Brandon Kraemer is a technical director at Treatment, which is a creative content design studio that specializes in live music and large scale multi-media experiences.

While his primary role is technical director on larger projects like U2:UV at MSG Sphere, he is also part of the creative team and works in the disciplines of animation, editorial and color.

What does your job as TD entail?
For most projects, being the technical director means understanding all the technical details of the project and overseeing how the tech dovetails with the creative intent.

What would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?
It’s everything technical that we might have direct control over and everything else that we don’t. There are so many moving parts, both big and small, and it’s crucial that we’re aware and able to communicate about all of them. This includes hardware, network administration, LED processing, Disguise media server specification and endless software variables. It also is about the logistical and human side to all this tech, which covers a wide range of circumstances that require diplomacy and tact.

Can you name some recent projects you have worked on?
The latest project Treatment has completed is U2:UV at the Las Vegas Sphere. This was a monumental undertaking that occupied the last 12 months of my life. I’m very grateful to U2’s creative director, Willie Wiliams, for the opportunity, and I’m extremely proud of the work that producer Lizzie Pocock and the Treatment team delivered. There is no other show like it.

Treatment also produced the content for Weekends with Adele, which my friend and colleague Matt Askem directs. That was quite a technical challenge as well and is one of the most beautiful shows I’ve been a part of.

How has your section of the industry changed since COVID? The good and the bad?
There has been a huge amount of growth in virtual production, which I’ve been fortunate to be involved with, and there is a lot of development from that sector that has benefited other parts of the live entertainment industry.

There may have been a painful break from live shows, but the innovation certainly didn’t pause.

Do you see some of these workflow changes remaining with us going forward?
Absolutely. I think what is no longer valuable from the pandemic era has already been left by the wayside, and the better workflows and tools developed in that era are with us and improving every day.

If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?
I work in a lot of different disciplines. I’m also a colorist with an Academy Award-nominated film on my resume. I’ve been the director of post production and senior editor for a post studio [called Lightborne]. I see my career as an evolving journey. If I wasn’t doing this right now, I’d be doing something that runs parallel to it.

Why did you choose this profession?
The right tools and the right opportunities came along, and I really applied myself. I wanted to do something artistic, so I just kept looking for challenges and kept saying yes to most opportunities, even if they were indirectly creative. I’ve ended up blending my creative side with my technical side, and it’s a path that seems to be undeniably “me.”

What’s your favorite part of the job?
At heart, I am a creative problem-solver, and I love it when I’m able to chart a course for the wider team that proves to be the right path.

What is your least favorite?
Repeating work.

Name some technology you can’t live without.
Sadly, I’d say my iPhone. I think we’re all in that boat.

I don’t think we’d be able to bring big visions like U2:UV to life without tools like Disguise. Disguise’s d3 media server platform is what Treatment trusts, and without that toolset, we would have been creatively hamstrung.

Last, something fun… my Hammond organ and vintage Leslie 145 speaker! Life isn’t all work, after all.

Do you listen to music while you work? Care to share your favorite music to work to?
Yes, I do sometimes, and it varies with what task is at hand. Usually it’s ambient pieces by composers like Harold Budd, Brian Eno or Nils Frahm if I need to think strategically and focus. If I am in the creative execution mode, where I need energy and focus, then it’s something more intense, like early prog-rock Genesis or math-rock artists like Battles.

What do you do to de-stress from it all, aside from your Hammond?
Music and hiking. I’m a multi-instrumentalist, and music is a mentally stimulating activity with immediate feedback. Hiking… because it’s all about turning off the mind and experiencing nature in real time.

Both are really important to me, and each has its own space.

Would you have done anything different along your path?
I’m incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunities I’ve had. While the journey hasn’t always been easy, I have no reason to think retrospectively about changing things.

Finally, any tips for others who are just starting out?
My advice is to listen, work hard and be prepared to take risks. Surprise yourself and be a positive influence no matter what your role.