High School Student- Looking For More Info About Lighting As A Career

I agree with [user]metti[/user]; if you are looking for ways to use your computer science degree in theater, lighting is not your field. You could work for one of the manufacturers of control desks and equipment, but that's just another desk job. However, media is a great way for computer programmers. I know the projection designer for the Ring Cycle, and he is quite brilliant at programming. He spends his free time experimenting with his lab at home so that the designs he ultimately comes up with are amazing.

The other thing you may consider is the rental/staging market that supports conferences. They are often in need of qualified IT professionals. Networking skills (for computers, not people) are highly valueable, especially in this economy where more conferences are webcast to provide for less travel. It will also be difficult for you to know if this is the industry for you unless you actually work in it. The difference between educational theater, regional theater, and corporate (for profit) theater are immense. When you spend years of your life in the industry and want to consider a career change, you will probably not be taken seriously as our industry does not have a positive stereotype. Even opportunities to teach will be limited if you don't have your degree in the field; colleges will often require a master's degree in the field to be considered.

Your parents have a legitimate concern. This is an industry that will chew you up and spit you out. You will need confidence and thick skin to survive, and persistence to take the abuse time and again. If you can do it, it can be turned into a wonderful career, but the failure rate is much higher than success.

Life in this industry in regards to travel does not always equate to seeing the world. Often times you end up in many different cities around the world and only get to see different venues, but not the cities themselves. But, definitely spend your time here on the forums. Read the threads mentioned above and use the search function. ControlBooth has been a resource for many in your situation, whether they end up in the industry or not.
 
So here is my issue...
I lurk a bit more than I post so I read quite a lot of these threads. They seem to do nothing but confuse me when it comes to "i wanna to theatre tech... do i major in theatre or not".
half of you have good things to say, the other half say the complete opposite. So my program is Technical Theatre at college that I start this fall and I really can't afford to waste time with so many theatre classes if its useless and I should be doing engineering or something. So... someone make a definitive decision or someone stop trolling. lol

edit: I also want to make a note of the fact that a lot of people seem to be like "well if you go to school and get a tech degree you can only be a TD". Is there no such thing as "jack of all trades" guy?
 
Well, that's most of the issue. There is no definitive answer. This is the reason that there is conflicting information, but this is to help you to figure out what's right for you. The only thing that you will see all in agreement is that you must have real world experience to succeed. If you only have a college education, you will have difficulty finding work out of college. If you don't have a degree, that does not exclude you from getting work in this industry. Going to a small school may hinder you with lack of connections/available opportunities, but going to a large school may have too much competition that you will have difficulty standing out.

You will find that the general concensus is that you do not want to put yourself into debt to go to school for theater. As for only being a TD, I would say that is more of a goal than an ultimatum. And that "jack of all trades" usually does not make it to the big time, as those jobs are specialists. All technicians should be a "jack of all trades" at some point in their career, but when you want to work for the bigger productions, you will need to be an "expert" in one field.
 
... edit: I also want to make a note of the fact that a lot of people seem to be like "well if you go to school and get a tech degree you can only be a TD". Is there no such thing as "jack of all trades" guy?
I thought TD was a jack of all trades guy! The term Techical Director means so many different things to so many different people that it's almost meaningless. On a corporate/industrial show, the TD is primarily a budget and logistics position. Other places it's a glorified Head Carpenter who never leaves the scene shop. At some small colleges, it's Lighting/Sound/Scenic/Physical Plant/Head Custodian.

But back to topic--I don't think a degree in theatre has ever hurt anyone's career chances, but it must be accompanied by experience and contacts. A minor in business, management, education, engineering (or some physical sciences) will only help also.[SUP]1[/SUP] So will taking courses in acting, directing, costumes, movement, dramaturgy, etc.

If you, at 16-18, can tell us what you want to do for the next 30-40 years of your life, we can help you with paths to get there. But who at 18 knows this?[SUP]2[/SUP] I certainly didn't, and am certainly glad I didn't spend $100,000 for a four-year degree.


[SUP]1[/SUP]"If you can find anything else that you like doing as much as your love of theatre, do that instead."

[SUP]2[/SUP]Do they still give "aptitude tests" to help kids determine possible careers? I recall taking one in, I think, 7th grade, and remember thinking at the time, "how the heck is this going to help me?" I honesty have no idea what career(s) it picked for me, but I am 100% certain it wasn't "Las Vegas Stagehand."
 
If you, at 16-18, can tell us what you want to do for the next 30-40 years of your life, we can help you with paths to get there. But who at 18 knows this? I certainly didn't, and am certainly glad I didn't spend $100,000 for a four-year degree.
I couldn't agree more.
If I had $100,000 in loans I definitely wouldn't be able to do what I am doing now.
 
It really is how you decide to make it work for yourself. Find a solid school and get a great education while not going under in debt or decide you're going hard into working your way up in a company, learning by doing, or find a way to balance a couple of skills like engineering and theatre on the side. There is no one right or wrong way to do it. Well ok there are plenty of wrong ways to do it.

