Meet Andrew Miller | Technical Production Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrew Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrew, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Authenticity I believe is the most valuable trait I bring to my business and my personal life. I know it sound cliche but if you come off even a tiny bit fake or forced it will cause the red flags to go up for the people you are interacting with. If someone senses even the smallest amount of bs and puffing then inauthenticity is going to be your downfall. I believe being honest and operating with integrity are the most important traits in both business and personal life. Trust is huge for us as human beings and so if you can’t trust someone and think they are being disingenuous then you’ll never win them over. I am a big believer in setting and managing realistic expectations with my clients from theft go so there aren’t any surprises, hurt feelings or weird feelings among anyone when working through the creative process from start to finish. A lot of people over promise and under deliver which really sucks, especially for the client who was expecting something they didn’t receive. Being honest about possibilities and setting realistic expectations is extremely important rather than trying to sell someone something that may truly not be possible within then time frame or budget they have provided.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started working in Entertainment and specifically in Technical Production at a very young age. I tell people even to this day when they ask me what I do “if it lights up, makes noise or does something cool, it’s in my world.” I was always mature for my age even in grade school and had a knack for all things electrical and technical. My parents divorced when I was two years old and by proxy, I believe, it forced me to become very independent very quickly. I have been extremely fortunate that both my parents, my younger brother and most of my immediate family all live in San Diego and have all supported me from the get go early on. I was also very good at solving problems and quickly gained the nickname “Resource Man” from a very young age.

What started as tinkering with boom boxes, cassette tape players, recording producing my own “radio shows” as a kid, lava lamps and other novelty lighting products mainly from “Spencer’s Gifts” (at the time), led me into the amazing world of theatre. I was bitten by the theatre bug in the fifth grade when I was cast as “Tevye” in my elementary school’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof” (there is VHS video tape somewhere in my parents garage to prove it!). I absolutely loved being on stage and performing in front of the crowds as well as was directly involved with the behind the scenes production value at the time. While it was a bunch of hand painted set backdrops and some stationary area microphones, I remember distinctly loving the dichotomy yet also synergy between being on stage and performing and also being a part of the “inner workings” of the show by helping with the set pieces and the audio behind the scenes.

I went onto middle school and continued to be active in the theatre program on stage while also learning about PA systems, lighting and the technical world of show business. I remember being called out of class on numerous occasions by teachers and even the principal as a middle and high schooler because a teacher needed help using the sound system in the multi purpose room or couldn’t figure out how to turn a projector on in class. I was certainly ahead of my time for a student and took that confidence and knowhow into ultimately starting a production company business at age 12 in the seventh grade. I’m Jewish and was at the ripe age when all of my peers were having Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. I remember spending more time behind the DJ booth at these parties learning about music, microphones and lighting than I was on the dance floor playing games and having fun with my fellow teens. I realized very quickly after attending enough parties that I could start my own DJ business as the market and need for those services was built into my peer group and so I did. I purchased my first laptop which was a used, clunky “IBM Thinkpad” off of eBay (remember Amazon was not a thing yet at this time!) and rented sound systems for my first few gigs from a local music store. I eventually saved enough money to purchase a basic lighting package and was working regular weekend gigs playing birthday parties and mitzvahs. I turned 13 and had a Bar Mitzvah of my own and used the money I received in gifts to purchase my own sound system and other equipment and I was off to the races. I did my first wedding at 13 and continued to grow my DJ business all through middle school and high school with my parents driving me around from gig to gig acting as my “roadies” until I was old enough to drive myself.

As I got older and continued building my business through high school and remained part of the theatre program, I started working freelance Audio Visual gigs in hotel ballrooms, community theaters, touring venues and even some film and television shows being produced locally in San Diego. This also morphed into my high school utilizing both my performing and technical talents to provide music for the football and basketball games and eventually turned into me announcing for both sports as well as providing music. I hustled from a young age and was booked for some kind of event or function on most weekends in high school. While my friends were partying and being “normal” teenagers, I was DJ’ing or working a corporate event, shadowing industry technical professionals to absorb as much as I could. I was 16 going on 35 even back then.

I built my business through high school and ultimately decided not to pursue a formal college education as I was making consistent money working in entertainment production, I was good at it and I really wasn’t ever much of the academic type. I had decent grades growing up but I knew early on what I wanted to do for a career. I essentially skipped the “being a kid phase” of my tweens and teens since I was already on a path to a career I wanted and enjoyed tremendously at a young age. Even my teachers growing up were lenient with me on class assignments and missing classes due to all the various programs and gigs I was involved with on and off campus that ultimately were helping me grow my career. Working various gigs and meeting people in the industry from folks who drive a tour bus to piloting blimps for the Dave Matthews Band (yes, that actually was a thing back in the day) was my college experience and allowed me to dive right into a career and field where the best training was on the job and not in a classroom.

I am now 33 and have never looked back since those early days. I have built relationships up over the years by being a team player and in constant search of knowledge in my industry which is an ever and rapidly changing field with technology evolving so quickly. People are the core of my business and my success. I have made many mistakes, learned from them and improved on them as I have gotten older and have surrounded myself with positive and knowledgable people that can help me grow personally and professionally. I have built up a network of amazing industry professionals that I can lean on for equipment, design ideas, technical and business advice that have helped me navigate the world of technical production to support everything from an intimate backyard wedding to a convention for thousands of people and everything in between. Tenacity, drive and humility mainly have all shaped me into the person I am today as I came from those small humble beginnings of boom boxes and theatre to working for industry mega titans like Hakkasan/TAO and Insomniac. I have dealt with discrimination many times mostly because of my young age but that didn’t stop me, especially when I knew I could hold my own in relation to those around me.

Knowing my strengths and weaknesses, acting with humility and compassion and ultimately authenticity has allowed me to grow from 10 year old “Tevye” to the man I am today. With going on 22 years of professional experience in the entertainment and music industry, I have learned from the best in the business. I have been privileged to have been involved with hundreds of shows and productions over the years, with an extensive freelance career all over the country for concerts, theatrical productions, television, corporate and private events. I have worked on projects with MyTV13, Fox Buena Vista Television, The Walt Disney Company, Production Resource Group, Live Nation, Insomniac, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, La Jolla Playhouse and many more.

What started out as a small business that catered mostly to the private event DJ scene, my business has evolved over the years into a full scale production house that still reaches back to the early DJ roots, yet has now expanded to offer DJ, talent and artist bookings as well as full production and coordination services for every meticulous detail of your special event.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would probably start by taking them to some great food in Little Italy and then down to the Gaslamp Quarter for not only some really amazing people watching but the ability to pop in and out of hundreds of different types of establishments from restaurants to bars to nightclubs and even live music venues. I would also take them to La Jolla to take in the amazing coast line and weather. Seeing a show at The Shell which is the new outdoor amphitheater venue operated by the San Diego Symphony is a must and would certainly take them out for a cocktail (although I really don’t drink myself) to one of the many unique speakeasy bars we have here in San Diego. Notably “Raised by Wolves” and “Mothership” are worth checking out for sure!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to everyone in my life that has contributed to my success along the way. Whether it is family, friends, industry peers or past/present clients, I am truly grateful to everyone that has followed my journey, put their trust in me and allowed me to grow and hone my craft and skills over the years in a variety of different challenging environments.

Website: www.andrewmillerproductions.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-miller-a356a49/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewMillerProductions

Image Credits
OMNIA Nightclub/Hakkasan Group/TAO Group, NOVA SD/Insomniac, San Diego Association of Realtors