Artistic Finance

Artistic Finance
Artistic Finance

Conversations with artists about money. Lighting designer Ethan Steimel interviews the entertainment industry about personal finances and takes deep dives into the business of show business. https://www.artisticfinance.com/

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    176: Pay Negotiation for Agents & Designers

    Theatre designers and their agents come together for an in-depth discussion on navigating agent-designer relationships, contract negotiations, and strategies for fair compensation in the theatre industry.    Topics: ⭐️ Preparing for contract negotiations ⭐️ Challenges and solutions when negotiating ⭐️ Meeting and building relationships with agents ⭐️ Advice for early, mid-career, and high-profile designers   Youtube Version https://youtu.be/y8rnJ1BPO8E   Patreon Version - with PDF Class Supplement https://www.patreon.com/posts/176-pay-for-118020495   Artistic Finance https://linktr.ee/artisticfinance   Daniela Hart - Sound Designer https://www.uptownworksnyc.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-hart-ab066234   Jack Lavey - CPK Artists https://www.jacklavey.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-lavey   Jason Lynch - Lighting Designer https://www.jasondlynch.com/   Skyler Gray - Gersh Agency https://www.linkedin.com/in/skyler-gray-30a9a545 Johanna Pan - Scenic & Costume Designer https://johannapan.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanna-pan-42385533   Lucy Powis - Michael Moore Agency https://www.lucypowis.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-powis Cookie Jordan - Hair & Wig Designer https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/cookie-jordan-485223 Russ Rosensweig - Summit Entertainment Group https://www.summitentertainmentgroup.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/russ-rosensweig-8886b63     Instagram Handles @danielavhart@jacklaveyCPK Artists@jasonlynch.designSkyler Gray@thegershagency@jpandesign@lucytp7@michaelmooreagency@cookiewigger @russrosensweig@summitentertainmentgroup@unitedscenicartists@ethansteimel@nicolevsteimel

    1h 23m
  2. 10 DEC

    175: Creative Careers Are Business Too with Travis McHale - Lighting Designer (updated)

    Lighting designer Travis McHale talks business and finance as a theatre designer.   Topics: ⭐️ Self filing taxes ⭐️ Negotiating rates ⭐️ Reasons to be investing ⭐️ Paying off mortgages early ⭐️ The magic of compound interest ⭐️ Stress and negativity of credit card debt   Patreon Resource Version https://www.patreon.com/posts/175-creative-are-117433546?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link   Video Version https://youtu.be/7psS_ebQEyc   Artistic Finance https://linktr.ee/artisticfinance   Travis McHale https://www.travismchale.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/travismchale/ https://www.instagram.com/captainmchale/?hl=en   Excel 1040 https://sites.google.com/view/incometaxspreadsheet/home   GSA Per Diem https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates   Craig Stelzenmuller https://craigstelzenmuller.com/   David Lander https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/david-lander-482552   Hunter Foster https://www.hunterfosterofficial.com/   Linda Essig Book on Entrepreneurship in the Arts https://bookshop.org/a/86693/9781789385717 (that's my affiliate link)   TIAA https://www.tiaa.org/public/tcm/myretirement/investment-performance   Fidelity https://www.fidelity.com/   Travis McHale is a New York based lighting designer.  Recent NYC: Is There Still Sex In The City (Daryl Roth), Get Happy: A Judy Garland Centennial Celebration starring Jessica Vosk (Carnegie), #DateMe: An OK Cupid Experiment (Westside), Mister Miss America (Rattlestick). Travis works extensively in regional theatre, has been associate designer on 11 Broadway shows, and 7 seasons designing runway shows for NY Fashion Week (IMCD).  He also designs for Norwegian, Carnival, Regent, and Oceania cruise lines.  Design faculty: SUNY New Paltz. Member: United Scenic Artists Local USA 829.  Instagram Handles @captainmchale @nicolevsteimel @ethansteimel   Interview by Ethan Steimel

