The Glossary: Gary Hunt | Lighting Designer & Director, Good Room

Gary Hunt is a New York-based lighting designer and events director known for building immersive club atmospheres and delivering seamless visual experiences. Since 2017, he has led lighting at Good Room, named by DJ Mag as Best Small Club in North America in 2022. Before that came Elsewhere’s opening era and its 2018 Time Out NY Best New Music Venue win. Earlier credits include Verboten during its Village Voice Best Dance Club nod, nearly a decade shaping shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg, plus stints at House of Yes, Good Units, Santos Party House, and Rough Trade NYC.

On the road, Gary has lit up tours for Janelle Monáe, Solange, Kelela, MØ, Joey Bada$$, MS MR, Phantogram, Twin Shadow, Penguin Prison, and Chk Chk Chk. In 2023, he was awarded a “Certificate of Recognition” on behalf of the citizens of Baltimore in recognition Gary’s role in growing the Baltimore Club sound, spotlighting a run of events from 2006–2012 that put the genre’s originators and top DJs front and centre.

We caught up with Gary ahead if his appearance at Doors Open UNLOCKED: Careers in New York City on October 4th...

What is your role in music and what does your day to day look like?

Role: Lighting Designer/Director

Club Night:

Setting up for events, programming new looks, refilling haze machines, cleaning disco balls, repositioning fixtures, finding out ticket sales, knowing the music, event, promoters, crowd and adjusting the vibe accordingly.

Home:

Club designs, festivals / tour prep: daydreaming, listening, programming, tutorials, designing, learning, stress management

Tours: 

Listening, pre-programming, correspondence with festival and venue LDs, rehearsals, travel, on-site programming, building the rig, last minute programming, stress management

How did you get into your line of work?

I got my start in nightlife at 15, promoting rave events through a hotline, which led to passing out flyers and eventually DJing in the DC area. After moving to New York for college, I worked at Fader Magazine on the FARM Team (promotions and marketing) and Studio Distribution/!K7 Records, where I became Director of Lifestyle Marketing within three years.

I left to produce events with brands like Adidas, Nickelodeon, and David Mancuso's The Loft via Perrier, while also launching my own series “Dante’s Fried Chicken” and collaborating with Baltimore Club pioneer Scottie B.

Around this time, I started experimenting with lighting at 205 Club which had two lights and a siren horn just for fun. A friend invited me to DJ at the opening of Santos Party House, and while she played, I improvised with the lights. Santos noticed and offered me $100 a night and an open bar, so I took it. 

It wasn’t about the money; I saw potential. I learned on the job, and during my first live band show with “And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead”, two industry pros asked if I was their lighting designer. I told them it was my first live band show and I’d never heard the band before.

That moment sealed the deal for me.

What skills are important in your job?

Training: 

Knowing your equipment, understanding "untrained" music theory

Qualifications:

Being 100% present in the moment, rhythm, timing, foresight, knowledgeable about nightlife

Experience:

• DJing/musician
• Troubleshooting
• Understanding the different elements of various events from weddings to corporate i.e (brand identity, logo color, design, company ethos)
• Understanding color representation and mood
• Understanding the difference between a House Music night and a Techno night
• When to go bright and dark, knowing solos
• Live shows: how to do lights for a band you've never heard
• Burlesque: knowing how to soften a light, using gels and spot lights
• Festivals: understanding how to work with stage crews and manage a team
• Freestyle Lighting and how to cover up mistakes
• Team work, especially on tours

Personal qualities:

• Common sense
• Sociable
• Determined
• Thick skinned 

Soft skills: 

Knowing other aspects of nightlife from security, ticket sales, hospitality, history and knowledge of club culture

If someone is excited to do what you do, what advice would you give them?

Understand your trade and equipment because it can really take you on many different paths to many different places around the world.

What have you found surprising about your role?

Pros: Highly meditative and rewarding, euphoric, creating and capturing moments in real time. 

Cons: Not many people truly understand or appreciate what lighting directors do. In the early days of club culture, LDs were recognized as artists in their own right on par with the DJs. Somewhere along the way, that awareness of my occupation faded. Today, we often earn significantly less, despite working the entire night, while DJs typically perform for just a few hours.

What are your top 3 tips for someone who wants work in the music industry in general?

1. Dream it into reality.

2. Manage your financial outlook.

3. Try to work in various different areas such as theatre, live music, club, corporate etc to find out where you fit best.

Bonus Tip: Don't forget to dance

Sign up to join us at NYC on October 4th here

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