My Life Isn't Real

[Spectre7]

Well... There is a lot I feel like I should say...

First of all, I'm in high school; but I work for the largest public theatre for several counties around mine, I'm also employed by a private sound reinforcement company, I do all of the video and audio broadcast for our city council and sub committees, I intern for MSN; the local collegiate sports network, AND I do all of the sound for my high school (usually with my own equipment or equipment from the private company, free of charge).

Theres so much that I wish I could explain, and I want to, but theres no way nor do I know how to start.

In a nutshell:

1)
Basically. I own and operate my high school auditorium with one of my good friends, literally. Don Knotts started his acting career on my stage, went to my school, and you can still see where he wrote his name on the walls back stage. And my auditorium has barely changed since that time.

Built in 1927, my house, the Morgantown High School Auditorium still has the original hemp rigging that was first installed, and only 7 days ago had the original curtains replaced. The Drama Department is a large group of drug addicts and delinquents who I would be afraid to leave alone in my home for more than 5 seconds. Though I run and manage the theatre, I have no associations or ties with them nor does my friend. All of the lighting is from the late 60's and the sound is late 80's early 90's and has no change (all super analog). No one knows how the wiring gets from stage to FOH (which my friend and I have established a new FOH and made the old one into the follow spot booth [though we only have one follow spot and it is original also]). Our drama department has destroyed many things, but we salvaged a few things and basically patched up the facility as best as we could and use our own equipment to run events for all school groups excluding drama. No one cares about the facility, and my friend and I are faced with personally keeping the facility. We sweep, mop, clean, work on the rigging, run all shows, and manage the house. The administration knows what we do, and have given us a key and permission to basically do what we want (under the direction of my boss at the public theatre and local IATSE officials). The music and choral department (highly prized, band went too MACYS parade last year) know of us also, and are very thankful for everything we do. We basically became captains of the titanic only after it hit the iceberg.

2) My good friend that helps me in the school is also the owner of the private company I work for. We do concerts, DJ, weddings... All that good stuff. We are just starting, but do decent business with the given market.

3) I worked as a volunteer at the local public theatre when I was 15. I was with a small group who rented the house to perform, and I was doing sound... The house just got a new Yamaha LS9-32 and I was the first person to operate it for a full show. I did 6 shows each 3 hours long. By the end of the week, the director handed me a job app and thats when my career doing sound as a job started.

4) My boss at the public theatre (funded by the board of parks and recreation AND the city) then recommended me to the city board when I turned 16 and thats how I started doing all of their broadcast.

5) By age 17, the Mountaineer Sports Network (MSN) offered me a an internship which is where I got my first experience with the Yamaha M7CL.

6) My mom worked for West Virginia University at the College of Creative Arts, performance division and the house offered me an IATSE job. I haven't accepted or rejected the offer yet, but I'm trying to figure out if my plate is too full.

Here I am... My life is crazy. I also forgot to mention I'm in the Boy Scouts of America and just finished my Eagle Project, I'm in all AP classes, and I play the trumpet in my high schools nationally acclaimed Wind Ensemble that was featured at Ground Zero. I don't know what happens from one day to another. I need all the help I can get with this stuff, and I always get carried away as you can tell from above...

[Les]

This is all pretty impressive! One question though -- how is it that you own a portion of a building that is normally owned by the government (and can a minor own a building, government or otherwise)? I'm not doubting you, I'm just curious.

[Spectre7]

As for the school, we don't own it (yes I know I said it that way) the school owns it. But we have authorized permissions to purchase equipment and materials for the building. We just refer to it as 'ours' and say we 'own' it. But it really is at the point that we might as well.

[derekleffew]

And what are your plans for after you graduate high school? How do you plan to make a living for the next ~50 years of your working career?

[Spectre7]

Haha. Uh I intend to major in Biology and then get a degree in Emergency and Trauma Medicine. If i had to pick a minor, it'd be in sound mixing... For craps and giggles.

[Cadmium6855]

Your life sounds like mine, fun, stressful (at times) but overall good. You're a little older than me, but our lives our similar. In my opinion, if you think you can handle the extra work, you might as well go for it. You may want to replace one of your current jobs (not that you want to, I wouldn't). Basically the decision is up to you, it really depends on how you feel each day, most days I am stressed, tired and extremely busy, i'm assuming thats how you feel, I LOVE that feeling, so its really up to you. Do you feel like that everyday? Do you like that feeling? Do you want to add potentially more stress/ work to your day (it sounds prety stressful and busy. But thats what I love about my job(s)). The question you ask is super difficult to answer, you really have to ask yourself, not other people, because in the end its your call not mine, not anyone else's. So, if I were in this position I would probably take the job, but will you be able to balance the workload with school and your other jobs. One thing that I learned the hard way is that if you take another job on, your original jobs don't get less busy, its the same job, plus the new one. Do you honestly think you will be able to run the schools theater, keep up the intern ship, keep your grades up, keep practicing your trumpet, work on your eagle project and other BSA stuff (i'm sure I missed some things you do.). So first, ask yourself these questions or some similar questions. (i'm sure I repeated myself more than once)

Well, if you don't intend to go into this career (I do intend to) than you should maybe try to get a job or internship at a hospital or something and not take on another job that in the end won't really help you.