    2h 4m
  3. 4 DEC

    174: Business in Design with Don Holder - Lighting Designer

    A conversation with lighting designer Don Holder.     Topics: ⭐️ Advice for young designers ⭐️ Managing finances as a freelancer ⭐️ Advantages of filing taxes as a C Corp   Video Version https://youtu.be/YXHdU1JVmRE   Artistic Finance https://linktr.ee/artisticfinance   Don Holder https://www.donaldholderlighting.com/welcome/portfolio/index.html https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/donald-holder-25700   The Lion King https://lionking.com/   Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Turn_Off_the_Dark   Eastern Standard - Don's first Broadway design https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Standard   Imero Fiorentino https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imero_Fiorentino   Bill Klages - TV Lighting Designer https://www.livedesignonline.com/news/memoriam-bill-klages   Randy Nordstrom https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0635210/   Frank Brault https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankbrault   George Tsypin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tsypin   Jennifer Tipton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Tipton   LDI - Free registration with promo code ARTISTICFINANCE https://www.ldishow.com/   LDI AF Recording - The Art of Tailoring A Show https://sched.co/1odhj   LDI AF Recording - Financial Independence for Creatives https://sched.co/1hUTn   Sylie Scowcroft https://www.financialgrove.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylvie-scowcroft-55670361/   Madelline Song In Two Languages at Once https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GoEuuMEkng   Donald Holder has worked extensively in Theatre, Opera, Dance, Architectural and Television lighting in the US and abroad for over 30 years.  He has designed 60 Broadway productions and has been nominated for fourteen Tony awards, winning the Tony for Best Lighting Design for 'The Lion King' in 1998, and for the 2008 revival of 'South Pacific'.  Recent Broadway productions include: 'The Pirates of Penzance' (Spring 2025), 'Tootsie', 'Kiss Me Kate', 'McNeal', 'Anastasia', 'My Fair Lady', 'Oslo', 'Straight White Men', 'She Loves Me',  'Fiddler On The Roof', 'The King and I', 'On The Twentieth Century'  and many others.  Projects at the NY Metropolitan Opera include: 'Champion', 'Rigoletto', 'Porgy and Bess', 'Samson et Delilah', 'Otello', 'The Magic Flute' and the premiere of 'Two Boys'.  He has worked at most of the nation's leading resident theatres, and has designed over 100 Off-Broadway productions.  His television/film work includes the theatrical lighting for 'Spirited' (Apple Studios), seasons one and two of 'Smash' (NBC-Dreamworks), 'Oceans 8' (Warner Brothers Pictures), 'Gossip Girl' (HBO Max), and 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' (Amazon). Recent International projects include the 2024 London West End revival of 'Kiss Me Kate' (Barbican), and 'The Great Qin' (Xian, China).   Mr. Holder's architectural lighting projects include the refurbishment (conversion to all LED light) at St Agnes Cathedral, Rockville Centre, NY, Bond 45 and Patio at the Edison Hotel, Dance Theatre Workshop- West 19th St. NYC, Sony Plaza's Public Spaces and the Sony Wonder Technology Lab, AT and T's Interactive Communications Gallery in Bedminster, NJ, The America's Smithsonian Exhibition (touring 12 cities across the United States), and several restaurants in midtown Manhattan, including the Redeye Grill and The Brooklyn Diner .   Holder was Head of the lighting design program at CalArts from 2006-2010, then led the lighting program at Rutgers University- Mason Gross School of the Arts 2016-2025, before transferring as Head of Lighting Design at The Yale School of Drama starting 2025. He is a graduate of the University of Maine and the Yale School of Drama, and the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from Muhlenberg College.   Instagram Handles @donaldholder12 @nicolevsteimel @ethansteimel   Interview by Ethan Steimel

