High School What do I need to do?

[BentleyClarke]

Well I'm kinda stuck here on what direction I should take in my life. I'm currently a High School Senior (class 2014) and I want to go on to do lighting as a professional. I've been doing lighting for over 8 years now, working with a decent sized rig at my church (Hog console, over 60 intelligent fixtures, and 40 conventionals). I've learned many tips and tricks from several LDs (that came in to handle large productions when I was a kid) so I feel like I have a very good knowledge about lighting. Now I feel like I've been ready to take on bigger rigs but I have no clue where to start.

After doing several hours of research I've discovered different answers on how to get started but most of those answers pertained to Theatrical lighting, something that I'm not interested in. I'm looking for ways to get my name out there for opportunities to design lights for events like large parties, openers, or even concerts. Some have said that I need to get a degree first, that it's required, but I've read about the degree and most of it has already been taught to me, and others have said that most of what is needed to be learned is learned on the job.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DuckJordan]

well there is two options really, go get the degree, cause what they don't tell you is the fundamentals about design. Working with a ton of good equipment can really make things more difficult if on a budget and you only get a handful of conventional run off a two scene preset. Going to get the degree also helps make connections for future jobs and opportunities. The other option is get a job at a rental house, coiling cable, cleaning road cases, doing grunt work for a while. I'd say good luck getting a LD job coming out of high school, at least in the concert industry, its not impossible but its very difficult. You say you have good knowledge in lighting. Can you troubleshoot a bad circuit? Do you know what to look for when a par rig isn't turning on the right colors in accordance to the patch sheet? Have you built a rig from the ground up (such as picking colors, putting them in par bars labeling the par bars to go out into the field. Setting up the dimmers pre-running cable so load in doesn't take 3 hours for a simple patch. Have you patched a touring rack before? Can you trouble shoot moving fixtures?) I know it sounds like its something that a system tech should do but when you are just starting out that will be your job in almost every rental company in the Midwest. There is a few companies that do concert type events up in Minneapolis, if it were me I would get to applying to everyone of them with the expectation of cleaning cable and gear when it comes in.

 

[BentleyClarke]

I have connected with a few rental houses over time but I haven't really worked there so I guess that would be the path I should take. I know being an LD will not be easy but then again I never imagined that I could do my first 5 lightshow at age 12 so I'm up for the challenge.

The way my church operates our conventionals is different that how most churches use them. For instance we don't use gels and we dont move them around very frequently. However I have had to come across bad circuits and wrong patches which I had to fix on several occasions. I have re-designed, tore down, and set up (with one friend) our whole rig. While our rig was down my friend and I repaired over 40 intelligent fixtures and several conventionals so I've had experience with repairs.

Lets say I got a job with one of these companies cleaning cables and fixtures, how would I "climb the ranks"?

 

[josh88]

By being dependable, working hard and showing that you've got initiative. A lot of times a person who doesn't know as much but works hard can get a leg up on someone smarter but lazier. Lot of stuff can be taught on the job. While you're less interested in the theatre side of lighting color, gel, textures are all important parts of lighting design and are things you should learn how to work with. Learn other boards, play with their offline editors and ask questions.


Via tapatalk

 

[derekleffew]

... Lets say I got a job with one of these companies cleaning cables and fixtures, how would I "climb the ranks"?

See the thread http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/6384-i-want-lighting-designer.html , particularly

Pie4Weebl, you asked ship, but I'll answer, having observed the concert industry for quite some time. It will be interesting to compare/contrast my answers with his.

Concert LDs generally don't use assistants in the same way that theatre LDs do, if at all. Concert LDs depend much more on their programmers, if they are not Designer/Programmer. The best route, but certainly not the only one, and not nearly as simple or direct as I will make it sound is:
1)Get a job in a touring lighting shop slinging cable, teching moving lights, whatever. Work hard, but let your supervisors know you aspire to something higher.
2)Learn how to program the consoles they use, via offline programs or the actual consoles on your own time. This will pay off later, much later.
3)Get on a tour as a lighting guy, any position. Live/sleep on the bus, take showers sporadically, eat bad food, don't do drugs, work hard, learn more than you ever thought possible. Be under immense pressure to get the show up in 6 hours so the locals don't go into meal penalty. Suck up to the House Electrician so you get motor power within 15 minutes, as opposed to 4 hours later. Demand, in the nicest way, that forklift operators don't drive over your cables.
4)Work your way up to "Crew Chief." This may/probably will take several tours. Learning the skill of "people management" is more important at this point than knowing which gobo is on which wheel of a VL3000, (unless you're the ML tech) or how to pixel-map the CMY fixtures to the media server on a Maxxyz (unless you're the programmer).
5)There will come a time when they'll need someone from the crew to run lights and call spots for the opening act. You'll be given little if any extra pay, no time to program, you'll only be allowed to use a small part of the rig. Do your best.
6)If you're lucky, someone (the opening band's management, the main act's LD, a production manager), will notice your work and ask you to program a small tour, with a more experienced designer.
7)If that designer likes your work, he will ask you to program another larger tour with him and act as Lighting Director when he leaves. This may well be the pinnacle of your career. Enjoy it. As a matter of fact, stopping/pausing anywhere along the progression is possible, as is leaving the business entirely. You HAVE been thinking of what other fields might work for you, haven't you?
8)Most likely you'll never get to the level of Steve Cohen or Roy Bennett or Willie Williams or Peter Morse, where you're so busy that you can't tour with the show, but design it and leave it in someone else's hands, but it is possible, just not probable.

