Stage Magazine

[adcuz]

One thing that really does annoy me about my school is that not one teacher knows anything about any of the LX side of things, And its is left up to us "Upper School" students to give the younger students basic training... Well training as in how to operate the controlls, like the Sound Desk and Lighting Desk, Everytime we hire stuff and the caretaker comes in to fly it we have to run him through it step by step.. this is rediculous and personally I think that if schools want to start a "Technical Crew" they should ensure a trained member of staff is available to supervise and to train people.

 

Thats my rant about my school

 

Oh and erm.. when it comes to lighting... I am the only one left in the team that can run the lighting desk.. and I have tried countless times training the younger students to operate it but they just cant listen... its impossible.. Its the schools own fault for not doing it properly. Also they have a habbit of ringing me for help if im not involved in the production and they have a problem... this will have to stop once I have left the school.

 

They have thousands of pounds worth gear too... Profiles, Pars, Fresnels, PC's, A Frog desk, Dimmer racks for each performance space... And this will all go to waste when my year leave...

 

Hmm ok now I really have finished ranting sorry but I feel this is a common problem in schools.... A school near me has a great teach team that are pros, and students are invlolved but not responsible as such and I like that idea... there is an enormous ammount of pressure on me at the moment... if im ill during a production week, what can they do? I have to run all the shows on A-B Presets!!! The programming doesnt work on it.. they wont fix it...

 

Are tech teams in schools dying out?

[AndyJones]

are tech teams in schools dying out?

 

They not dying out, they are being stamped out, I can't see how school technicians can survive with all the new namby pamby h&s crap that aims to wrap the whole nation in bubble wrap. It is all political correctness %$^$%^#$ and H&s gone crazy.

 

I have seen some shocking things and understand why stringent H&s laws should be introduced, But all these near misses I have seen have helped to build me into the technician I am now, they have made me m,ore aware of safety in the theatres.

 

I personally believe that yes there should be Some h&s rules, but not allowing children up towers, not allowing children to even plug in lanterns is ludicrous. if the children can be trusted then let them get involved, otherwise in a few years time the entertainment industry will collapse due to lack of technical staff

 

My 0.002p

 

(sorry for use of the word "technicians" to those who are against the term!)

Andy J

[adcuz]

I TOTALLY agree, I cant wait to leave school.

[paulymid]

There's a stage newspaper ?

 

whats there web site address for subscriptions ?

 

(sorry to show how out of it I am)

 

paulymid

[Andrew C]

http://www.thestage.co.uk/

[zonino]

 

alternatively the stage

[Priest]

I am 16 years old and am in charge of all of my schools light and sound stuff. We put all the lights up, take them down, move them etc. We do everything ourselves and sometimes a teacher will drop by. None of the teachers know what they are doing anyway. Me and another guy are the only ones who actually know what everything does :P

[gareth]

I am 16 years old and am in charge of all of my schools light and sound stuff. We put all the lights up, take them down, move them etc. We do everything ourselves and sometimes a teacher will drop by. None of the teachers know what they are doing anyway. Me and another guy are the only ones who actually know what everything does :P

Looking back to a post from earlier in this topic ....

One thing that constantly amazes me is that people in full time education believe they really have responsibility. In truth, they don't, despite the 'head of', 'student technician' type titles.

 

{snip}

 

When the brown stuff hits, you find the responsibility was just an illusion, and lets say, the problem is really serious - you fall from a ladder, get a shock or other nasty stuff - the poor person who is really in charge gets crucified. Staff in a school or college cannot legally pass on the responsibity to a student. if the person is under 18 it gets worse, and if still in compulsory education it is very dodgy.

 

{snip}

 

It is a bit arrogant for anybody to sort of say that their teachers don't know anything, and they had to do it themselves. Don't get me wrong, this does happen and is shameful, but you only have to look at the blue room to see the quantity of young people who are doing dangerous things, involved in projects where they are really out of their depth, or doing things totally differently from what we do in the business to see that a little knowledge can appear to go a very long way.

 

We have people under 16 advising seasoned professionals on the choice of equipment when their only experience is drooling over a downloaded pdf manual, or bit of demo software on a piece of equipment they have never ever even seen! It happens every day. I would love to have a special moderator button that says "does this person really know what they are talking about?". Just lately I've spent, along with the other mods, far too much time sorting out real questions from daft ones.

'Nuff said.

[Bobbsy]

Coming at this from another direction...

 

Drama and Theatre Studies students in the UK (I can't speak for other countries) are being seriously short-changed by the educational system. As discussed before, it is entirely possible for a large chunk of an AS/A level mark to be based on a technical "design" skill, but it seems the level of formal training in most schools is nil. This is as opposed to "acting" skills where every teacher thinks they are Stanislavsky.

 

This impacts students in three ways.

 

First, their final marks--which have an impact on future educational plans--are based on their ability to figure things out for themselves without any formal training. This must be about the only subject in the syllabus where this happens.

 

Second, there are HUGE issues over the safety of a great many practices that we hear about in schools. With the greatest respect to priest, an unsupervised 16 year old working up a tower with mains electricity is an accident waiting to happen. Someday somebody will be seriously injured or killed and there will be a backlash that will work to the detriment of schools everywhere.