    1h 7m
  4. 29 NOV

    173: Trade Shows to Job Offers with Amanda Gougelmann - Bonus Episode

    An interview with Amanda Gougelmann, part of the Software Support Team for ACT Entertainment and freelance stagehand.    Topics: ⭐️ Networking for advice ⭐️ Finding the market rate for a job ⭐️ Invest in yourself and your future ⭐️ Having multiple jobs to smooth over slow times ⭐️ Getting a job by starting a relationship at a trade show ⭐️ Donating and raising money for causes while still paying the bills   Video Version https://youtu.be/oZ59YbvGNLI   Artistic Finance https://linktr.ee/artisticfinance   LDI - Free registration with promo code ARTISTICFINANCE https://www.ldishow.com/   LDI AF Recording - The Art of Tailoring A Show https://sched.co/1odhj   LDI AF Recording - Financial Independence for Creatives https://sched.co/1hUTn   Amanda Gougelmann https://www.instagram.com/gougelmann.productions/   ACT Entertainment https://actentertainment.com/   Ellen Lampert-Gréaux https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-lampert-gr%C3%A9aux-2abb351b/   Amanda Gougelmann is a part of the Software Support T eam at ACT Entertainment and is the owner of Gougelmann Productions. While Amanda is currently based out of San Diego, CA, she does make the 5 day commute to Burbank! Amanda graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Design and T echnology. After being introduced to the Entertainment Industry through concerts and theatre, Amanda has continued to pursue her interest in lightning throughout her time in college and post college with ACT and freelance work. Instagram: @gougelmann.productions     Instagram Handles @gougelmann.productions @nicolevsteimel @ethansteimel @live.design @ldishow   Hosted by Ellen Lampert-Gréaux and Ethan Steimel

    30 min
  5. 18 NOV

    172: Women In Lighting with Sharon Stammers, Martin Lupton, and Amy D Lux

    On today’s show we go across the pond to the UK. We meet the co-founders of Women in Lighting. It's a project by Light Collective run by our guests Sharon Stammers and Martin Lupton. Amy D Lux guest hosts this interview.   Topics: ⭐️ Balancing Money Goals & Lifestyle Goals ⭐️ Starting your own company and following your passions ⭐️ Building a global project that connects 78 countries, and counting   Video Version https://youtu.be/9KcEKBeA3lw   Artistic Finance https://linktr.ee/artisticfinance   Women In Lighting https://womeninlighting.com/   Light Collective https://lightcollective.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13668807/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/light-collective-uk/   Sharon Stammers https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-stammers-7266abb/   Martin Lupton https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-lupton/   LDI - Free registration with promo code ARTISTICFINANCE https://www.ldishow.com/   LDI AF Recording - The Art of Tailoring A Show https://sched.co/1odhj   LDI AF Recording - Financial Independence for Creatives https://sched.co/1hUTn   Light Installations by Christopher Bauder https://www.christopherbauder.com/   Forma Lighting https://www.formalighting.com/   Ayrton https://www.ayrton.eu/   Amy D Lux: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-d-lux-953a7318a/ https://utopiadreamscape.com/author/luvlogica/   Light Collective is not a standard lighting consultancy… in fact, we really struggle to categorize ourselves given that our body of light based work is so diverse.   Our creative portfolio of work houses more than architectural lighting design and has grown to encompass many innovative projects which include light art installations, marketing projects, competitions, curated exhibitions, lighting awards, branding, trade stands and shows, epic parties, pop up events, guerrilla lighting, community projects and light education.   Our clients have ranged from the small scale to the large: designing for a school in Glasgow to a shopping mall in Kuwait, lighting an exhibition at the Museum of London to inventing an app for Phillips… We are based in the UK but have worked all over the world; creating light in the snow in Finland or in the heat of Kenya…   All of our work has light at the heart of it and always looks to promote light, lighting design and lighting designers to as wide an audience as possible. Both of us have also previously been active in lighting associations that are dedicated to promoting lighting design globally. We continue this ethos independently in our work.   One of our other passions is documenting light. Everywhere we go, we like to film light. Light projects, light art, light events, light products and light people. You can find all our films on Light Collective TV.   We are only two people. Martin Lupton and Sharon Stammers. Martin has a PhD in Lighting and Sharon has an MSc. We have both worked in the lighting industry for over 20 years and started Light Collective in 2009. Martin began in environmental engineering and then moved on to Directorial roles at both Pinniger and Partners and BDP and has worked on many high profile architectural projects prior to co-founding Light Collective. This includes the Cutty Sark, Liverpool One, Westfield, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Kelvingrove Museum and many more.   Sharon started her career in stage lighting working in London before becoming an Associate Director at both Lighting Design Partnership and Lightmatters. Her previous projects include Heron Quays station, Al Azhar Park, Somerset House and the fountains within the Great Court, the Prince of Wales Theatre, the Coliseum Theatre and the Ashmolean Museum.   We are active fans of self commissioning and when we have an idea, we will do what we can to make it happen ourselves.   We are always open to any light based challenge you can give us.   Instagram Handles @womeninlighting @lightcollective @sharonstammers @lobolux @ethansteimel @nicolevsteimel   Interview by Amy D Lux

