Gap Year Before Mountview ???

[CharlieTAS]

Hi, I am curerntly in my first year of A-levels and presently set on the idea of going to mountview to study Technical Theatre.

 

I am just wondering if it's possible to, after my A-level's take a gap year then attend Mountview (ofcourse relying on the fact that I have a place by then).

 

I have been advised that even with a placement that a gap year would be a bad idea due to technology within theatre and as my gap year would be away from the UK I wouldnt realy have much if any contact with prospective institutions.

 

If any of this makes sense please please reply :)

 

Thanks in advance, regards,

Charlie.

[Nickwoolley]

Just curious - but why at this early stage of your A Levels are you so set on Mountview?

 

I'm going to Guildhall next year and I'm not taking a year out. However I would if I lived nearer London

[CharlieTAS]

Just curious - but why at this early stage of your A Levels are you so set on Mountview?

 

Well I have known for quite some time that I want to go into the industry mainly due to my school and the facilities, and the nearing 6 years of experience, and all through this time I have asked around on the best way to get into the industry and from what I can see the final verdict is to go to Mountview.

Oh and my school is set on pushing students to make a list of possibilities quite early on, my other choices are Guildhall and Old Vic.

[robert_stemson]

Its really up to you what you do...

 

Lighting technology is advancing each and everyday, and I'm sure it will still be strong even after your gap year. Take Plasa06 for example, it has grown and so has the ABTT Theatre show in June 2006!

 

I never thought about having a gap year, that's why I chose Mountview to study Technical Theatre. Just based on the course, especially as its a Two year BA Honours. Other reasons were, that it mean't that I saved over £4.500 on my student loan, as I had one less year to pay Rent living in Expensive London!

The school also offers a Dance and Drama award, if you are awarded this, you will save more on your student fees.

 

Other Drama schools can offer similar awards, but also think about the schools links within the Industry and the facilities they offer you. Mountview have just relocated to Wood Green, which means they have lost their in-house theatre spaces in Crouch End. Great thing, that you will be working in outside venues all across London when you study, building contacts for when you visit the various venues, such as BAC.

 

Other Drama schools like Central, the lighting department has just gone into partnership with Stage Electrics to supply expensive popular equipment for the students to experience. Such as video media servers, VL's, Martin 700s, MA consoles etc etc...I haven't seen there new spaces, but from what I've heard, its a great place to train!

 

Contact some current students to find out the real deal to whats happening in each Drama School, it will be worthwhile to find out!

[londonbased]

Mountview have just relocated to Wood Green

 

 

they housed with the Acting & MT courses now then? I know they were looking to moved but didn't really want to move to Wood Green, obviously that didn't happen

[Ken Coker]

Theatre technology advances slowly on the back of the wider entertainment industry - where it advances moderately quickly. However quickly it advances you can be sure that Mountview (or Derby or Central or RADA or XYZ) will not be on the cutting edge of technology because :

 

a) They can't afford it

b) They have a commitment to wider aspects of education rather than just training you in the latest whatever it is.

 

An example:

 

I waited until buying LEDs for Derby until the market had matured a bit and then bought some AC ColorBlocks. These are not the greatest fixtures in the world, but they serve the dual purpose of demonstrating LED technology and are far easier to rig than sixty Pars when I'm teaching programming on our desks.

 

My advice would be to get a place, get the A levels and then push off for a year and have nothing to do with technical theatre. Visit somewhere that doesn't even have electricity let alone the newest Wholehog/Pearl/DL2/blah-blah; being benighted on a rock face for night might give you a sense of perspective for those moments in later life when the director starts screaming or the LD insists he absolutely has to move the number 2 LX bar three metres upstage.

 

Good luck

 

Ken

[BenWall]

Just to put my 2p worth in on this one...

 

I am currently approaching the end of my third and final year at CSSD. I study Theatre Sound Production (with the occasional creep into design). Due to a recent government award of some 5 or 6 million pounds we now have new improved facilities and equipment and the prestigious title of a Centre of Excellence.

 

I went to visit most of the other drama schools in London before I decided which one to apply for, and now looking back I can see I without doubt made the correct choice of where to study. Maybe this was just good for me personally, but I think pretty much anyone who has been/studied at Central would agree its a pretty special place!

 

Of course with the new (and existing) partnerships being set-up with Stage Elec's, Yamaha, D&B, Digico, ETC, Strand... the list is endless everyone wants to be in on the action so that they can demo their products to potentially some of the designers and production engineers of the future!

 

Ben.