Head Elec vs. Master Elec

[rochem]

We've discussed this in passing before, I want to know - what does the industry think is the difference between the two? Which title do you fall under, and why? From what I've seen, Master Electrician seems to be more prominent in educational theatre, and in smaller regional where the ME is also the Production Electrician (no offense meant to anyone who does call themselves a ME, just a casual observation). Whereas Head Electrician seems to be associated with larger and commercial theatre, and most other non-theatre jobs.

Do you agree? Disagree? Have different definitions you use?

 

[SteveB]

We've discussed this in passing before, I want to know - what does the industry think is the difference between the two? Which title do you fall under, and why? From what I've seen, Master Electrician seems to be more prominent in educational theatre, and in smaller regional where the ME is also the Production Electrician (no offense meant to anyone who does call themselves a ME, just a casual observation). Whereas Head Electrician seems to be associated with larger and commercial theatre, and most other non-theatre jobs.

Do you agree? Disagree? Have different definitions you use?

Agree and a further clarification might be a scenario with multiple theaters and crews, where the head electrician is the department head for the building, where as the master electrician might be the head only for that space and event. Which is how we use the terms.

 

[mstaylor]

ME seems to be a theatre only term. Head electrician seems to be traveling shows, R&R and corporate.

 

[jstandfast]

There's also the issue of Master Electrician being a legal term in some jurisdictions; it's akin to calling yourself a doctor or lawyer.

 

[porkchop]

In my experience an ME is someone who was hired by the facility to oversee electrical work. A head electrician is a labor based term meaning the person in charge for the the specific traveling show, local union, labor call, or some other group of electricians that are not necessarily always facility employees.

 

[jonliles]

In Georgia, a ME is someone who holds a Master Electrician's Liscense granted by the AHJ, in this case the state, and covers a far wider berth than just theatre & venues.

 

[hobbsies]

Does anyone know what the rule is about calling someone a "Master Electrician" in Chicago w/out holding an electrician license? I work as an ME here and I've always been nervous about describing myself to people as a master electrician without holding an actual license. What would be an appropriate alternative?

 

[xander]

Does anyone know what the rule is about calling someone a "Master Electrician" in Chicago w/out holding an electrician license? I work as an ME here and I've always been nervous about describing myself to people as a master electrician without holding an actual license. What would be an appropriate alternative?

When I was younger (like a few years ago ) working in regional and summerstock theater the position was always called Master Electrician. I've stop describing myself as an ME, though, because I am not a licensed electrician and I don't like to be misleading. Everyone outside of the theatrical world that hears Master Electrician assumes something that I am most certainly not. On my business card I use Production Electrician because that is what I do the most, as a freelancer, but if I held a position at a venue I would just say Head Electrician.

-Tim

 

[porkchop]

When I was younger (like a few years ago ) working in regional and summerstock theater the position was always called Master Electrician. I've stop describing myself as an ME, though, because I am not a licensed electrician and I don't like to be misleading. Everyone outside of the theatrical world that hears Master Electrician assumes something that I am most certainly not. On my business card I use Production Electrician because that is what I do the most, as a freelancer, but if I held a position at a venue I would just say Head Electrician.

-Tim

Everyone out side of the touring world hears touring stagehand and assumes you make a ton of money. If people are going to assume things blindly without actually looking into them, why go out of your way to prevent them?

 

[mstaylor]

Master Electrician is a theatre term accepted around the country. I started a thread about the difference in terms between theatre and the rest of the business, which included the ME/head electrician debate. In my state there is a classification of Master Electrician that is a level of licensing. I have never heard of a conflict between the two worlds. I have between nontheatre lighting companies and theatre MEs.

 

[hobbsies]

I want to bump this thread again, because I'm curious if anyone has ever encountered any legal implications when being called a "master electrician" without being licensed? I'm not personally in any legal trouble with the term, but it does bother me when I describe my title to people, people assume i hold a license. I feel like just using the word electrician implies you have a license. What other terms could I use instead? Lighting Director? Lighting manager?

 

[Footer]

I want to bump this thread again, because I'm curious if anyone has ever encountered any legal implications when being called a "master electrician" without being licensed? I'm not personally in any legal trouble with the term, but it does bother me when I describe my title to people, people assume i hold a license. I feel like just using the word electrician implies you have a license. What other terms could I use instead? Lighting Director? Lighting manager?

Many people have put electrician in their name without being one: State Electrician - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an issue, it is why you hear the term production electrician or head electrician thrown around instead of master electrician.

 

[Edrick]

It should be noted you do NOT have to be licensed to call yourself an electrician. It is a type of descriptor for a certain trade you do. Some states require a license to do certain types of work such as installing or servicing electrical systems. You are not taking a legal liability describing yourself as an electrician as you are not violating state law and installing or maintaining systems that require a license.

Some states require no license at all to do electrical work. As long as you are not misrepresenting yourself or doing services that require you to be a license you can call yourself a Master Electrician. If people assume you're a licensed master electrician that's their problem. If you advertise yourself as a licensed master electrician that's another story.

Are you an actor only by joining SAG?

Master Electrician is just a descriptor used to identity what you do. People will confuse it and assume you're something your not. But the point behind this is you are not working nor advertising yourself as a person doing the work of what a Licensed Master Electrician does.

