What is your "official" title?

NHStech

Active Member
If you are in charge of a PAC/auditorium that people rely on for running sound/lights, and even perhaps seeking your input on such matters, what is your title? I have seen various titles, and am wondering if one is more "standard" than another. I have seen, so far
auditorium manager
technical director
technical coordinator
technical stage manager
PAC Supervisor
 
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My teacher is called "Head of A/V"
I'm just the kid that winds up running everything.
 
If you are in charge of a PAC/auditorium that people rely on for running sound/lights, and even perhaps seeking your input on such matters, what is your title? I have seen various titles, and am wondering if one is more "standard" than another. I have seen, so far
auditorium manager
technical director
technical coordinator
technical stage manager
PAC Supervisor

Since I'm in an Educational environment, they are all termed as Professors, such as Professor of Lights/Sound, Professor of Technical Direction... and so on and so forth.

Now at the convention center i sometimes work We are called AV Techs and our boss is AV Chief (corporate thing)
 
Officially: Director, Operations

Unofficially: technical director, custodian, plumber, building superintendent, rentals manager, etc.
 
Since I'm in an Educational environment, they are all termed as Professors, such as Professor of Lights/Sound, Professor of Technical Direction... and so on and so forth.

Now at the convention center i sometimes work We are called AV Techs and our boss is AV Chief (corporate thing)

You have a professor of technical direction? That seems odd. Professors for acting, directing, design, theory, then an actual technical director and costume shop manager, etc.
 
If you are in charge of a PAC/auditorium that people rely on for running sound/lights, and even perhaps seeking your input on such matters, what is your title? I have seen various titles, and am wondering if one is more "standard" than another. I have seen, so far
auditorium manager
technical director
technical coordinator
technical stage manager
PAC Supervisor

I lok at that list of titles and see several disticntly different jobs. Auditorium Manager is NOT interchangable with TD. and T.SM is not interchangeable with TC.
BTW I'm a TD, FYI it does make me LOL the amount of ego that gets hung on a title but IMHO. TTYL
 
I lok at that list of titles and see several disticntly different jobs. Auditorium Manager is NOT interchangable with TD. and T.SM is not interchangeable with TC.
BTW I'm a TD, FYI it does make me LOL the amount of ego that gets hung on a title but IMHO. TTYL

Having fun with acronyms?

I don't have a job or title, just a student, but people seem to rely on for sound at my school.
 
I lok at that list of titles and see several disticntly different jobs. Auditorium Manager is NOT interchangable with TD. and T.SM is not interchangeable with TC.
BTW I'm a TD, FYI it does make me LOL the amount of ego that gets hung on a title but IMHO. TTYL

There is an underlying reason I ask. Laziness. :oops:The job I inherited is "Auditorium Manager and Technical Director." I would really like to be able to merge the two job descriptions into one. I am tired of signing things as "Auditorium Manager and Technical Director."
As far as my job description, I run the scheduling of a high school auditorium, as well as the general cleanliness and maintenance of it (the auditorium manager part). Also, I am in charge of a student stage crew that runs the sound/lights/rigging for the stage. I train them in those areas, and run whatever they can't. For performances, I am the stage manager, calling cues to my crew. If outside groups come in, they will have general ideas about lighting and sound ("can we do this?"), but will either directly or indirectly ask for suggestions/comments/ideas in these matters.
Given that info, is there one title that most closely resembles my job description?

PS - don't let the laziness about the title mislead you. I am a math teacher by day, and it took me about 40 years to determine what I really love to do - this job (although I enjoy being a math teacher). I am a stage junkie and try to work to the best of my ability in there. I just want a shorter title.
 
You have a professor of technical direction? That seems odd. Professors for acting, directing, design, theory, then an actual technical director and costume shop manager, etc.

Most universites I've encountered had Professors of Technical Direction. They were the shop TD and they taught Technical Direction classes...i.e. proffesors.

I'm the Technical Director of a Performing Arts Complex thats attached to a charter school. But all purpose ***** would be a better title.
 
Most universites I've encountered had Professors of Technical Direction. They were the shop TD and they taught Technical Direction classes...i.e. proffesors.

I'm the Technical Director of a Performing Arts Complex thats attached to a charter school. But all purpose ***** would be a better title.

Ah. We tend to have "professors" be on different contracts than "staff", but staff also teach courses. For example, right now I am in a class with a staff member teaching a 3 credit hour course. I guess it seems a bit odd to me to have a tenured TD at a college, but that is probably just the situation I am familiar with.
 