Be nice to everyone, keep a good positive attitude. The mantra "it's who you know, not what you know" rings true, and to a lesser extent "it's not who you know, it's who you blow." Every person you work has the ability to possibly make or break your future. It's a small community and people talk about others all the time. I recently met FTF a member of ControlBooth, and we discussed at length how the techs we remembered from shows were either the really good ones, or the really bad ones. Try not to fall into the latter category.

In many ways, I think it's easier to become a theatre LD than a concert LD. There's certainly more work available in the theatre in this country, but it doesn't pay as well as the touring industry. YMMV.

Continue to read Nook Schoenfeld's excellent articles on the last page of PLSN. Read The Business of Theatrical Design, James L. Moody. Allworth Press, 2002.

Hope this helps. Looking forward to reading ship's response. (ship--feel free to agree or refute anything I've said.)

Also, the collab article http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/collaborative-articles/9123-getting-job-industry.html .

... Some have said that I need to get a degree first, that it's required, but I've read about the degree and most of it has already been taught to me, and others have said that most of what is needed to be learned is learned on the job. ...

Yep, you already know everything that could possibly be taught to you in college. Why waste all that time and money?

... I've learned many tips and tricks from several LDs (that came in to handle large productions when I was a kid) so I feel like I have a very good knowledge about lighting. ...

Read the first part of Getting a Job... to see if it appears you resemble that writer. Not to denigrate your vast experience, but at eighteen, you don't know shinola, about anything.

 

[JLNorthGA]

I worked many long hours manning a carbon arc spotlight, setting up grids, setting up scaffolding, setting up lighting instruments, etc - before they even let me near a console. Quite frankly - most outfits wouldn't hire you. You don't have anywhere near enough experience. College counts - but that's more theatrical based.

You might get DJ lighting or parties or that sort of thing with your experience - but concerts - probably not. Churches are NOT concerts.

What will college do for you? It will show whomever hires you that you have the capability of accomplishing something in four (or five or whatever) years. Heck - if you already know it - then it will be an easy A - you can take some math classes, some engineering classes, etc.

Have you ever put up truss or scaffolding to mount lights? Do you know how to calculate loads? How about rigging - ever done any? How's your upper body strength? Can you straight arm a Source Four? How about hauling instruments up a ladder (or a set of scaffolds)?

I don't want to discourage you. I was in your place when I was 16. Expect that it will take you a few years before they let you get near a console - and be thankful if it takes less than that.

 

[BentleyClarke]

By being dependable, working hard and showing that you've got initiative. A lot of times a person who doesn't know as much but works hard can get a leg up on someone smarter but lazier. Lot of stuff can be taught on the job. While you're less interested in the theatre side of lighting color, gel, textures are all important parts of lighting design and are things you should learn how to work with. Learn other boards, play with their offline editors and ask questions.




Via tapatalk

Thank you for the advice, I'll take it into consideration

 

[BentleyClarke]

Not to denigrate your vast experience, but at eighteen, you don't know shinola, about anything.

I appreciate the response! It reminded me of a few contacts that I can get a hold of and start "making my way up", so to speak.

However I'm going to have to disagree about not knowing anything. I know I have much to learn but I know things about lighting.

 

[BentleyClarke]

I worked many long hours manning a carbon arc spotlight, setting up grids, setting up scaffolding, setting up lighting instruments, etc - before they even let me near a console. Quite frankly - most outfits wouldn't hire you. You don't have anywhere near enough experience. College counts - but that's more theatrical based.

You might get DJ lighting or parties or that sort of thing with your experience - but concerts - probably not. Churches are NOT concerts.

What will college do for you? It will show whomever hires you that you have the capability of accomplishing something in four (or five or whatever) years. Heck - if you already know it - then it will be an easy A - you can take some math classes, some engineering classes, etc.

Have you ever put up truss or scaffolding to mount lights? Do you know how to calculate loads? How about rigging - ever done any? How's your upper body strength? Can you straight arm a Source Four? How about hauling instruments up a ladder (or a set of scaffolds)?

I don't want to discourage you. I was in your place when I was 16. Expect that it will take you a few years before they let you get near a console - and be thankful if it takes less than that.

I agree that Churches are not concerts how ever then light that I've done isn't what you'd see in Churches; After designing for a small concert and having a passion for lights ever since I can remember, I thought I would have more of a head start than some people to becoming a lighting designer which is the only thing that's discouraging really.

Being that our trusses are already set, no I haven't put up a truss and calculated loads (something I'll begin reading on/ asking about). I've worked with scaffolding (putting up/take down) but not for lighting. Our Church uses Genie Lifts instead. With that being said it still takes some upper body strength to mount lighting due to the fact that the lifts don't get right under the trusses. I haven't worked with too many Source Fours recently but I'm certain I cam straight arm them.

I'm determined to become an LD so I'll work my hardest

 

[ruinexplorer]

I appreciate the response! It reminded me of a few contacts that I can get a hold of and start "making my way up", so to speak.

However I'm going to have to disagree about not knowing anything. I know I have much to learn but I know things about lighting.

Not knowing anything is rhetorical. In comparison with what you will need to know when you are successful, you don't know squat. Where you are, you are likely quite knowledgable; but as you leave the tide pool of your experience, you will find that the ocean of information and experience is quite more vast than you probably realize, judging by what you have told us so far. It is good that you have aspirations and motivation. These are qualities you will need to rely on when the biz bites back. Your story is not new to us here. There have been quite a few others who have spent their time here asking and learning (humility being a good trait). Some of them have taken the advice and are gainfully employed and are still cutting their teeth in this harsh reality. Take some time and continue to work your way through old posts, you will start to see others like yourself and may see how they have grown. So, don't get your feelings hurt when industry veterans tell you that you are being boastful. Attitude can make or break you in almost any business, but our industry isn't that big, so that can be amplified quite a bit.