 

Third, and this is my new point, we're wasting a great opportunity to teach skills that will be of benefit for a lifetime. Set building teaches DIY carpentry skills. Learning some of the basic theory behind lighting and sound will give skills useful when changing a plug or wiring the home cinema system. In short, though not essentials, they're a heck of a lot more useful skills than playing Hamlet!

 

Schools just plain have their priorities wrong!

 

Bob

[paulears]

That is one of the big reasons that there is a huge shift away from AS/A2 in the schools towards more vocational qualifications. AVCE and similar wasn't that popular, but BTEC does work. The differences in level do cause staffing problems if schools or colleges wish to deliver some of the more specialist units, however, there are so many to choose from that most pre-exisiting staff specialisms can be used. The only real snag is that this means a successful programme can suddenly go very pear shaped when somebody leaves. There are also units that have a general feel and are more suitable for beginners and then others that add extra specialism. There is one unit in the suite - Technical Theatre Operations which is a bit of lights, sound, stage crewing, stage management etc - this needs basic technical kit, and most importantly is quite within the skill range of a newly qualified teacher, or ex-professional moving into teaching, or even a technican who wishes to start teaching and has theatre as a hobby.

 

In pretty well all BTEC units there is a dual requirement from anybody completing them - they need to be able to teach themselves - so carrying out research and then acting on it is important. Equally, other skills need real teaching.

 

Now one thing is very clear, there are an awful lot more people who want to act, sing and dance than those who wish to wear a technical hat, BUT you need lights and sound to be able to stage effective productions. In A level (and GCSE) we have an option allowing a 'technical' pathway. Here, the keen, technical type student is able to generate marks from non-acting work. The problem, as I see it, is that unless the teacher has proper experience, then student results, while acceptable for the course, are not always carried out to industry standards, or even linked in any way to the industry. Technical language can be superficial, practices may be fine for the school, but totally unsuitable to the 'real' world. There is some evidence that university admission tutors have a resistance to any subject with the tag word 'studies' in the title. (Don't even get me going on the degree level media stduies students who couldn't even work a video camera)

 

 

People who have the Technical Theatre unit under their belts are far better prepared for work in the industry than anybody on an A level course.

 

I would admit that for many years I carried the notion that somehow A levels were a gold standard - however, after being involved with BTEC I have done a reversal. As I've often said, if there was an A level in being an electrician - then the question would be.. "explain how to wire a 13A outlet in a kitchen" The answer along the lines of "I would use an approved 13 amp outlet in a plaster depth box fed with 2.5mm2 flat twin and earth......." would get an 'A' grade. If it was BTEC then they'd get a pile of bits, a sheet showing the rules and 'quality' levels, and then be left to do it. SOmebody would test it, and the final bit would be plugging the kettle in and boiling the water. I know who I'd rather have rewire my house. I see no difference with BTEC production units. Get a Distinction and you are good - simple as that.

 

I'm a bit worried about the A level 'option' system - it's designed for a different purpose, progress to HE mainly - industry usefulness is limited.

[Bobbsy]

The BTEC sounds good Paulears.

 

Alas, in the town where I live (about 35,000 population) there are two "Upper Schools". Both offer AS/A levels in Theatre Studies/Drama, but neither offer a BTEC. I'm honestly not sure where local students would have to go for that qualification, but it would be a significant daily drive.

 

My other question would be what recognition the BTEC course gives in terms of further education? In the case of my daughter, technical theatre is an interest, not a career ambition. An A level in Theatre Studies will count towards university entry in other, non-theatre, areas. Does a BTEC do the same?

 

Bob

[Just Some Bloke]

Set building teaches DIY carpentry skills. Learning some of the basic theory behind lighting and sound will give skills useful when changing a plug or wiring the home cinema system. In short, though not essentials, they're a heck of a lot more useful skills than playing Hamlet!

 

The trouble is, there is nothing wrong with teaching drama. It is a wonderful way to teach language and, especially, social skills in a way that people can enjoy.

 

It shouldn't be one or the other it should be both. Drama and technical skills will help everyone, especially if everyone has the ability to specialise in one or the other.

 

Now Geography, on the other hand, teaches nothing useful at all. :P :D :D

[paulears]

The BTEC structure is the same as AS/A2, so a Level 3 National Diploma has 18 units - giving, wait for it, exactly the same points. Some bigger colleges run several different pathways - a few common units, and then different specialist units. Sometimes, they can, if the students are willing to put in the extra work, offer a 6 unit award alongside (My old college did this) they then leave with a 4 A level equivalent. That said, the unis who do performing arts understand this quite well, and realise what BTEC people can do, compared to A level people. The red brick unis, however, wouldn't know what a BTEC was if it hit them on the head - but they of course, are more interested in where you come from than what you can do.

[Priest]

'Nuff said.

 

Whatever you say.. :D

[hookiefreak]

Priest: Thats the kind of attitude that's going to get you or someone around you seriously hurt when you're 'in charge' of technical aspects at your school. The people who have commented on your situation (and the many others posted before) know what they are talking about and you should listen to what they say for your own safety.