[Pie4Weebl]

And what are your plans for after you graduate high school? How do you plan to make a living for the next ~50 years of your working career?

Sounds like between an offer of joining whatever the 3 digit IATSE local is out there, and his job with a professional DJ company as well as the government, he already has more opportunities than he can choose from!

[Spectre7]

I really wish that I could have a career in sound... I love doing it, and if I could, I'd do it for free even though that will never be possible. However I have to have a 'real' job my parents say so I'm going into medicine. My mom, after working in theatre for years speaks against it strongly for me. She said that she saw dozens of young individuals who spent tons on going to the best sound and theatre schools in the country. After spending the money and learning the trades, they ended up teaching because the market was so inundated with people in the field. She told me I'd have to just have luck to make it and won't pay for my schooling if I pick live production as a major.

[Cadmium6855]

My dad works in the movie industry and tells me everyday I should be a lawyer so I make real money. In my opinion do what you love, money should come after, it shouldn't be a priority above life, but for most people it is, and I realize I am probably about to get a lot of **** for saying this from the older people, but Sound and Lights, ect. is what I love, and I intend to do it for the rest of my life.

[GoldPhoenix]

Cadmium6855's first reply is soooooo true. I also have had very similar experiences through high school. I am currently in my 2nd year in college and started my first real job during the summer of 8th grade as a Dj. I hve been in the industry ever since. I have been in my HS's theater from my jr. year in high school and became TD and since then have been involved. I had sooo many other things in my life just like you. I worked for my local access station during that time, and did the city council and planning board along with tons of other things there. sound, and mic'ing and light design and teaching students in the HS was my passion. I was also given keys to the theater all the same as you, plus some. During that time i wanted to go into engineering (i wanted to design theaters and schools etc) so i interned at a local construction management company and worked with them and 5 other companies helping to design a multi-million dollar addition for my local library. I designed utilities (light fixture placement, outlet placement, sever rooms, bathroom location, low voltage and multi media feeds and conduit runs etc). My rents told me that they wouldnt pay for college if i was going to go for any sound, lighting, theater or TV production majors. so i went to UMass Lowell for civil engineering. In short, i wasted a year. and through much discussion my rents allowed me to transfer to another school for Media Production. Since then i have been offered a job from Fox news, and three other companies for sound engineering and recording. I have denied all because i realized, and you will have to also, that you have the rest of your life for those commitments. I currently work (yes, a staff member, not contracted) for Salem Access TV (i attend salem state in MA). By denying the other offers and focusing on education and one/two jobs/projects (SATV and working at my High schools theater) i have let many more doors of opportunity open up. all of the fuzzyness that you are facing now is what i also went through. Over the past year it has all gone away and i have found where i will belong. And although my rents would rather me be an engineer, i know where i am happy and the fields available for me now offer such more opportunities than i had before, and more than my parents ever had. sorry for the long reply, i cut it down as much as possible, but PM me and i will be able to give you more detail as to the opportunities available and how to show your parents your vision of your desires. Most important, do what you feel is right for YOU. PM me.

~Allan

[Tex]

After spending the money and learning the trades, they ended up teaching because the market was so inundated with people in the field.

Why is this a bad thing? Should people who haven't learned the trades be teaching?
I don't understand the logic.

[mstaylor]

You have an impressive resume but getting your Eagle rank is one of top things you can do. My oldest son and my nephew are both Eagles and that is a very elite club. You might want to consider going to a college where you can study electrical engineering and minor in theatre. An EE degree can be a lucrative carreer but you could still use it in the sound, lighting or video fields.

[Pie4Weebl]

You have an impressive resume but getting your Eagle rank is one of top things you can do. My oldest son and my nephew are both Eagles and that is a very elite club. You might want to consider going to a college where you can study electrical engineering and minor in theatre. An EE degree can be a lucrative carreer but you could still use it in the sound, lighting or video fields.

I would do that over medicine if you are being forced into a real job. I guess the next question is why do you have to go to school? If you can make enough money to get your own place and start saving for either school or a house, why don't you take a year off and keep the jobs you have?

[Cadmium6855]

I would do that over medicine if you are being forced into a real job. I guess the next question is why do you have to go to school? If you can make enough money to get your own place and start saving for either school or a house, why don't you take a year off and keep the jobs you have?

That is something I would do if my parents did not support my decision to go into this field.

