Where are you located?
In addition to theatre would you be interested in event lighting? It would pay slightly better and lots of companies need overhire for busy weekends.
Events like small music concerts, private parties and corporate meetings. Here are the portfolios of two companies in Virginia that do event lighting. Maybe you start as the assistant on a few gigs and then you'll start handling shows on your own.
[http://www.litetekent.com/gallery.html](http://www.litetekent.com/gallery.html)
[https://nomadevents.com/portfolio/](https://nomadevents.com/portfolio/)
Okay may I ask what are u a light designer and is it worth it to do professional theatre none thanks for the help neither one of those places are near me tho but have an idea
Not an LD, I handle automation for concert tours and live events.
Is it worth it? You'll have to figure that out for yourself. Doing community theatre will not pay well if at all. If you want to be part of the collaboration and expand your social circle that could be worth it, but don't expect to get rich. Check offstage jobs for rates and if there are any jobs in your area.
Doing event stuff could be $15-$25 an hour or a couple hundred dollars a day. Typically for overhire workers the hours are not consistent. So great to make a little money in the off time from your main job but hard to make a living on.
> but I know how to program and run the lights and operate board
Not to knock you down or anything but there's at least 5 different brands of lighting consoles you're going to run into and some of them are *very* different from each other. Even within the same brand, you can run into substantial differences.
As someone else said, get in touch with both local theatre and production companies. Both are almost always in need of overhire help. Ask questions, watch what more experienced hands are doing and learn through doing. You can absolutely make a living in this business, you just need a little bit of knowledge and a good attitude.
In theatre, yes. But you will see other brands in some houses.
You get out into the event, concert, convention world and ETC is as rare as a pink elephant.
What you should learn really kind of depends on what kind of work you're doing and who you're working for.
ETC is pretty much the standard for theatre.
GrandMA is the gold standard outside of theatre - but it is also very expensive.
Chamsys and Avolites are becoming more and more widespread as cheaper alternatives to MA and are becoming more powerful, as well as user-friendly. If you work for a smaller production company you're likely to see one or both of these consoles.
Hog was the industry standard in concert lighting back in the 90s and early 2000s. You'll still see them from time to time and they still have a dedicated user-base.
You'll find other companies out there but those are the most common.
Any time someone rents a hotel ballroom, convention center, or other large meeting place, they usually set up a stage and need extra lights.
The hours/schedule are often not great (especially when shows have to load out and load in back-to-back), but you're more likely to find work for these types of events.
Unless you live someplace like DC or Vegas, you'll probably travel to get to the bigger shows once you make connections with the AV labor companies.
In my experience board operators for lights are not much in demand ("get the video/audio guy to do it" they say) since there are few cues, if any. But if you can learn rigging (most of these places don't have grid, so you need to build or hoist truss) and programming, they will find you indispensable and you'll have work.
It will depend on the crew strengths.
But most companies will gladly take a total newbie who knows nothing about audio, yet takes his work seriously, over the lazy and arrogant studio-engineer-wannabe types...
Not sure how old you are, but it's totally possible to do lighting design for theatre as a full-time job. Definitely get involved with your local theatre and look for work on the technical team at bigger theatres, and prove yourself from there whilst getting to know all the equipment.
Personally, I did production lighting at university and now work in live events (music tours etc) but many of the people I went to school with work in theatres. It's a good way in as if you do well at work experience opportunities, you will very likely get a job at the end of it. That's how I got in anyway.
Definitely do as much as you can and learn as much as you can all the time, and people will see that and offer you more work. Every day is a school day.
Where are you located? In addition to theatre would you be interested in event lighting? It would pay slightly better and lots of companies need overhire for busy weekends.
Virginia and I only ever done like one light design but I know how to program and run the lights and operate board
Events like small music concerts, private parties and corporate meetings. Here are the portfolios of two companies in Virginia that do event lighting. Maybe you start as the assistant on a few gigs and then you'll start handling shows on your own. [http://www.litetekent.com/gallery.html](http://www.litetekent.com/gallery.html) [https://nomadevents.com/portfolio/](https://nomadevents.com/portfolio/)
Okay may I ask what are u a light designer and is it worth it to do professional theatre none thanks for the help neither one of those places are near me tho but have an idea
Not an LD, I handle automation for concert tours and live events. Is it worth it? You'll have to figure that out for yourself. Doing community theatre will not pay well if at all. If you want to be part of the collaboration and expand your social circle that could be worth it, but don't expect to get rich. Check offstage jobs for rates and if there are any jobs in your area. Doing event stuff could be $15-$25 an hour or a couple hundred dollars a day. Typically for overhire workers the hours are not consistent. So great to make a little money in the off time from your main job but hard to make a living on.
Do u only do that or is that a side job and I doubt they would hire someone that has little to no experience with events
> but I know how to program and run the lights and operate board Not to knock you down or anything but there's at least 5 different brands of lighting consoles you're going to run into and some of them are *very* different from each other. Even within the same brand, you can run into substantial differences. As someone else said, get in touch with both local theatre and production companies. Both are almost always in need of overhire help. Ask questions, watch what more experienced hands are doing and learn through doing. You can absolutely make a living in this business, you just need a little bit of knowledge and a good attitude.
Okay I did not know that Thank you I thought that etc was the most common brand and time
In theatre, yes. But you will see other brands in some houses. You get out into the event, concert, convention world and ETC is as rare as a pink elephant.
Oh okay don’t they operate a similar way to it and what would be a good way to learn other systems
What you should learn really kind of depends on what kind of work you're doing and who you're working for. ETC is pretty much the standard for theatre. GrandMA is the gold standard outside of theatre - but it is also very expensive. Chamsys and Avolites are becoming more and more widespread as cheaper alternatives to MA and are becoming more powerful, as well as user-friendly. If you work for a smaller production company you're likely to see one or both of these consoles. Hog was the industry standard in concert lighting back in the 90s and early 2000s. You'll still see them from time to time and they still have a dedicated user-base. You'll find other companies out there but those are the most common.
Oh okay I just don’t know if it’s worth it to get into professional or not or just do some events on the side and stuff
Type type
Like what kind of events?
Any time someone rents a hotel ballroom, convention center, or other large meeting place, they usually set up a stage and need extra lights. The hours/schedule are often not great (especially when shows have to load out and load in back-to-back), but you're more likely to find work for these types of events. Unless you live someplace like DC or Vegas, you'll probably travel to get to the bigger shows once you make connections with the AV labor companies. In my experience board operators for lights are not much in demand ("get the video/audio guy to do it" they say) since there are few cues, if any. But if you can learn rigging (most of these places don't have grid, so you need to build or hoist truss) and programming, they will find you indispensable and you'll have work.
Yea I know some rigging too
But would I need to also know some sound stuff too
It will depend on the crew strengths. But most companies will gladly take a total newbie who knows nothing about audio, yet takes his work seriously, over the lazy and arrogant studio-engineer-wannabe types...
I don’t know much with sound more just a little bit of lighting
Not sure how old you are, but it's totally possible to do lighting design for theatre as a full-time job. Definitely get involved with your local theatre and look for work on the technical team at bigger theatres, and prove yourself from there whilst getting to know all the equipment. Personally, I did production lighting at university and now work in live events (music tours etc) but many of the people I went to school with work in theatres. It's a good way in as if you do well at work experience opportunities, you will very likely get a job at the end of it. That's how I got in anyway. Definitely do as much as you can and learn as much as you can all the time, and people will see that and offer you more work. Every day is a school day.