With the UK Hog Factor competition just around the corner (7 November 2018), the previous winner of the contest in Frankfurt – Nina Mesitz, discusses the positive impact it had on her.
Austrian-based Mesitz and her team Status Cue triumphed at Hog Factor which took place at Prolight + Sound 2018. Six months on she looks back at her progress since and plans for the future.
The win for Nina Mesitz and her team Status Cue from the Austrian vocational school BS Evita, has boosted their drive for a career in lighting design. Mesitz, who is a trainee of the Graz theatres, speaks highly of the competition, commenting on the ‘valuable experience and lifelong key contacts’ she made from it. “It’s a unique opportunity that aspiring lighting designers or technicians must take advantage of”, she states.
The Hog Factor competition was launched by High End Systems in 2015 and has built a great reputation in the industry as the leading academic lighting programming competition. It invites students in teams of three to program a light show on a Hog 4 console and compete against one another. This is done in front of a crowd that includes professionals from the industry and High End System’s staff who offer Hog training.
Mesitz and her team jumped at the chance to participate in the competition, recognising the importance of getting hands-on experience with industry professionals. Presenting their work in front of an audience with a passion for the field was her greatest incentive.
The aspiring lighting designer received the Hoglet 4 console lighting desk as the winning prize and has already made use of the console at the international a capella competition ‘Vocal.Total’. The desk will play a key role in her professional life as she explained: “With the lighting console, I can continue to work independently, gain experience and practice for the future. Hog Factor has allowed me to take the most important step towards self-employment.”
Looking at future Hog Factor competitions, Mesitz emphasises how worthwhile and valuable the experience has been and greatly indorses others to enter: “You learn so much and meet some really influential people that will make valuable contacts for the future. It’s an opportunity not to be missed.”
Hog Factor UK takes place at Production Futures on the 7 November 2018. For more information on the competition and where to register, visit: www.highend.com/hogfactor/hog-factor-uk