Channeling Derek here,
Don't feel too bad, hardly anyone is casted. Only cast.
I've seen the"I did act, but realized how much better tech is" story on here multiple times. That makes me happy!
What inspired you to get into technical theatre?
- Thread starterdvsDave
- Start date
Channeling Derek here,
Don't feel too bad, hardly anyone is casted. Only cast.
I've seen the"I did act, but realized how much better tech is" story on here multiple times. That makes me happy!
Tex
Active Member
Not jumping on you here, but the two are not mutually exclusive. It's not a competition; it's a collaboration.
when i was in 7th grade a friend of mine's older brother was the TD of a local theatre, he had conscripted his brother (my friend) to help him hang lights, and so my friend called me and asked me to come and help so he had someone other than his brother to talk to. so his brother quicly gave me the basics of striking/hanging lights and i was off.
then in the summer before 9th grade i started to work light calls at a community theatre, and the reason that they let me work there as a minor (something against their policy) was because the guy who i had worked for/been trained by had worked there when he was my age and so they have come to respect him alot. (proof that it is who you know as much as what you know) and from there i got to know alot of designers and a couple who i worked with on several ocasions called me into other theatres to work for them.
it was on one of these calls that i met another designer who was co-designing but he always uses a youth crew. the theatre was using a ETC Express 125 and that being the board i'm best on i made a really good impression on him as a programmer and i have been working on his crew as a general technician and programmer. through his crew i have gotten to work in all sorts of theatres, including one PAC were we were working with 20+ mac 550's on a HOG 1k (that was an insane venue!). and now i know i won't leave the booth any time soon.
then in the summer before 9th grade i started to work light calls at a community theatre, and the reason that they let me work there as a minor (something against their policy) was because the guy who i had worked for/been trained by had worked there when he was my age and so they have come to respect him alot. (proof that it is who you know as much as what you know) and from there i got to know alot of designers and a couple who i worked with on several ocasions called me into other theatres to work for them.
it was on one of these calls that i met another designer who was co-designing but he always uses a youth crew. the theatre was using a ETC Express 125 and that being the board i'm best on i made a really good impression on him as a programmer and i have been working on his crew as a general technician and programmer. through his crew i have gotten to work in all sorts of theatres, including one PAC were we were working with 20+ mac 550's on a HOG 1k (that was an insane venue!). and now i know i won't leave the booth any time soon.
Well, I have been in theatre since I was born.
When I was a baby, I was forced to play 'baby Jesus' in the Christmas show at the church where my father was a pastor. As I grew older, I graduate to angel, wiseman, and Joseph.
When my family moved to the big OH, I got involved in community theatre. When I got a little older, I started a puppet ministry at a local church. As it grew, I wanted to learn how to make it appear to have higher production values, so I began to add in lots of technical gear.
When I got into middle school, I did a few plays. My freshman year of HS, I noticed they were struggling to keep the fall show going, so I volunteered to help.
The organizer of the concert put me back stage and had me run the show.
I had to learn on the fly, and became a very authoritative freshman.
Once that was complete, I discovered how much I liked being in charge, so I SM a few more shows. In the spring of my freshman year, they needed someone to run followspot for prom, and since I was the only Freshie in the theatre area, I was volunteered. I really like it, and did spot for a few shows.
In the summer, I was asked to help clean up the theatre, and I agreed. I learned so much about rigging, and lighting, and I fell in love with it.
The next year I SM the fall show again, and the Fall Play, and I kept going with it.
At this point, I've become an assistant to the Auditorium Manager, because I'm in the theatre for every show, HS or rented out, and I know more about the theatre than anyone, excluding the AM.
I've just kept up with it, and I'm battling between going to college to major in a technical theatre area, or an onstage theatre area.
When I was a baby, I was forced to play 'baby Jesus' in the Christmas show at the church where my father was a pastor. As I grew older, I graduate to angel, wiseman, and Joseph.
When my family moved to the big OH, I got involved in community theatre. When I got a little older, I started a puppet ministry at a local church. As it grew, I wanted to learn how to make it appear to have higher production values, so I began to add in lots of technical gear.
When I got into middle school, I did a few plays. My freshman year of HS, I noticed they were struggling to keep the fall show going, so I volunteered to help.
The organizer of the concert put me back stage and had me run the show.
I had to learn on the fly, and became a very authoritative freshman.
Once that was complete, I discovered how much I liked being in charge, so I SM a few more shows. In the spring of my freshman year, they needed someone to run followspot for prom, and since I was the only Freshie in the theatre area, I was volunteered. I really like it, and did spot for a few shows.
In the summer, I was asked to help clean up the theatre, and I agreed. I learned so much about rigging, and lighting, and I fell in love with it.
The next year I SM the fall show again, and the Fall Play, and I kept going with it.
At this point, I've become an assistant to the Auditorium Manager, because I'm in the theatre for every show, HS or rented out, and I know more about the theatre than anyone, excluding the AM.
I've just kept up with it, and I'm battling between going to college to major in a technical theatre area, or an onstage theatre area.
