Meet Rodd McLaughlin, President of RGM Productions

From theatre and concerts, to virtual production and beyond, Rodd McLaughlin has built a reputation as an expert in live events, and has collaborated with some of the biggest names across the globe. In this conversation with Disguise, Rodd reflects on his career, the evolution of live event technology, and why the human element remains at the heart of it all.

Early inspirations 

Rodd’s incredible journey within the live events industry started 40 years ago, while acting in a small live production. “It all happened when I saw the technical crew running around to get to the stage,” said Rodd. “At the time I had no idea what they were doing, so I asked the Lighting Designer if I could be on his crew for his next show.” 

Having a strong willingness to learn new things is how Rodd truly got started in the industry, and helped him integrate with virtually any team he’s worked with so far. “My approach when we do shows is to have fun, so getting along with my team is important to me.”

A circuitous path to innovation

Rodd’s career in the live events industry has been anything but linear, but as he puts it, “it all makes sense in the end.” Starting in lighting, he quickly moved into the role of programmer and operator, working with some of the earliest computer lighting consoles. “My first console was software running on an Apple IIc,” he recalls. “You’d hit the ‘r’ key to record—it was primitive but effective. Being ‘in the hot seat’ has been a part of my work life from day one.”

In the years that followed, Rodd’s path led him to become a production electrician, primarily for Off-Broadway shows. This role demanded adaptability and efficiency, as he worked in a new, empty theatre almost every week. To manage the chaos, he and John Trowbridge developed an automated spreadsheet tool in the mid-1990s. “It wasn’t groundbreaking—shop software already did most of this—but we made it accessible to the average freelancer,” he explains.

Rodd’s ability to streamline workflows became a defining characteristic of his career. He embraced tools like macros, Visual Basic, and expressions to optimise lighting workflows. His programming expertise naturally evolved into working with moving lights, integrating media servers, creating content, and eventually managing content. “For me, it’s always been about minimising repetitive data entry and empowering creatives,” he says.

Today, Rodd is deeply involved in tools like TouchDesigner, Python, Lua, and expressions within Disguise d3 — anything that bridges creativity with technical execution. “It’s about translating the language of creative people into the language of implementation. In the end, it’s all about time,” he explains. This ethos of innovation continues to define Rodd’s journey in live events, as he works to ensure technology empowers rather than hinders artistic expression.

Discovering Disguise

Rodd first encountered Disguise in the early 2000s, when it was still known as d3. As a co-owner of Prelite, an early previsualization studio, he was introduced to d3 as a potential tool. “I met Ash Nehru and Chris Bird at an event and was impressed by their intelligence and the team behind d3. I knew these were people I wanted to work with,” he recalls.

Disguise quickly became Rodd’s go-to server for its scalability and reliability. “When shows started moving beyond the standard single-source-to-multiple-screens setup, we knew we needed a product like Disguise to scale effortlessly,” he says.

Proudest moments

Rodd has worked on an array of projects, including theatre, concerts, television, installations, virtual production, and corporate events. Whether high-profile or heavily problem-solving, he values the ability to achieve significant results in tight timelines.

However, teaching has been Rodd’s proudest moment in the industry. “Hearing accomplished people share how I taught them something fundamental early in their careers always makes me smile,” he says. But above all, he values collaboration. “I’d rather work on a terrible show with great people than a great show with not-so-great people.”

Advice for beginners

“Find people you like who are doing fun things. They’re headed in the right direction,” Rodd advises.

Looking Ahead

The future for Rodd is about refining workflows and continuing to enjoy the process. “Dialling in our workflow so we can have fun is key. Science-time—learning and creating new tools—is a big part of that. The goal is to approach every project creatively, positively, and intelligently.”