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Im at Rose Bruford studying Creative Lighting Control and have just finished my Chief Lx role and now looking into management to write my illustrated essay, any help would be much appreciated.

Im doing research into how to become a good Chief Lx and how a Chief Lx influences, if at all, the design on stage. I was also wondering if there are any industry standards for this role. I placing this topic on here because I need professional quotes on the topics,

 

I will be using my show role for primary research but I need to compare it to actual industry show roles and experiences, so I can compare and comment on how I could have changed my style to conform to industry standards.

 

thanks for your timehttp://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

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Im at Rose Bruford studying Creative Lighting Control and have just finished my Chief Lx role and now looking into management to write my illustrated essay, any help would be much appreciated.

Im doing research into how to become a good Chief Lx and how a Chief Lx influences, if at all, the design on stage. I was also wondering if there are any industry standards for this role. I placing this topic on here because I need professional quotes on the topics,

 

I will be using my show role for primary research but I need to compare it to actual industry show roles and experiences, so I can compare and comment on how I could have changed my style to conform to industry standards.

 

thanks for your timehttp://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

 

National Occupational Standards for Technical Theatre

 

There are more than these, I'm sure but here's a start

 

David

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The trouble is that those occupational standards describe something that can be wildly different.

 

You have the mismatch between the traditional theatrical description and actuality. Staffing levels are probably the biggest controller of the job description.

 

In a larger venue with perhaps a technical manager or director as the line manager to the chief LX, then the Chief LX may be the key figure in managing the venue's technical areas that use 'plugs', while the resident stage manager may be the key figure in areas that use tools. For them, this split makes things happen properly. The stage manager may never call a show, and the chief lx can go weeks without sitting at the lighting desk. In smaller venues, the Chief LX may well be the ONLY technical person who is permanent, and casual staff cover everything. Some venues don't even have anyone with that title at all.

 

The only thing I know for certain is that the title itself means nothing whatsoever. Some venues call 'Fred' Chief LX when somebody phones, or emails in - when he might be their general technician. Size of venue gives you a clue, but nowadays it's just a guide title in most places.

 

Some venues have no opportunity for their staff to design, others do it all the time. If you've finished your stint as Chief LX, then you have experienced one version of that role, and as to which bits are more common, that's a very long questionnaire!

 

Your Chief LX could have a huge budget and be very influential, but clearly at some venues the Chief LX is almost an honorary position, and could have no influence at all. I suppose my summer venue is one who would not even know what the term meant. Anything not considered FOH is pointed at me, no matter what area of work it looks at. I have a negotiated budget for staffing - and that dictates numbers. The venue have no idea how I spend this - simply being annoyed at how expensive people are, and repair costs.

 

There really isn't any form of industry standard for a role that isn't ever defined that accurately. At best, it will be the pointy bit at the top of a hierarchical triangle of people who make things happen. This complete triangle can stand alone, or be the support for loads of others above and to the side.

 

Your show role is going to be flawed, as it follows the RB system - can this be considered primary evidence when it's not (by nature) how industry do it - and also I don't think anyone really even knows what the industry actually is any longer.

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I see your point and in my essay I have hardly written about my show role and only refereed to it if research I had found allows. I also talked about what I felt I did wrong according to the research.

Thanks for your time this helps.

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  • 1 month later...
Not forgetting the important person management skills! You can be as technically proficient as you like but if you don't have the interpersonal skills no one will want to work for you! Management and leadership are not easy things to learn but they are terribly important and they aren't the sort of thing that has national standards. I was always told that managers lead but leaders are followed.
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ORH is dead right - someone can be the greatest technical mind known to man, but if their people-management skills are lacking then they will fail as a head of department because they won't have the respect of their staff.

 

This graphic that someone recently posted on Twitter says it all, I think - I'm sure we all know people who fall into one side or the other of this diagram!!

 

 

BmljwYDIIAAZhzl.jpg

 

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