Technician Selection process, considering use of phone interviews and application

[Anonymous067]

As a staff member of a high school, and the current sound designer, I have struggled to find reliable and competent sound technicians for the last few shows I have designed for. I typically find myself hovering in the booth because they can't seem to grasp simple concepts themselves. I'm not expecting them to go "hmm, 4k sounds a little hot" and then sweep and pull it back. What I am expecting is them to say "gee, my designer gave me a 5:00 call, so I'll make sure I'm walking in the door by 4:50."

During my last show, I had one of them quit two hours prior to opening night curtain.

We typically select our technicians by posting announcements and advertising throughout the school, and having tech forms available for a few weeks. Then all the designers sit down a pick and choose our techs, pretty much randomly.

What I want to propose to the director and TD is an appendix to the "tech form". It would probably have just a few simple questions on it, "Do you have any prior experience with sound systems? Where? How long have you been involved at _____?"

After getting those appendices back, I would then have a "phone interview" with all the candidates to get a feel for what their personality is like and if they would fit in to the program at all.

Is this too far? I could understand combining the phone interview and appendix sections into one...but I'm just trying to be able to sit in the house for one stinking show...and not have to hover over my board techs during every single run of the show!

Please help...

 

[techno89]

As a staff member of a high school, and the current sound designer, I have struggled to find reliable and competent sound technicians for the last few shows I have designed for. I typically find myself hovering in the booth because they can't seem to grasp simple concepts themselves. I'm not expecting them to go "hmm, 4k sounds a little hot" and then sweep and pull it back. What I am expecting is them to say "gee, my designer gave me a 5:00 call, so I'll make sure I'm walking in the door by 4:50."

During my last show, I had one of them quit two hours prior to opening night curtain.

We typically select our technicians by posting announcements and advertising throughout the school, and having tech forms available for a few weeks. Then all the designers sit down a pick and choose our techs, pretty much randomly.

What I want to propose to the director and TD is an appendix to the "tech form". It would probably have just a few simple questions on it, "Do you have any prior experience with sound systems? Where? How long have you been involved at _____?"

After getting those appendices back, I would then have a "phone interview" with all the candidates to get a feel for what their personality is like and if they would fit in to the program at all.

Is this too far? I could understand combining the phone interview and appendix sections into one...but I'm just trying to be able to sit in the house for one stinking show...and not have to hover over my board techs during every single run of the show!

Please help...

I agree with your ideas, sounds like a solid plan.

Just out of curiosity where are you located?

 

[midgetgreen11]

It would probably have just a few simple questions on it, "Do you have any prior experience with sound systems? Where? How long have you been involved at _____?"

This would be my only concern with your plan, is that high school is typically a place where you do learn these types of things. Sure it sucks to have to teach a kid from scratch, but high school is an equal opportunity place, unless you're in an arts magnet school.

 

[MNicolai]

More students are looking for an extracurricular that's fun and less for a profession. You can certainly try this, and you'll probably do a good job of weeding out the people who know nothing, but the number of people you'll find who are at the level you want them to be at will be absurdly minimal. Some people (who might be really good) will also just be initially put off by the application process.

This also serves to defeat the purpose of a high school theatre program, if you have to already know stuff to get in. Some people who want to work a show will know absolutely nothing at first. If a prerequisite for working a show is already being somewhat competent, how does anyone new become competent if they're not allowed to work shows until they've learned more?

We want our school programs to run like businesses -- to run like "the real world," but the business model for a high school theatre program doesn't quite work the same as it does for a professional theatre. Everyone who's there is there for a lot of different reasons, and because a paycheck isn't one of them, it's hard to convince people it's worth jumping through hoops just to be considered to work on a show.

 

[Edrick]

Back when I was in charge of putting together a tech crew I was allowed to make some decisions as to the persons we picked however if it was ever challenged (thankfully it wasn't) the school said they'd be obligated to allow the student to be a part of it. Because it was a school club we weren't allowed to choose which students were allowed to join.

 

[rochem]

Like others have said, it's a high school theatre, and therefore you're pretty much obligate to give everyone a chance to give it a try, even if they have no prior experience whatsoever. Having said that, is there a reason you can't just start out with a large number of techs, then dwindle that down to the one or two who really want to do it?

What we used to do at my old high school is, at the beginning of the year, a HUGE number of people (once we had over 70 people show up, in a school of only 1100) would sign up for Tech Crew, and at the first meeting, if anyone said that they wanted to try sound or lights, we let them. Simple as that. I was the "Lighting Crew Head" for a few years, and after that first meeting, I would walk away with 15 or 20 brand new techs behind me who all wanted to learn about lighting. And always, without fail, after about two or three weeks of learning and working, that number would dwindle down to the 4 or 5 people who really wanted to be there and truly had a passion for it. We never kicked anyone out, they just decided that it wasn't for them and they stopped showing up. From this pool, we chose who would run what for each show, and eventually, who would take over as the next Lighting Crew Head. It actually worked much better than I ever thought it would.

