Electrical Engineering in the Theater World

[chrispo86]

Not really sure where would be the best spot to post something like this, but I figure here would work.

I'm an Electrical Engineer (have my BS in Electrical/Computer Engineering; currently working on a Masters Certificate in Computer Engineering which I'll have by December, and that will flow into a MS in Electrical Engineering which I'll have by May 2011, if all goes to plan). Right now I just do theater on the side, helping out with my old high school as a consultant. I've always been really into theater and would have gone into it as a career, but for various reasons the engineering thing won out. (I'm regretting that decision more and more each day)

Currently I'm working for a lage company (not going to say who) and I really can't stand it here. I'm not doing anything that I enjoy, and I'm not at all utilizing my engineering skills.

This all brings me to my question. I'm always happiest when I'm doing something theater related, and I think it would be a really great thing for me if I could do engineering work for a company in the theater business; whether it be designing circuitry for lighting/sound consoles, designing moving lights, something else all-together (I'm really a lighting guy at heart, but I'm open for new things). I know different equipment manufacturers have NY offices (I'm in the New York/Long Island area), but does anybody know if any of them do development work here? (such as equipment design, circuit design, etc)

I doubt I'll leave my current position any time soon unless a really good opportunity pops up, as they're giving me a very good paycheck and covering 100% of grad school (the only real perk of working here), but I've been trying to look into my other options recently, because I'm really getting wound up tight working here and don't think I can take much more (it's not just me, people are dropping like flies from this place).

Thanks in advance!

[ruinexplorer]

Certainly there are a lot of theatrically related jobs to electrical engineering. The first thing to do is to research equipment manufacturers. You can find lists of them by looking through EPD- The Event Production Directory or look at who's exhibiting at LDI. Also, you can look at the AV community at Infocomm.

You should get to know ESTA and USITT very well since they set the standards for our industry.

If you are willing to expand out of lighting, you might consider Fisher Technical Services, Inc. here in Las Vegas.

[Footer]

I know most of the large scenery houses would love to have a EE on staff. After you get your masters, you might fall in the overqualified field however.

But Strand, ETC, HES, Barco, and all the rest need EE's with theatre backgrounds. If the developer actually knows what the product should it just makes things easier.

[derekleffew]

I'd also suggest subscribing to Entertainment Engineering Home if you don't already.

[chrispo86]

I was unaware of "Entertainment Engineering", but it looked realllly interesting so I signed up. Thanks for that resource!

I am definately willing to expand out of lighting. Lighting is just what I'm most familiar with, but the technologies behind lighting, sound, automation, etc, it's all very interesting stuff in my opinion. Actually I think automation would be an extremely cool thing to get into, I just have no experience with it at all.

The thing I'm not so willing to do (well, I'd prefer not to do; if I get desperate enough though, who knows) is to leave the NY area. I guess that was sort of my main question. I know there are manufacturers (let's take ETC as an example) that have NY offices. But if they don't do any engineering work there (i.e. it's just a sales office or something) it's not really going to do me any good. Does anybody know if any of the manufacturers do engineering work in NY?

[Traitor800]

I can only speak for the automation side of things, but Hudson Scenic is located in Yonkers and they do a lot of automation for Broadway shows and the like. PRG also has there scenic devision called Scenic Tech in Southern NY but it would be a bit more of a commute for you because they're located in New Windsor. Both of those places hire engineers for they're automation work.

And if you are willing to venture outside of NYC there are lots of companies that like hiring engineers with theatre experience.

[VegasLites]

I would also check with the theater consulting section of the world. The combination of theater and electrical engineering is not a common combination and would be a great asset.
Here are some examples:

Theater Project Consultants
Theatre Projects Consultants - welcome
APF
Welcome to Auerbach Consultants

Just a thought!

[chrispo86]

Thanks for the tips. I'd heard of Hudson Scenic but had never really looked into them and thus forgot about them when I was looking around. That looks like a really neat company to get involved with. I would apply for one of the internships (I'm only 22, it could work ) but I don't think I'd be able to pull that off with my current job. "Yeah, I need a leave of absence to go see what it's like to work for a different company in a completely different industry." That'd go over great! I really really wish I could pull that one off though. I'll have to plot out the possibilities haha.

As for consultant work, that's something I hadn't thought of, but that's why I ask these kinds of questions. I'll have to investigate further. I feel like I actually gave a resume to Auerbach when I was going to job fairs at one point though...


If anybody has other suggestions, please, keep them coming. I'm quite interested to find out the different possibilities that are out there.

[museav]

I don't know if you have thought of this, but in some instances the EE element might have more value if you had a PE so that you could stamp drawings and certify work. I know that I've run into this multiple times in the past related to lighting, there is often a disconnect between the theatrical consultant/designer and the Electrical Engineer since any Electrical drawings have to be stamped by a licensed PE in Electrical Engineering for that state but there are ethical and legal issues with an EE stamping work they did not create or control. So be it with a manufacturer, supplier, engineer or designer, someone who understands the theatre aspect and can also address the electrical side and stamp the drawings could be of value.