Clairabelle
Member
I was a runner and ensemble fore several shows prior to 8th grade. In the beginning of 8th grade I was handed a script and told "You will be the Stage Manager," by my theatre teachers. I met some great upperclassmen that taught me everything I know. I have since worked in area theatres and do several shows a year at my highschool.
DuckJordan
Touring IATSE Member
Then you have never worked with a director who likes to toss a script out the window. Again not jumping on anyone but it should be said again Actors have the same amount of work we do its just different and generally less structured. While we have more structured guidelines to attend to.
MarshallPope
Well-Known Member
Also, we generally don't have to think of something to talk about for a couple of minutes when someone's quick change goes horribly wrong.
Tex
Active Member
LOL! A buddy of mine and I had to re-write a scene on the fly when an actress didn't make an entrance. She never did show up, but we got all her lines in!
gcpsoundlight
Active Member
I First got involved through my younger brother, who was in a kids drama group at the time, and they needed someone to help with sound. Went in knowing nothing, and ended up managing radio mics. Did a few shows through scouts, and the local amateur theatre companies, and I am now head lighting designer for the company I started with, plus I am now studying to make it into a career.
I guess I really didn't have a choice, as Both my parents are musicians, and so it was either music or something to do with the entertainment industry.
I guess I really didn't have a choice, as Both my parents are musicians, and so it was either music or something to do with the entertainment industry.
strandcentury
Member
School! Like most people
I have been to two secondary schools in Vancouver, BC, both having really nice lighting configuration. Taking drama in grade 8 and being offered to perform, I refused the offer because of stage fright and ended up running lights instead. I was not part of their lighting crew at first but I was offered the position as board op. Suddenly I was in love, the first time I used their Strand MX 24 desk and 24 CD80 dimmers and I could not get enough. My next year I joined up lighting crew and was hanging Lekolites on the catwalks / attics in no time! and later in the year ended up being the assistant student leader and designing some of the shows.
Later on at my new school after I transferred in grade 10 to another high school. Their lighting configuration was quite poor and consisted of one Strand Mantrix IIS that had a broken crossfader (we would make bets on the probability of the slider going haywire / 12CH CD80 for their rehearsal studio. Later another department head from my other high school switched posts and ended up at my new school the next year. In my grade 11 year we went through a major electrics upgrade in both their main theater and rehearsal studio. Under my direction, a DMX retrofitted CD80 and ETC SmartPacks / SmartFades found their way into both venues. Since then I have been using the equipment to my advantage since I am the main designer for all shows but also enjoy transferring the knowledge like I currently am in my senior year to other students.
I have been to two secondary schools in Vancouver, BC, both having really nice lighting configuration. Taking drama in grade 8 and being offered to perform, I refused the offer because of stage fright and ended up running lights instead. I was not part of their lighting crew at first but I was offered the position as board op. Suddenly I was in love
, the first time I used their Strand MX 24 desk and 24 CD80 dimmers and I could not get enough. My next year I joined up lighting crew and was hanging Lekolites on the catwalks / attics in no time! and later in the year ended up being the assistant student leader and designing some of the shows.Later on at my new school after I transferred in grade 10 to another high school. Their lighting configuration was quite poor and consisted of one Strand Mantrix IIS that had a broken crossfader (we would make bets on the probability of the slider going haywire
/ 12CH CD80 for their rehearsal studio. Later another department head from my other high school switched posts and ended up at my new school the next year. In my grade 11 year we went through a major electrics upgrade in both their main theater and rehearsal studio. Under my direction, a DMX retrofitted CD80 and ETC SmartPacks / SmartFades found their way into both venues. Since then I have been using the equipment to my advantage since I am the main designer for all shows but also enjoy transferring the knowledge like I currently am in my senior year to other students.lightingfreak
Member
Being a bad actor. LOL
Actually at the beginning of middle school I started designing lighting for my school and a couple months later got an internship.
Actually at the beginning of middle school I started designing lighting for my school and a couple months later got an internship.
*pokes head in and looks around*
Not sure how much I'll be hanging around these forums in general, probably whenever my TD calls me with a question I can't answer. lol
Anyway... how did I get into this?
weeeeellll... it all started one dark and stormy night....
oh wait, wrong story.
ok seriously, I was a choir geek in high school, as well as in drama club, in fact I had no clue we even had a tech booth at my high school (and considering the fact that it turns 100 in a couple years says a lot, I graduated 20 years ago). It wasn't until recently when I (re)connected with a guy that went to high school with my sister who was on A/V that I learned that there was indeed a tech booth and that it was above the stage.
SO.... fast forward about 11 years after graduation, I was church shopping and had decided to shut my sister up (she had been pestering me to check out her church, for months at this point) and went to her church. They were meeting in the local high school's gym at the time so there wasn't much to do with lights, except plug them in and go sit down. I started going there in April of '02 and by December I was on the stage team.
A couple years later when we moved into our building, I was still on stage team but I went to the lighting training just so I knew how to turn the (express 48/96) board on while we were doing set changes. I still don't know how it happened but I was some how drafted onto the light team, which was just two of us.