There is an underlying reason I ask. Laziness. :oops:The job I inherited is "Auditorium Manager and Technical Director." I would really like to be able to merge the two job descriptions into one. I am tired of signing things as "Auditorium Manager and Technical Director."
As far as my job description, I run the scheduling of a high school auditorium, as well as the general cleanliness and maintenance of it (the auditorium manager part). Also, I am in charge of a student stage crew that runs the sound/lights/rigging for the stage. I train them in those areas, and run whatever they can't. For performances, I am the stage manager, calling cues to my crew. If outside groups come in, they will have general ideas about lighting and sound ("can we do this?"), but will either directly or indirectly ask for suggestions/comments/ideas in these matters.
Given that info, is there one title that most closely resembles my job description?

PS - don't let the laziness about the title mislead you. I am a math teacher by day, and it took me about 40 years to determine what I really love to do - this job (although I enjoy being a math teacher). I am a stage junkie and try to work to the best of my ability in there. I just want a shorter title.

I think you are looking for "Production Manager" or "Production Coordinator". However, TD is often used in the education world as a blanket term for anything auditorium related. The only time I see Technical Coordinator instead of TD come up is when you are in a city/state/federal owned building where having "Director" in your title changes your pay grade. One of my freinds who is the TD of a space in the middle of Ohio has this exact issue. If he had director in his title he would have to attend every city council meeting and a bunch of other random stuff.
 
I don't work in a Performance center, however I do work in the same position at a production company. My official title is "Technical Operations Manager" was the first time I'd ever heard of nybody calling that. haha.
 
Ah. We tend to have "professors" be on different contracts than "staff", but staff also teach courses. For example, right now I am in a class with a staff member teaching a 3 credit hour course. I guess it seems a bit odd to me to have a tenured TD at a college, but that is probably just the situation I am familiar with.

At my school, we have an "Assistant Professor of Technical Direction," meaning that he is a tenure-track faculty member. He teaches probably 9-12 credits a semester in tech direction and other stagecraft areas (I had him for Intro to Stagecraft and have him for a CAD class right now). He's also the departmental TD for our four-show season. I believe he is paid an additional stipend to be the TD in addition to being a prof.

Conversely, we have a Production Manager, who is staff, not faculty. She also acts as the Instructor of our Stage Management class. Since she acts as an Instructor once a year, I'd assume she also gets paid extra for teaching that class, just as any other Instructor who comes in would get paid for teaching one class. She has an MA, which isn't a terminal degree, so she wouldn't qualify for tenure-track at my school anyway.

So it just depends on what your primary, salaried job is... teaching (faculty) or production work (staff).
 
My "official" title: student.

Realistic title: House M.E.
 
I currently teach at a large performing arts high school. I am one of two technical theatre teachers. I teach classes in set design, lighting design, sound engineering and a "practical application" class -which is just a long phrase for these are the best students in their classes who actually design and execute the show (under my colleague's and I supervision).

What do I actually do besides teach? Well, everything thats not makeup or costume.

Title? Technical Theatre Teacher
Unofficial title? (Until August 2011) Technical Program Director

It may sound selfish but I am extremely happy about the upgrade in title, even though I haven't gotten the pay raise I've been promised for 3 years.

I love teaching, but at the end of the day I need to pay my bills.
 
similar to gafftapegreenia....

officially: student

hats i wear: LD, ME, MC, SD, sound engineer, crew chief and others. with a tech department of 4-5 I get to do alot.
 
I work for an arena, am called a stage manager, with my original job being to schedule and supervise hands for the visiting live events. I grew the position to include the rigging also. It then went to all types of live events ranging from theatre, concerts, truck shows, rodeos and sporting events such as basketball and wrestling. That means I run heavy equipment, sound, lights, video anything else they dream up. The problem is they still call me a stage manager. I am more a steward, technical director and tech.
 
We have a Production Manager, who's theoretically responsible for all technical theater operations in the facility, including staffing, operation and maintenance. In reality, the Dept. of Theater, which has 5 tech positions, is responsible to their own department for their events in the shared spaces.

Thus the PM runs the road house essentially, with a the full time staff of 3 that works the road house as well as supporting the Conservatory of Music events. The PM is a state funded administrative and unionized position, full time, semi-tenured (certificate of full time employment or some such). Known in the City University of NY as a Higher Education Officer (or Associate, abbrev. as HEO or HEa). We used to have an Assistant Production Manager that was also a full time HEa. He was actually the head carpenter/rigger and was laid off in the mid 90's as they decided the PM didn't need an assistant, even though he was the head carp., and they didn't really care. Now there's nobody and the PM covers which is why he's gone/done/finished/retired ASAP (2 years ?).

Full time staff is a Lighting Director - Head Electrician (Myself), also state funded, tenured as a "Chief College Laboratory Technician" (just made Chief last year, was a Senior. Get a big junk of money over about 6 years time). The LD position becomes a Local One IATSE Head when I retire.

Then there's a Local One Head Sound full time, as well as a Local One SM/Crew Chief.

Then a lot of freelancers under IA1 jurisdiction and I have to say we have a core group of about 12-15 that are fabulous .
 

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