I'd agree that TD is a jack of all trades, you have to know how to do it all, I've always thought, the more I know about everything the more job options I have, and the more marketable I had. Though I did have an old professor tell me the real jack of all trades were prop folks, because you have to be able to paint, woodwork, sometimes add lights and electronics or sound, you have to know your history/period/styles , that has the potential to use every aspect.
 
I thought TD was a jack of all trades guy! The term Techical Director means so many different things to so many different people that it's almost meaningless. On a corporate/industrial show, the TD is primarily a budget and logistics position. Other places it's a glorified Head Carpenter who never leaves the scene shop. At some small colleges, it's Lighting/Sound/Scenic/Physical Plant/Head Custodian.

But back to topic--I don't think a degree in theatre has ever hurt anyone's career chances, but it must be accompanied by experience and contacts. A minor in business, management, education, engineering (or some physical sciences) will only help also.[SUP]1[/SUP] So will taking courses in acting, directing, costumes, movement, dramaturgy, etc.

If you, at 16-18, can tell us what you want to do for the next 30-40 years of your life, we can help you with paths to get there. But who at 18 knows this?[SUP]2[/SUP] I certainly didn't, and am certainly glad I didn't spend $100,000 for a four-year degree.

Well I'm not 18, I turn 26 in august :D... but I understand what you mean.
There isn't anything I can find, or have found, that I love as much as theatre. I'm just used to the last couple of years in the military there is a yes and a no and those are the only answers you find. Everything was planned out and executed to those plans. I'm just afraid I will go into this and somehow get screwed over because I wanted path A and got stuck on path C ya know? I'm not scared of being in debt or living out of a backpack with ramen noodles because I've been in both of those situations before when I filed bankruptcy. Like you said your a Las Vegas stagehand... what did you go to school for? How did you get to that position? I'm pretty sure there isnt a degree called "BA in LVStagehand". That is where it get confusing because I know there can be so many different positions to be held in theatre programs... I guess I'm still learning the basics
 
We've got at least a few former military members in here, maybe they'll pop in and comment on how they ended up where they are. If you truly only love theatre, go for it. I was in a similar place I thought that was all I wanted to do, have a degree in technical theatre and in doing various related jobs and now working as a TD and teacher I've learned there are more things I'd still like to do and I've been able to learn those afterwards. There's nothing wrong with picking a direction and just going.

Our general advice though seems to be don't get in so much debt that you can't recover, that's not worth it, and that if you want your best options focus on something but pick up other knowledge whenever you can. Don't say I will be a set welder only, forever. That limits you, but if you say I like to weld, what's a job where I'd get to do that, it becomes another tool in your bag, and if you're the person that has all the tools in your bag you're handy for a company to keep around.
 
Well I'm not 18, I turn 26 in august :D... but I understand what you mean.
There isn't anything I can find, or have found, that I love as much as theatre. I'm just used to the last couple of years in the military there is a yes and a no and those are the only answers you find. Everything was planned out and executed to those plans. I'm just afraid I will go into this and somehow get screwed over because I wanted path A and got stuck on path C ya know? I'm not scared of being in debt or living out of a backpack with ramen noodles because I've been in both of those situations before when I filed bankruptcy. Like you said your a Las Vegas stagehand... what did you go to school for? How did you get to that position? I'm pretty sure there isnt a degree called "BA in LVStagehand". That is where it get confusing because I know there can be so many different positions to be held in theatre programs... I guess I'm still learning the basics

If you are GI billing it, stay in school. If your racking up debt, your military service is enough for most people to at least get your foot in the door. The fact you survived in the army for 4 years to me means more than any degree. It means you have a good work ethic, team skills, time management, and some mechanical aptitude. If you don't feel you are liking the college thing just start firing resume's out and start knocking on doors. Summer festival season is starting and all staging companies need good people who are not afraid of hard work. I would much rather have someone with a good head on their shoulders who I can teach then someone right out of college with a huge ego and no experience.
 
I've said the following things alot around here but once more for those new to Gaff's rules:

To get a job in this industry requires SOME BUT NOT ALL of the following:
-Education
-Impressing people with your hard work and skills .
-Dumb Luck

Unlike every other career out there, a degree is no guarantee of future employment. Impressing people with your hard work will often trump education, but not always. Never underestimate the power of dumb luck and random connections in getting your work. There are plenty of examples of people out there who had no degree and didn't have much experience but they fell into a cool gig by random luck and figured it out on their own.


Remember that you are not required to have a job in theater in order to do technical work. There are a lot of community theaters, schools, and churches out there who would love to have someone come volunteer to help with their tech needs. There are lots of people who have a boring 9-5 job and spend all their free time creating amazing art in a theater somewhere.
 
And then there's the real oddball like me, who somehow ended up creating and running the best online community for technical theatre on the internet. I don't work in the theatre as a day job, I would have to give up CB If I did that. Instead I am in professional camera sales by day and CB by night. I was like you, going to get my CS degree and doing technical theatre classes on the side. Ended up creating CB as a side project and that grew to be my primary means of staying involved in technical theatre. Now I consider CB to be my second job with the goal of someday being able to make it my primary job. Anyway.... just throwing that out there as an illustration of alternative ways of staying involved.

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thanks guys i appreciate the feedback
 

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