There was a point in time when I was the only person doing lights for a good year, then some time after that we finally got more people and are now on a four team rotation. I'm on one team officially and on another team in the interim while they're finding folks to do lights and camera, which I do both, at the same time. We're now using an Ion board and as much as I have learned to do with it, there is still a carp load of stuff I don't know how to do. Which brings me here, to find out how to do something.
For the record, my original college major was computer graphics, but sadly, I didn't get too far into it before I transferred from college #1 to college #2, which eventually turned into 4 total but that's another story.
Not sure how much I'll be hanging around these forums in general, probably whenever my TD calls me with a question I can't answer. lol
Anyway... how did I get into this?
weeeeellll... it all started one dark and stormy night....
oh wait, wrong story.
ok seriously, I was a choir geek in high school, as well as in drama club, in fact I had no clue we even had a tech booth at my high school (and considering the fact that it turns 100 in a couple years says a lot, I graduated 20 years ago). It wasn't until recently when I (re)connected with a guy that went to high school with my sister who was on A/V that I learned that there was indeed a tech booth and that it was above the stage.
SO.... fast forward about 11 years after graduation, I was church shopping and had decided to shut my sister up (she had been pestering me to check out her church, for months at this point) and went to her church. They were meeting in the local high school's gym at the time so there wasn't much to do with lights, except plug them in and go sit down. I started going there in April of '02 and by December I was on the stage team.
A couple years later when we moved into our building, I was still on stage team but I went to the lighting training just so I knew how to turn the (express 48/96) board on while we were doing set changes. I still don't know how it happened but I was some how drafted onto the light team, which was just two of us.
There was a point in time when I was the only person doing lights for a good year, then some time after that we finally got more people and are now on a four team rotation. I'm on one team officially and on another team in the interim while they're finding folks to do lights and camera, which I do both, at the same time. We're now using an Ion board and as much as I have learned to do with it, there is still a carp load of stuff I don't know how to do. Which brings me here, to find out how to do something.
For the record, my original college major was computer graphics, but sadly, I didn't get too far into it before I transferred from college #1 to college #2, which eventually turned into 4 total but that's another story.
When I was 12 in 2008 my Mum took me to go see the professional show of Phantom of the Opera that was in town. As soon as the Overture started and the fireworks in the Chandelier started I thought "Hell yeah, I wanna be involved in this some day." That was the night I resolved to be involved in the technical side of theatre one day, but I still didn't know enough to decide on a discipline.
The next year I started higschool and I did stage-handing for our production of 'Dreamgirls'. We only put on a big show bi-anually, so it was this year that we did our next one; West Side Story. I had previously operated the lights for a music evening and quite enjoyed it and my teacher asked me if I wanted to do lights for WSS. You bet I did. Went from there really. Though I haven't done much since.
The next year I started higschool and I did stage-handing for our production of 'Dreamgirls'. We only put on a big show bi-anually, so it was this year that we did our next one; West Side Story. I had previously operated the lights for a music evening and quite enjoyed it and my teacher asked me if I wanted to do lights for WSS. You bet I did. Went from there really. Though I haven't done much since.
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I've been in the cast of eight different shows and I love every second of being on stage. However, during Beauty and the Beast, which was a year and a half ago (my freshman year of HS) I began helping with things like painting. Then last spring during Guys and Dolls, I really began to learn a lot of different crew jobs. Whether it was putting wheels on sets, putting together a flat, designing The Hot Box Sign, painting, and the list goes on and on. It was then that I realized how much I loved technical theater and I think it had to a lot to with the people I learned from.
I then proceeded to help with musicals at our elementary schools, dance recitals, graduations. Currently I am working on crew for our school's fall play.
I then proceeded to help with musicals at our elementary schools, dance recitals, graduations. Currently I am working on crew for our school's fall play.
Like many others, theatre managed to weasel its way into my life because of a girl. When it came time for me to decide what I wanted to go to school for, I, like many others, was not entirely sure what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I knew I liked physics, psychology, engineering, architecture, photography and film so I reasoned that I could do a little bit of everything if I decided to continue with technical theatre. Now I have my degree, work all the time and make very little money, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. Who wants a desk job anyway?
Leapoffaith28
Member
Hmmm...Lets see...I was a middle school kid and we had an orientation meet for a summer program at a local high school, and when I walked in the first thing I could notice were the massive, exposed catwalks with who knows how many lights hanging above my head. I couldn't concentrate on a single word, and when I eventually got into the summer program lo and behold a high school techie was teaching tech as an elective and I signed up as fast as I could. Over the course of the summer, I met my counterpart, a girl who could dance with all the grace in the world. We ended up going to high school together, the same high school where the summer program was held, and I signed up for a tech class there too and she went into acting. Like many before me, I was taken in by a departing senior who taught me all about...well everything. We have too few techies for us to "specialize", so I learned lights and sound and set building, but since someone else was all crazy over lightboard I went deeply into sound, and here I am. And the girl? Still around/ =P