 

[DELO72]

When I was younger (like a few years ago ) working in regional and summerstock theater the position was always called Master Electrician. I've stop describing myself as an ME, though, because I am not a licensed electrician and I don't like to be misleading. Everyone outside of the theatrical world that hears Master Electrician assumes something that I am most certainly not. On my business card I use Production Electrician because that is what I do the most, as a freelancer, but if I held a position at a venue I would just say Head Electrician.

-Tim

I'm sorry, but not calling yourself by an industry-recognized term because the laypeople don't know better is crap and a cop-out. That's equivalent to not calling your position a Best Boy in film because you've been told there are better boys out there, or that you are a grown man, not a boy-- or because you are a girl/woman.

I was a Master Electrician for years. Any "licensed electricians" who do facility/commercial non-theatre work can kiss my a-- if they don't like me using the term.

 

[xander]

I'm sorry, but not calling yourself by an industry-recognized term because the laypeople don't know better is crap and a cop-out. That's equivalent to not calling your position a Best Boy in film because you've been told there are better boys out there, or that you are a grown man, not a boy-- or because you are a girl/woman.

I was a Master Electrician for years. Any "licensed electricians" who do facility/commercial non-theatre work can kiss my a-- if they don't like me using the term.

A "cop-out?" What exactly am I copping-out of? I agree with Edrick that there is no legal reason not to use the term Master Electrician without having a licence so long as you are not applying to perform activities that require a licence. But just because it's not illegal, doesn't mean I have to do it. If somebody asks what I do for a living and I answer, "Master Electrician," they are most likely going to make some assumptions. I don't care if you think that means they can kiss your ass. I simply find it easier and better describes what I do to use the term Production Electrician and usually leads to a "Oh, what's that?" which I much prefer to them just assuming they know.

Your argument to not use the term Best Boy in film because you are not a boy, etc. is not at all analogous. Best Boy is a job title. Being a boy or man or girl or woman is not a job title. Master Electrician a job title. Yes, it is an industry accepted title, but it is a title these days that has lost a lot of its formal meaning. These days they'll call the high school softomore hanging lights for the spring musical the Master Electrician. It has become a place holder for "most senior crew member" and does not really require any real skill, knowledge, or experience to aquire. The term originated in trade union certification, (i.e. apprentice, journeyman, master). Back in the day, a lot of the original Production Electricians probably really were Master Electricians and they brought that term to the industry. That's simply not the case very often anymore. In my opinion, I think the term Master Electrican should stay where it originated, with a certification. But that is just my opinion. You are entitled to your own.

-Tim

 

[DELO72]

Tim,

I wasn't trying to get into a flame war. So if that is how it was taken, please forgive me. I was simply making my point that to me, I find it personally insulting when licensed electricians feel the term Master Electrician belongs to them and them alone and patronize me (I'm not accusing you of this) for it. I realize not everyone understands the term anymore, but I would rather we worked to educate them than change for their convenience. But again, that is just my personal opinion. For me Production Electrician certainly refers to a person working on an electrics call, but it in no way implies a leadership role and management responsbility. "Head Production Electrician" can fill that gap in a way, but here we are simply adding qualifiers when a term already exists.

I respect your opinion on associating with the trade union terminology, I just don't agree with it myself. I was a Master Electrician for hundreds of productions, and my vitae will always say Master Electrician. But you do bring up a lot of good points and some history behind it. Sorry if my reply seemed directed at you (it wasn't) and not at the thread in general.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[sk8rsdad]

In Ontario, the use of the term "Master Electrician" is covered by the Electricity Act and reserved for use by licensed electricians. In a similar vein, terms like engineer, accountant, doctor, lawyer, and the like are protected by various acts that are seldom enforced but could bite you big time if somebody were to decide your use of the term is intended to mislead.

 

[jstandfast]

On two occasions in two different jurisdictions, (many years ago) I was asked by AHJs to see my contractors license after being described by a third party as "The Master Electrician". In one instance I was saved by the fact that my boss actually carried a contractors license; in the other, a misunderstanding was agreed on. In both cases fines for misrepresentation could have applied. I've been very careful since how I let myself be described/billed/credited.

 

[mstaylor]

To me, the production electrician does denote a leadership role, head electrician does also. I also know that master electrician is an accepted theatre term but to me I have never liked it and I would never attach it to myself. When I was doing theatre regularly I was usually the most knowledgeable in electricity and many times the lead in the lighting dept, not calling myself the ME. I had a ME come in on a tour that didn't have a clue how to make her lights come on. We had to patch her board for her. That's an abuse of the term.

 

[Riggermortis]

FWIW, I was kinda-sorta hired as a "Master Electrician" with regards to maintaining/servicing the CM chain motors, all our cables, etc, either in the shop or out in the field. As it stands, I have extensive low-voltage experience, decent regular voltage exp. (residential, etc.), and next to none for high voltage, so I doubt "Master Electrician" would be the correct label or rank for where I'm at....just my 2 cents! If someone has a better label for exactly what I do, let me know hahah. In the meantime, I mainly ground rig, which I enjoy much more (and aspire to be a lead rigger).