Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Sharp.
Hi Jack, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started getting into acting and lighting back in my high school’s theatre department, and it has been something that I kept coming back to throughout my life. I took a break from it when I started college, but I felt unhappy in who I was and what I was pursuing in school. It was not until my sophomore year of college that I changed my major and got back into theatre. I pursued my degree in theatre with a focus in lighting design while still taking acting classes in Atlanta when I could. I was not the best student in high school or college, but when I was in theatre, I wanted to be better and try harder to be better; that was to me a sign that I was doing the right thing for myself. After graduating college and having just finished designing a play at my university and being a Master Electrician for another play at my school, I hit the ground running and kept emailing different places and hoping to hear something back. I have been incredibly blessed to have found work in my field immediately after college, and I want to continue having that success and the joy that comes with it.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
When pursuing anything in life, it will never be smooth, even if it feels like it’s going smoothly. There were personal problems that I had going into my last half of high school, there was a feeling of loneliness when I first went to school, I was unhappy with how I looked weight-wise, I was unhappy with how I was carrying myself, and just a lot of negative feelings that come with growing up and wanting to be in a field that is so competitive and hard to break into. There were so many times where I was unbelievably hard on myself and just a straight-up bully to myself. But now I’m moving on from being that way to myself and focusing on all the positive steps I have taken. As well as just being easier on myself.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I know I just dropped a lot of negative points in the last question, but in acting, I am a very strong comedic actor. Acting was and still is my biggest goal and pursuit. Unfortunately, I have not been able to pursue it as much between regular college classes and being a full-time theatre student. Since graduating, I have been taking classes, working on my acting skills, and got really great headshots.
As for my lighting career, I have been working freelance at a lot of different venues and a couple of theatres. I recently started working at Believe Music Hall in Atlanta as a lighting designer/technician. I have been doing a lot of production work like load-ins and load-outs, but my specialty is in lighting design; it is something that comes naturally to me.
I think what sets me apart from other people is my willingness to learn and take in as much information as I can. I try and bring a positive attitude to any job. This field is incredibly stressful, so it does not feel right to come into a long gig with nothing but a bad attitude.
I am most proud of this dance showcase I designed for the Heather Wayne’s Dance Company. I had not seen any of the dances beforehand, I had not heard any of the songs prior, and I was able to build and finalize over 200 cues in 4 days time. I had not done something like that before or that fast, so I was really proud of what I had made.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
If I am able to, listening to different playlists in Spotify while working helps so much. It keeps me focused and gets my creative brain moving. I follow a few lighting groups on Facebook and some lighting forums that I like to check out from time to time. Also, Youtube; the amount of tutorials I have looked up on lighting consoles and programming is kind of wild. I am a visual learner, so reading manuals on consoles is not as helpful as seeing someone physically working on one.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_jack_sharp/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackalNut
Image Credits
AJ Reynolds David Hanks
