In a new interview with Planet Vectorworks, Michael Keller, designer at AMO Lighting LLC, talks about winning a 2016 Parnelli Award in the “Lighting Director Of The Year” category for his work with Black Sabbath, as well as why Vectorworks Spotlight is the software of choice for those with a passion for lighting and a love of music.

When asked about where he finds his inspiration for shows, such as Black Sabbath’s The End Tour, Keller says it typically just pops into his head, comes to him when he’s sleeping, or stems from collaboration with the Black Sabbath crew, many of whom he’s worked alongside of for close to 20 years. After deciding on a direction, they present their ideas to the band. For this tour, Sharon Osbourne saw a show that had nearly a thousand PAR can fixtures, and she relayed how much she liked it to Patrick Woodroffe, lighting designer at Woodroffe-Bassett Design, who Keller works with closely as the lighting director. Along with the help of fellow Woodroffe-Bassett Design Senior Lighting Designer Terry Cook and Programmer Eric Marchwinski, who was the Grand MA programmer, they put the vision together and the rest is history.

When wrapping up Black Sabbath’s The End Tour in the band’s home city of Birmingham, UK, it was an unsurprisingly sentimental moment for Keller. “It was a very emotional and crazy evening since it was the end of an era, the end of a touring dysfunctional family, and the end of a band that had been together for nearly 50 years,” reflects Keller. “I was very lucky to be a part of that family for nearly 20 years.”

Read the full story at Planet Vectorworks.