[MisterTim]

hahahahahaha oh Don Knotts....my favorite actor of all time. But that might just be because I'm related to him...

Okay, I didn't even read most of the post, but since it seems like a bragfest in here I just felt like throwing out that Don Knotts is my cousin.

Regardless, welcome!

You might want to consider going to a college where you can study electrical engineering and minor in theatre. An EE degree can be a lucrative carreer but you could still use it in the sound, lighting or video fields.

That's what I'm doing at Carnegie Mellon currently. Well, I'm minoring in Music Technology because CMU doesn't offer a drama minor, but similar.

[nuggety]

Oh I really do love the M7CL. It's a great board, very powerful and quite logical. I worked on the M7CL-48 at my local entertainment centre, but it was a simple rig; 5 RX, 4 shotgun and 2 ST, plus some simple reverb+delay.

[epimetheus]

You might want to consider going to a college where you can study electrical engineering and minor in theatre. An EE degree can be a lucrative carreer but you could still use it in the sound, lighting or video fields.

I'll add my recommendation to this idea. This is exactly what I did. I've been working with AVL tech since middle school. I knew I needed a strong degree to fall back on if I couldn't find my place in the volatile world of AVL. I couldn't find an agreeable job after college in this industry so I started looking for a standard electrical engineering job. Now I design high voltage substations for a living, and let me tell you it pays very well. It also allows me to do pretty much any tech stuff I want because I don't depend on AVL tech for a roof over my head or food on the table. Also, having my PE license gives me quite a bit of credibility concerning electronics repair, system design, etc.

Just my $0.02 from someone who's been down this path.

Oh, and one other thing, whenever you think you're the king of the hill, the world has a way smacking you down and showing you just how great you thought you were. It certainly has done that to me a time or two.

[shiben]

I'll add my recommendation to this idea. This is exactly what I did. I've been working with AVL tech since middle school. I knew I needed a strong degree to fall back on if I couldn't find my place in the volatile world of AVL. I couldn't find an agreeable job after college in this industry so I started looking for a standard electrical engineering job. Now I design high voltage substations for a living, and let me tell you it pays very well. It also allows me to do pretty much any tech stuff I want because I don't depend on AVL tech for a roof over my head or food on the table. Also, having my PE license gives me quite a bit of credibility concerning electronics repair, system design, etc.

Just my $0.02 from someone who's been down this path.

Oh, and one other thing, whenever you think you're the king of the hill, the world has a way smacking you down and showing you just how great you thought you were. It certainly has done that to me a time or two.

Heres my question. Does a EE degree count towards ETCP certification points? It says in a technical theater topic, but an Electrician's licence gets you points, so would a EE degree? Just out of curiosity, no way Im going back to engineering (Im really bad at Calculus, so I was pretty much screwed).

[epimetheus]

Heres my question. Does a EE degree count towards ETCP certification points? It says in a technical theater topic, but an Electrician's licence gets you points, so would a EE degree? Just out of curiosity, no way Im going back to engineering (Im really bad at Calculus, so I was pretty much screwed).

That's a good question. The eligibility requirements say that an undergraduate degree in an entertainment technology field is worth 7 points. I'd think that only ESTA themselves could answer that. Most EE programs have multiple specific areas of focus. Mine, for example, was power systems, but there were antenna systems, analog circuits, digital circuits, et al. available at Texas A&M. All of these areas of focus could be applied to the entertainment technology field in some way. Has anybody asked ESTA this question?

[derekleffew]

Heres my question. Does a EE degree count towards ETCP certification points? ...

This is purely an academic question, since I doubt I'll have enough points to sit for the exam any time soon, but would Electrical Engineering be an applicable degree? I'm not working in theater right now, but I have a significant interest in it. And I like having letters behind my name.

A "non-entertainment-technology related" undergraduate degree gets you 3 out of 30 eligibility points.

For the full story on eligibility, see:
ETCP - The Entertainment Technician Certification Program

ST

Any questions regarding eligibilty will easily and promptly be answered by Meredith Moseley-Bennett, ETCP Certification Manager, .

EDIT: Meredith confirms the above information:

I found out the answer for you – this is from our Electrical SME [Subject Matter Expert]:
"The Undergraduate Degree of 3 points is related to the subject matter but is not the subject matter. The Undergraduate Degree in entertainment technology field of 7 points is the subject matter. Most BSEE’s would know how to work with electricity but might not necessarily know how to run a feeder cable set safely, or what it even was. BSEE should be 3 points."

[epimetheus]

Guess my memory isn't what it used to be...

[mstaylor]

An EE degree, to me, would be good in the sound or video world. It can be used in the lighting world but in the practical application area, it translates easier to sound or video. My brother in law is an design engineer for Westinghouse, holds a masters, but is worthless in the line voltage area. Software and 12 volt systems, he is incredable but calls me for electrical advice. I guess it depends on the concentration as far as where it fits in the entertainment world.

