Download a PDF copy of my most up to date CV here.
About Us
Hi, I'm Mark and this is a little about my background and how BrightStar came to life...
Professionally I have been in the technical theatre industry since I was 16 years old when I first lit the musical 'Grease' at my high school. I got the bug and was soon well on my way to where I am now. Although my interest, academically I chose a slightly different route...
​ In July of 2013 I graduated from Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne with a BSc 2:1 in Computer Network & Electronic Technologies. Along with this I passed my Cisco CCNA. From early high school education I was writing websites and pulling apart and rebuilding computers, as I moved through education I increased my knowledge, specialising in Networking, Websites, Programming, Electronics and Embedded Systems. I worked for 4 weeks, as work experience during high school, at Proctor & Gamble as Network Infrastructure support.
My final dissertation for my university studies, titled, a 30,000 page report, titled 'Ethernet & DMX lighting Console using Arduino Embedded Systems', as well as a prototype device was awarded a first. This device was based on an Arduino Mega, with an Ethernet with SD Card shield mounted on top. This hosted a website control interface and acts as a small web server. A further shield, 4 Universe DMX shield is mounted on top of the stack, this converts the serial signal to DMX and outputs it across the appropriate universe. Further code inside the Arduino Sketch manipulates data inputted by the user via the control interface and creates DMX data strings. With this as long as the device is connected to an online network, a lighting rig can be controlled over the internet from anywhere in the world.
As I mentioned earlier I first started theatre as a hobby when I somehow was landed the job of lighting 'Grease' during high school, all new to me but I loved it! That following Christmas I helped out with my local community pantomime, as a follow spot op, from here I excelled through the industry learning more and more every day, from knowledge of those around me and self-taught from reading books and playing around with the kit. I assisted on the renovation of an old Salvation Army hall into what is now the Seaton Delaval Arts Centre, a community venue that can be used either as a cabaret venue or a theatre, in which I was voluntarily head tech for a number of years.
I started picking up contract work here and there with various companies in the North East, including work on festivals, conferencing, events and shows. As well as this I picked up various gigs and events to tech under my own name, as a freelancer.
A few years later I secured a part time place as head tech at the Phoenix Theatre, Blyth during my university years, upon graduating I finished this post, although still help out there when needed as a freelance tech, and travelled down the country for the summer to work with Gandey World Class Productions on a big top circus as Technical Manager. Following that and leading to this present moment, I flew to America in October of 2013 and started work for Royal Caribbean International as Head Rigger/Fly Operator as well as a lighting technician on board the Celebrity fleet, currently I am with RCCL as technical production manager, as well as working freelance for various events companies and theatres when I am home in the UK. Across the winter months you can usually find me on a pantomime somewhere, either designing the lighting or in the past few years as a technical stage manager with QDOS. Since finishing ship contracts in 2017 - focus for the future was put to creating BrightStar as a full time business from January 2018 and since then it has continued to grow. 2019 Saw the opening of our new warehouse space.
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