If you’ve attended an AV Chicago show in the past five years, you probably know the power of Mike “Schmitty” Schmitz. Schmitty’s fingerprints are all over AV Chicago. As our lead video engineer, he is a regular fixture at many events, but even if he isn’t physically on-site, his presence is felt. He designed and built AV Chicago’s virtual event control room. He also built the racks of video gear that we roll to nearly every event. His obsession with new software and hardware is one of the forces behind AV Chicago’s technology.
It isn’t a surprise that Schmitty wound up in the events industry. He has a dual degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He has another degree in Theater and Entertainment Technology from Michigan Technological University (all the way in the Upper Peninsula). His love of technology pairs well with his appreciation of the arts. Schmitty has worked for Cirque du Soleil and Glimmerglass Opera Festival, and he is most happy when he can design a sprawling, complex system to achieve something creative.
If isn’t already clear, Schmitty is a person of many passions. Beyond his interest in technology and art, he also practices carpentry. Additionally, he designs his own speakers and is in the process of designing a new channel for his home surround sound system. He is an avid board gamer too, and his favorite games include Root, Terraforming Mars, and Scythe. Schmitty is steadily amassing a collection of video and audio recording equipment. Maybe someday he will use it to make some art, but in the meantime, he is mostly just nerding out over it.
So now you know Schmitty a little more. If you see him at a show, stop by and say hello. But don’t ask him about the video system unless you’re committed to hearing the answer. He has the brain of an engineer, and he will definitely give you the complete run-down.
