cables sounds like a dream compared to the 15 that could have been used instead; it also looks a lot neater.
This technology isn’t crazy or out of this world, but it can really change the way an event is set up and controlled. Sometimes, the amount of cables can get overwhelmingly out of control, and anything that can help make a bump-in more streamlined is a yes from me.
At the MCA we use the combination of the ALLEN&HEATH SQ5 console and the SLink Digital Stagebox. It is so easy to use, and it saves so much time, space and resources, it really is as simple as plug and play.
ALLEN&HEATH SQ5 console and accompanying 16 XLR Input/8 XLR Output – 48kHz stage box
AV1’s clients love new ideas. Throw one our way.
Projection blends. Put it on the blank wall in the room, maybe project it onto the floor or do both! Create and immerse yourself in a new space. I love the idea of a room with no boundaries and having content that just flows all around the room can just give people not only the wow factor but essentially a blank canvas to put all your ideas on. One wall projection blend can make the room look larger than it is and can make your PowerPoint look effortlessly smooth and high quality.
Projection blend on Harbourside Room wall for the Rugby World Cup Bid
During busy live event days, how do you maintain precision and excellence to achieve a great outcome for the client?
I benefit a lot from being prepared for the event the day before the bump-in. Knowing what needs to be done in advance can eliminate stress and unnecessary headaches during the event.
What do you love most about working in-house at the MCA Australia?
I love the familiarity of the MCA, I know where everything is and how it all works and it gives me so much confidence going into every event. Also, you can never get sick of the view from the Harbourside Room, whether you’re watching the sunrise come up from behind the Opera House or the sunset reflecting off the harbour, it’s so crazy to say that the MCA is where I work and I’m so grateful for that.
Ee-Shyan & Patt in Harbourside Room with the Opera House in the background
What technological trend in the AV industry excites you the most?
Honestly, I’ve been seeing LED walls everywhere, different shapes, and different tiles, some are interactive and some just have the most amazing quality. For AV1 it’s something new and fresh and I have enjoyed seeing all the unique setups we’ve made this year I’m excited to see what more we can do with LED in the years to come.
MONOLITH LED set design for intelliflo LIVE
As a young professional in the AV industry, what advice would you give to others, especially women, considering technical roles?
I would say just go for it. If you love AV and you enjoy events why not. If you believe in your skills, you’re open to learning new things and have a good attitude there is nothing stopping you from applying to those roles. There is a place for women in all technical roles and above, if you’re passionate about AV and can work hard, you can make a place for yourself in AV.
Ee-Shyan and Alexis with the AV1 logo at the MCA
And last but not least, why do you love events?
I could honestly list so many reasons but I love events because they bring people together, I love that it’s the place where technology can meet creativity. I love working with a crew, together pulling off the most amazing events. Working on events is just so rewarding and I love being able to provide a wonderful experience to someone that can have a lasting impact on their lives.