Is there any reason you can't take all of the people interested in learning about sound and train them all at once, rather than choosing one person from the beginning? Sure, the people who have more experience would be pretty bored, but at least this way the students who really want to excel will be motivated to work harder than their classmates to get chosen for the job. Since this isn't a professional setting, and you're not paying people by the hour, educational theatre is probably the only place you can really get away with something like this.

 

[DuckJordan]

I think something to add to the end of the form is why they are interested. Not if they've had any experience with it. The why your interested question is much more friendly because they don't see the question as being a competition point for if they are trying for a specific thing. It just tells you why they want to be a tech and their reasons for it.

 

[zmb]

Applications and phone interviews is what I think is the most fair way to select techs. My junior high just did an application process with consideration for higher positions such as ASM, Sound, or Lights being based on prior experience in the program. My high school selects techs if they have taken tech theatre as a class and others and myself disagree with that policy.

 

[mstaylor]

HS tech should not have type of rigidity. Since the school considers it a club, then start out a group of kids and have weekly/biweekly meetings, outside of a production. Instead of trying to make a sound tech or lighting tech from the begining, teach them a little about sets, props, sound, lighting and stage crew. As they gain knowledge, you gain insight into who will be able to fit on which crew. If you have enough kids, you can pick a portion for the actual run. They all can help with the construction, hang and focus of lights and layout of the sound. Once you pick your actual run staff, make sure they are aware it isn't a fun thing that they can come when they want, it is a fun commitment that they need to see through the production.

 

[Pie4Weebl]

The idea of having "a multistage interview process" blows my mind! For high school or community, come one, come all! Even if they are coming for the wrong reasons. You never know when that girl who came because "that cute boy" was there could turn into the school's next big LD or scenic artist! The people who don't really want to do it will weed themselves out and you will be left with the few for the gig!

 

[mstaylor]

I would never do a phone interview for any position at any level unless I absolutely couldn't put them in front of me. I would never consider interviewing for any volunteer position.
While you want to put as good a product out as you can with the best people you can use, it is HS theatre. Don't take yourself that seriously. I'm not being a snob, just stating a fact. I have been in charge in HS and college theatres, community theatre and professional venues. I have never considered doing interviews for any unpaid position. I take all help during the production phase, then evaluate their ability, desire and commitment and decide who to use on the run crew.
In the professional world I supply hands for one offs and short run shows. I have them do an application, then I call them for an interview. No matter how good their resume looks i tell them I will act as if they know nothing and then will be surprised when I find they have actual knowledge. They work load-in and outs until I am satisfied they have the knowledge base to work show calls.

 

[Footer]

Blah,
This is way over thinking things. Why don't you just have a few of the people who want to be involved come in and work a call or two? You are there to TEACH, not to hire people who know what they are doing. If they already knew everything, they would be working. If they had responsibility, they would be working. HS is the place for both of those things to happen.

 

[Anonymous067]

Okay okay...maybe my initial attack on the subject was a little strong.

RE: "Required to take all kids who sign up." I work for a public school. Public school=government. Government can do whatever the &^%$ they please. (yes, I'm mocking a little bit). I've also conversed with my director, who, on multiple occasions, has said basically take who you want. Also, the kid who quit last show, the director told all of us he would never be back in her program for as long as she lived. She does the same thing with actors who she kicks out, they don't come back. That's our policy. Yours may differ.

I like adding the question, "Why are you interested?" Mark my words, I'd rather mix the show myself than have some "I want as many activities as possible to put down for college aps" kid run the sound.

I'll rethink my process and probably shorten it a bit. However, I would like to somehow incorporate a "why are you interested?" question, as well as a few other generic ones...

Other thoughts?
Thanks for all the input so far!

 

[mstaylor]

You seem to be missing the point that anything formal is over the top. I can understand that if someone quits, then they quit for good. Walking off at or during the run is inexcusable, volunteer or paid.

 

[MNicolai]

You seem to be missing the point that anything formal is over the top. I can understand that if someone quits, then they quit for good. Walking off at or during the run is inexcusable, volunteer or paid.

To add to this point...if you're unwilling to teach people who are there who want to learn, regardless of why they're there and why they want to learn, then you're in the wrong business. There's no reason not to set a high standard for high school theatre, but don't plan on always (or even often) hitting it. Perfection shouldn't come every show just because you're really good at running a one-man show, it should come a fair amount of shows because you're really good at getting students interested and motivated to work and be better at what they have fun doing.

If all you want is to put on a few spectacular shows a year with a few people who know what they're doing and deny anyone access into the program who's still roughin' it through the learning curve just because you don't like the reasons they show up, get out of teaching. Your attitude towards students is inappropriate for education.

Imagine if every school with poor athletic teams started kicking students off of the teams and replaced them all with the coaches and faculty members.

 

[Anonymous067]

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