[museav]

Also, having my PE license gives me quite a bit of credibility concerning electronics repair, system design, etc.

An EE degree, to me, would be good in the sound or video world. It can be used in the lighting world but in the practical application area, it translates easier to sound or video. My brother in law is an design engineer for Westinghouse, holds a masters, but is worthless in the line voltage area. Software and 12 volt systems, he is incredable but calls me for electrical advice. I guess it depends on the concentration as far as where it fits in the entertainment world.

Very interesting comments as when I was in Engineering school, when I worked at a firm offering Electrical Engineering and with the EEs I work with now there was typically little or no relevance between EEs and audio or video. There might be more of a tendency for EEs to be interested in audio and video but for the people and firms I've worked the EEs efforts were primarily in power distribution and, ironically, lighting. In fact the one EE major with whom I shared some theatre classes in college was interested primarily in the lighting aspect of theatre.

I've run across a few Engineering firms that have in-house expertise in specialty lighting, audio, AV, video, etc. in addition to traditional Engineering disciplines, in fact my first employer out of college was one such firm, but those are usually large firms that run those as specialty practices and few of the related designers are EEs. In fact I'd feel pretty safe in saying that every set of construction documents I have sitting around here has the power distribution and basic lighting designed by the EE with any audio and AV designed by others (and not just by me, several are projects where I am the acoustician and there is a different AV designer).

When I first started at a large Engineering firm the audio and AV designs were handled by the EEs. However, they did not design anything, they got vendors to design it for them and then stuck that on their drawings. None of the EEs there, of which there were probably two dozen or more, had any idea how to design an audio or AV system. I'm also not sure that any of them had any experience in theatrical lighting either. I've seen the same approach and knowledge exhibited by numerous other Electrical Engineering firms.

An electronics degree may translate well to addressing audio and video equipment and circuits but does not necessarily address any of the system or functional aspects. They may be able to design a projector but have no idea of what projector is appropriate for an application or they might design a speaker driver but have no idea how to design a speaker system for a space or know anything about coverage, intelligibility, etc.

So an EE degree may be very useful or totally irrelevant to audio, AV and video, it seems very dependent upon the individual, the specifics of the degree program and what other education and experience they may have.

[epimetheus]

Very interesting comments as when I was in Engineering school, when I worked at a firm offering Electrical Engineering and with the EEs I work with now there was typically little or no relevance between EEs and audio or video. There might be more of a tendency for EEs to be interested in audio and video but for the people and firms I've worked the EEs efforts were primarily in power distribution and, ironically, lighting. In fact the one EE major with whom I shared some theatre classes in college was interested primarily in the lighting aspect of theatre.

I've run across a few Engineering firms that have in-house expertise in specialty lighting, audio, AV, video, etc. in addition to traditional Engineering disciplines, in fact my first employer out of college was one such firm, but those are usually large firms that run those as specialty practices and few of the related designers are EEs. In fact I'd feel pretty safe in saying that every set of construction documents I have sitting around here has the power distribution and basic lighting designed by the EE with any audio and AV designed by others (and not just by me, several are projects where I am the acoustician and there is a different AV designer).

When I first started at a large Engineering firm the audio and AV designs were handled by the EEs. However, they did not design anything, they got vendors to design it for them and then stuck that on their drawings. None of the EEs there, of which there were probably two dozen or more, had any idea how to design an audio or AV system. I'm also not sure that any of them had any experience in theatrical lighting either. I've seen the same approach and knowledge exhibited by numerous other Electrical Engineering firms.

An electronics degree may translate well to addressing audio and video equipment and circuits but does not necessarily address any of the system or functional aspects. They may be able to design a projector but have no idea of what projector is appropriate for an application or they might design a speaker driver but have no idea how to design a speaker system for a space or know anything about coverage, intelligibility, etc.

So an EE degree may be very useful or totally irrelevant to audio, AV and video, it seems very dependent upon the individual, the specifics of the degree program and what other education and experience they may have.

I'd agree with this. I know some EE's who can't change a residential light fixture. That said, I tailored my degree with the intention of getting into the AVL industry. While my degree focus was technically power systems, I took as many classes as I could in analog circuit design, fiber optics, etc. While that may not explicitly qualify me to design systems by itself, it certainly doesn't hurt. It just happens to be power systems that I do on a daily basis.

[mstaylor]

I have seen EEs that didn't have a clue about power distribution but tons about sound. It seems to be what the indivdual is interested in and how they apply their knowledge. I have a relative that is an EE that is tremendous with sound and computor systems but had to call me to walk him through how to install a sub panel in his house. There are others that could design a power plant but wouldn't have a clue what was what on a circuit board, lighting or sound.