Festivals

[CraigG]

Hmm, Fraggle, that name rings a bell, just if a chief LX person was reading hey ;)

 

For myself, I'm in a similar situation, 16 and wanting experience. Managed to get some with a fairly big name supplier in the warehouse, and helping out on a pre-rig. I tried to show my enthusiasm and be as helpful as possible, and talked to the the crew, and at the end of the day, they asked if I wanted to lend a hand with that gig we were prepping when it toured. Managed to get a great load of experience there and even to follow spot the act, and at the end of it the guys said they liked my attitude and wouldn't mind having me help again; one of whom offering for some of the larger festivals.

 

So there you go, ask around, talk to people, try hard, and who knows what might happen :)

[Nick512]

Its a little disheartening to have to advise a clearly intelligent and enthusiastic individual that its not practical to get them invoved. Because that's exactly how I and most of my contemporaries ended up here. Whilst I understand the ins and outs of the new industry order that has emerged over the last few years, it surprises and saddens me that despite there being more live events than ever these days and more opportunities to train in our industry, I still see the same old faces year in year out.

 

Our industry, I beleive desperately needs a steady stream of new blood, we need to be able to find the mechanisms to be able to give people practical experience to compliment their academic acheivements. But prospective Chief LX's of the future also need to realise that the bulk of the job involves loading trucks, pushing boxes, pulling cables and a whole load of other menial tasks that are a million miles away from mixing up your favourite shade of pink on the new Hog4.

 

Well said Fraggle! we do desperately need new blood in this industry and as Fraggle said I truly believe that the best people that I use have had the practical experience at all levels including standing in the rain for hours and pulling cables through mud, trying to put a 3 truss theatre tour rig in on your own with a bunch of locals that don't really know what there doing and don't really understand the language your trying to tell them how to do it in. I know thats how I and pretty much everyone else I work with started too.!

 

I believe that if you haven't experienced all of these things you cannot make educated design decisions and understand the real implications of what you draw on paper or what you are asking of a crew. I personally would never draw or ask someone to do anything that I would not have been comfortable doing myself. On the other hand it also gives you the knowledge to know when your being led up the garden path by someone.

 

I would encourage anyone who has the passion to make it either as a great Crew Chief or an Designer to work hard, learn from everyone around as you and above all be enthusiastic, going above and beyond in a situation and being good at what you are being asked to do will lead to bigger things one step at a time. I dont know anyone in this industry who would not be willing to help someone starting with real drive for this as long as they were willing to learn and work hard and do everything asked of them.

[Smiffy]

I'm never a fan of +1 posts, but have to say that I agree with Nick and Fraggle.

 

As Nick states, the best people have experience at all aspects of the industry, you dont just leave Uni and become an LD. I believe the best programmers are those that have been Moving Light techs and had to fix the fixtures, they are the programmers that tend to break fewer fixtures, as they know what's going on inside the lamps and understand that there are better methods to get a light to do a circular move at supersonic speeds, okay, and extreme example but you get my drift.

 

I was bemoaning something I have noticed over the last few years to Fraggle via PM after his post here the other day.

 

There was a time when at least a few times a tour, I would have expected to get one or two local crew members come and have a chat about getting into the touring side of the business, or at least making their preference for lighting / sound / video / whatever known to the touring crew. In the last two years of fairly solid touring, I think only twice have I been approached by someone for a grown-up conversation about the shows lighting. At least one of those people was a punter!

 

Perhaps things have changed and know everyone does go to Uni and immediately become LD's and I'm just a Dinosaur, but surely there are still people coming up through the ranks the hard way?

 

The industry is always in need of new, willing, and keen blood, and as with the guys above, I would never begrudge anyone a few minutes of my time while I pack down FOH after a show, and if someone shows enough interest, I'll do all that I can to help, as I know most of my compatriots would, I'm curious to know if there are any here on the BR that are local crew somewhere and want to progress into touring? If so, say hello the next time I pass through your venue.

 

Cheers

 

S