    2h 2m
  6. 14 NOV

    171: Union Strong & Console Agnostic with Erica D Hayes - Bonus Episode

    Ellen and Ethan interview Los Angeles based lighting designer, programmer, and video director Erica D Hayes.   Topics: ⭐️ Following the money ⭐️ A high school internship leading to a career path ⭐️ Contracts are only as good as the people they’re made with ⭐️ Speed of payments as a contractor with Net 30, Net 45, and Net 60  ⭐️ Joining IATSE 728, The Union Dedicated to Motion Picture Set Lighting   Video Version https://youtu.be/WBo6MsgPxoU   Artistic Finance https://linktr.ee/artisticfinance   LDI - Free registration with promo code ARTISTICFINANCE https://www.ldishow.com/   LDI AF Recording - The Art of Tailoring A Show https://sched.co/1odhj   LDI AF Recording - Financial Independence for Creatives https://sched.co/1hUTn   Erica D Hayes https://www.ericadhayes.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericadhayes/ https://www.instagram.com/ericadhayes/   IATSE 728 https://www.iatse728.org/   Artistic Finance Resource List https://www.patreon.com/posts/resource-list-114287278?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link   KEM https://www.musicbykem.com/   Ledisi https://www.ledisi.com/   The Isley Brothers https://officialisleybrothers.com/   The Pearl Theater https://www.palms.com/entertainment/pearl-theater   Teri Garr https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teri_Garr   Ellen Lampert-Gréaux https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-lampert-gr%C3%A9aux-2abb351b/   Erica D. Hayes discovered her gift for lighting the same way she found her love for directing: through a love for music, and a penchant for building genuine relationships. The Detroit, Michigan native was on the road with R&B/soul singer KEM in 2007 as his video director, when she learned that one of his tour mates, future repeat Grammy nominee Ledisi, needed lighting for her own first headlining tour. She asked Ledisi for a shot. In the years since, Hayes has moved to Los Angeles, where she’s become a go-to lighting designer for both legacy acts like The Isley Brothers, Anita Baker, Fantasia, and Run DMC, and contemporary stars like SYD, Coi Leray, and H.E.R., who she toured with. She also designed R&B star Daniel Caesar’s Freudian Tour, and his performance on “The Late Night Show with James Corden.” Additionally, Erica has provided designs for rising stars Flo Millie, Lucky Daye, Amaarae, and FLO, further cementing her reputation as a versatile designer.   Once she established herself in the music industry, Hayes prepared to take her talents into television and film. After more than 15 years in the industry, she was initiated into the IATSE 728 union. She was pregnant with her second child, but she didn’t let that stop her: Hayes landed early opportunities as a lighting console programmer for HBO shows such as Made For Love and Westworld. Her work on those shows helped her earn additional gigs for the Nickelodeon sitcom That Girl Lay Lay, HBO’s hit Insecure, and ABC’s Call Me Kat, along with the feature film House Party produced by LeBron James’ Springhill Company.   These days, with both the music and film industries at her fingertips, Hayes can afford to be selective with her projects, but that doesn’t mean she’s slowed her pace. She has the phrase “work comes from work” tattooed on her wrist and continues to make moves steadily. Her dedicated approach has led her to work with a multigenerational swath of award-winning musicians, television shows, and feature films with many more ahead for the future.   Instagram Handles @ericadhayes @iatselocal728 @nicolevsteimel @ethansteimel @live.design @ldishow   Hosted by Ellen Lampert-Gréaux and Ethan Steimel

    39 min

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Conversations with artists about money. Lighting designer Ethan Steimel interviews the entertainment industry about personal finances and takes deep dives into the business of show business. https://www.artisticfinance.com/

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