Technician vs Techie

Is it better to be called a Techie or Technician?


  • Total voters
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I guess I'm ok with techie, at least for now. Really I'd rather be called a lighting tech, a lighting designer, electrician, somethings that defines the job. Tech itself just seems a little awkward to say, it needs a qualifying word before it.
 
I couldnt really care if someone called me a techie, as long as it wasnt in a demeaning way...other than that, I don't see a problem...and also, as noted before (I think), it depends on where it is said. If you are meeting businesses, its obviously better to use technician than techie, but if its just in your auditorium between friends, its fine.
 
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technition

Perhaps people use "techie" because it takes less effort?
Someone else here (I can look for the quote, but I'm lazy) said, "We don't call them acties, so why..."

I prefer technician. If it's someone who is also in theater or understands the line of work, tech is good as well. Techie sounds quite belittling! I'd like to think that we are given professional titles for a reason.



And, wolf's S.E.A.L.S. is pretty awesome.
 
Techs are only good at one thing- Roadies can do everything. We are Backline, Sound, Lights, Carp, Vidiots, or whatever is needed; we are the show experts. Local crews can't be trusted to do anything beyond pushing, pulling, and lifting, so all we need from the local technician (sorry, Technician) is to be pointed towards the distro, catering and bathrooms when our buses arrive. If we need anything else, we'll tell you what to do.

Can we have a sarcastic "thank you" button?
I'm sorry, but I don't like this post much.
 
To people in the theatre world I don't mind "Techie", but if I were telling someone that wasn't familiar with the theatre I would use "Technician." And then there are the select few people that wouldn't understand what you did no matter what you called it (Techie, Technician, Electrician, Stage Hand, TD, LD, ME, and so on)
 
well personaly i like to be called a techie. now im sure since im in high school and havent worked my ass off to get a degree in technical theater, i just showed up, then it wont mater as much to me what i am called. I personaly like to be called a techie, because first its fun, i mean, no offence, technician sounds like somone with like a note pad all the time, fidgiting stuff here and there, and what not. Now a techie, that sounds like someone that does the same things, but in a fun happy way! ok maybe not best imegery, but point being techie just sounds funner. then second, i was told by the old "head student" that i didnt whant to be a technician, because, in high school, they are the ones that seperate themselfs fromt he the reast of the theater kids, aka the actors, they also but themself above the actors. Were as the techie he said was one that made tech a fun thing for the actors that had to do tech hourse, someone that viewed the actors as important as he was, that mingled with everyone and just made stuff fun fore anyone, not using big tech words, or confusing acronyms. so i like to be the person that makes tech fun for the people that have to do it.

Dude! You need to learn some of the basics of grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. Your post is barely literate.
 
If its a choice between Technician or Techie, I'll take Tech, but thats mainly laziness on my part.

That having been said, what I prefer to be called depends on the situation and the environment. If I'm doing my regular gig, I generally prefer Master Electrician. If I'm doing our off season events where other groups use our venue, The House Guy, The Man With the Keys, or That @$&%@!# will do just fine. If I'm working in someone else's venue, I'll take Tech or Technician.

Of course, in all these situations, some variation on my name will do just fine.
 
Calling a professional stagehand a techie is a sure way to aciidently be run over by a road case. Same with roadie. The vast majority of professionals consider these terms derogatory. So while your in school enjoy the term, but if you aspire to anything greater, remove it from your vocabulary. We don't call them acties, now do we?
 
Calling a professional stagehand a techie is a sure way to aciidently be run over by a road case. Same with roadie. The vast majority of professionals consider these terms derogatory. So while your in school enjoy the term, but if you aspire to anything greater, remove it from your vocabulary. We don't call them acties, now do we?

I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to call Techie a derogatory term. I'm simply no longer used to hearing the word when people describe what I do. With a few minor exceptions, it's been about ten years since I was referred to as a Techie.
 
No matter what you get called, its still better than just being walked through by cast as if you don't exist. In my job i can get back at them as im normally the one doing their radio mics which need to be done by a certain time so if they piss me off my red bull can is going to take a touch longer to drink :).

They only make the mistake once
 
I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to call Techie a derogatory term. I'm simply no longer used to hearing the word when people describe what I do.
Upon further consideration, you're night. Not so much derogatory, as amatéure--one who loves.

No matter what you get called, its still better than just being walked through by cast as if you don't exist. In my job i can get back at them as im normally the one doing their radio mics which need to be done by a certain time so if they piss me off my red bull can is going to take a touch longer to drink :).

They only make the mistake once
Truly professional behavior.:!:
 
Why don't we start calling them acties?

I've had actors refer to themselves as sheep, so I kinda took up the habit.
 
Why don't we start calling them acties?

I've had actors refer to themselves as sheep, so I kinda took up the habit.

I like it!

For the record, I change my vote to Technician. It was a long time ago when i voted techie. Growing up and taking my job much more seriously has really given me more pride then being called a techie can deliver.
 
Well, I would have to say it depends on how cute she is ;^)

Seriously, any word that is shortened and suffixed with -ie or -y is generally a diminutive form of the word. Endearing as it may sound, it is childish in general. Why do you think Ricky Schroeder started referring himself as Rick as an adult? He wanted to escape the childish roles that were assigned him in Hollywood. That doesn't mean that his wife can't call him Ricky.

I prefer Entertainment Technician as to the term I generally use to refer to what I do, since I am not always a lighting designer, sound designer, flyman, rigger, projectionist or whatever. I sometimes will also refer to myself as a stagehand as a qualifier if ET confuses people. Since many more people do stagecraft in HS than professionally, it becomes important to shy away from "techie" because there is an assumption that working in theater is not a career choice. That is when I become offended. The skillset we need to be professional technicians often outweighs the respect we receive (granted, not everyone has the same skillset). Also, Hollywood portrays our field in a bad way. I get peeved that every time someone steps up to a mic, they get feedback. How often do you see a technician portrayed as someone of intelligence? Those are some of the reasons that professionals take offense.

As a side note, the term professional can be questionable, depending on how it's used.
 
From a training perspective I call my high school students techs or technicians. Techie conjures up images of jr. high kids running around in the dark playing pranks on actors, and I try from the start to train my students to think like professionals. To that end, I have a very solid crew who works well on everything from high school shows to touring rentals. There's a different expectation between the two terms.

That, and I've never heard techie used outside of high school, and I've met a few gruff technicians who I don't think I would have dared use the term around.
 
Technician is better. Somewhere on her I saw spotties referring to spot ops and that's just SO WRONG! Just because we're in High School doesn't mean we have to act like it.
 
dvsDave calls me a Techie. I'm ok with that. I used to be a Junior Techie, but now I'm all growed up.

I don't work in professional theatre, I'm the volunteer lighting director at church. But people ask if I run sound, because they need to convey their suggestions/complaints/hints/gripes/questions/assistance/feedback mimic. Thus, you may refer to me as Techie, Technician, Techer, Stagehand, Gopher... - anything but Sound Op!
 

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