Higher Education

[James_Lyons]

I'm currently a AS level student studying Maths, Physics, Electronics and Computing. I hope to go into the entertainment industry on the lighting side of things, I ultimately aim to become a chief electrician (spending some time on tour before become a resident in a theatre or music venue). I've been spending some time recently researching options for higher education. I've been looking both at degrees in electrical engineering and in courses specific to the entertainment industry. I've looked though all the usually info available on the net and as as you would expect there at many different options available.

 

I'm interested in knowing how people in the industry got where they are today, how they trained and what education they had (especially as a lot of the higher education course specific to the industry seem to be fairly new).

 

I'd be grateful for any advice or suggestions.

 

James

[gareth]

Did my degree in a subject unrelated to technical theatre (computer systems engineering), did that professionally for a very short while, got totally hacked off with it, found myself a job in a theatre, and never looked back. That was 13 years ago, and in that time I've done all sorts - resident electrician, touring proddy LX, lighting design, relights, corporate work and television. I have no qualifications at all in a technical theatre related subject, and I'm doing just fine.

[Simon Lewis]

James,

 

You will find people who are excellent examples of both routes - those who studied to undergraduate or even postgraduate level, and those who gained their learning in the school of hard knocks.

 

Both approaches are valid.

 

Learning on the job may arguably give you money more quickly, a better applied knowledge of equipment and processes and good networking.

 

Learning through training and education may give you the knowledge of equipment and processes (depending upon the course, its resources and its teachers) but should (particularly in higher education) develop your ability to learn, to reason, to handle data and knowledge and to increase your transferable skills.

These may not just be for theatre related tasks, but could be applied to many different fields of employment- a factor that may be important if you don't intend working in theatre for the next 40 years...!

 

Naturally, both approaches don't turn you into a world class technician or designer. You do that - through your aptitude, your inquisitiveness and your own hard work. You will need to develop your knowledge, ability and skills and learn how best to get on with others as well a getting on with your career.

 

I work in HE, and therefore believe in what it can offer. I can point to many, many success stories, but also acknowledge that those who work half heartedly and do not engage in the industry are unlikely to find satisfying work - or indeed any work...

 

On a personal level, I have a formal education on a non theatre related subject, but also have qualifications in acoustics and noise control. My knowledge of live sound comes from trudging sound systems up and down the country and running countless gigs. My academic knowledge supports and enhances what I have learnt in practice. I believe that an academic qualification linked with practical experience is an excellent approach and can prepare you for many different job opportunities.

 

Regards,

 

Simon

[Modge]

Amusingly I also did Computer Systems Engineering, worked as a professional I.T. type in an office, realised I wasn't keen on explaining to people that it didn't work because they kicked the power lead out then decided that the best option all round was to put my programming and digital electronics skills from my degree (and elsewhere) to good use making products for this industry. Only being 22 and having spent some time travelling as well as all this (I started the office I.T. \ access programming before I finished my degree) I can't claim a success story, so much as a promising start - we have a good product which hopefully you'll hear all about just as soon as it's ready. Oh and I don't know about where Gareth did his but where I did my degree (Birmingham) Computer Systems Engineering is part of the electrical engineering department anyway.

[itinerant baker]

So Computer Systems Engineering is the degree to go for. :P

 

 

 

 

You heard it here first kids. Someone sticky this thread and direct every teenager who joins here first.

[Tomo]

I studied Mechatronic Engineering - which is described as "the design of intelligent machines", whatever that's supposed to mean.

 

Then spent two years on a cruise liner, while studying part time for an MSc in Creative Technology.

And now I'm having a lot of fun working for a company you've probably heard of.

[ChrisD]

I'm in a similar position to James, and I've chosen to take a gap year next year, having applied this year for Electronic Engineering/Computer Engineering courses this year. The idea is, if I don't like the industry, then I've got a year to find out. And if I fall in love with it, then I don't have to go to uni. A lot of people have told me the best thing to do is to get a degree in something you enjoy from a uni, and get involved with the ents or tech society. It seems like a pretty solid plan as all of the unis I've applied to have ents/tech societies, and some have student tv etc.

 

The other advantage of getting a degree before going into the industry is that if you are seriously injured on the job, which is totally possible, you instantly become far less useful to employers. Also, if you choose to leave the industry, you have some qualifications that can get you a different job.

 

Hope that all makes sense

 

Chris

[DavidLee]

James

 

My advice (for what it's worth coming from a physicist/chemist and amateur SM and LD) would be to stick with your plan-A and go for the degree in Electrical Engineering. Remember that you can always have a successful and enjoyable amateur (or even part-time pro) career in technical theatre but you won't get far as an amateur electrical engineer!

 

You're aiming high in the business and I would expect that a good degree in a relevant real-world subject like elec. eng. together with an impressive amateur portfolio of theatre work would be a good way into the business. If all else fails then you are likely to finish up with a much better paid job than you'll get in theatre world anyway!

 

If you do go this route then be very careful to pace yourself in student technician activities. Fortunately I didn't get into tech theatre until very much later so I wasn't tempted, but my experience when I was a student in Nottingham, far too many years ago, was that the really keen sound and lighting guys tended to go mad and crew everything that came in - and then wind up with a pass degree and a job at the BBC. Unfortunately opportunities are more limited today and so you'ld probably have to make do with just the pass degree and a job in Tesco!

 

Best wishes whichever way you go

 

David

[gareth]

So Computer Systems Engineering is the degree to go for. :P

No, no, no - it's not as simple as that! The subject of the degree is only a part of the equation - as well as picking the right course you've got to join the university stage crew during freshers' week, spend a lot of time working on gigs when you should by rights be doing coursework and being studious, sit in the SU bar drinking coffee on mornings when you should be in lectures, ditto in the evenings but with beer replacing coffee and revision replacing lectures, spend even more time lighting student plays and musicals at the local theatre, and as a result of the above obtain a result in your finals that's nothing like what you should've got! Worked for me, anyway ... :P

[mumbles]

Seems to be working for a fair few of us each year, well until we haven't spent enough time on the degree, and fail the course. Avoided it well enough last year, but exams start this week.

 

Oh well, should go back to revision I spose :P

[peternewman]

That's currently sort of my plan too at the moment Gareth, apart from replace CSE with straight CS, and lighting design, with general lighting stuff and Student TV.

 

I really hope it works at least. :P

[Jon T]

I came straight out of school 2 years ago with few GCSE's and decided to do a technical theatre BTEC at my local college for a year... similar to Gareth I aslo got hacked off and in the end I dropped out and found myself some corporate work in and around london after emailing every other company to keep myself going. 2 years on and im now working in one of the most prestigious venues in the word,.. again never looked back!

[gareth]

Not really that similar, Jon - what I got hacked off with wasn't a college course, it was the job that I had before I decided to have a go at doing lighting professionally 13 years ago. And I didn't give up my education after O-levels, either! :P

 

While I've said before, and will happily say again, that I'm not convinced that a technical theatre degree is the best route into the industry, I really do think that some A-levels in relevant subjects are a very good thing to have under your belt if you're looking for a way into the business that we call 'show'. I have A-levels in electronics, physics and applied maths, and the first two of those have, I think, helped me far more in my theatre career than my degree (such as it is) ever has or ever will. (And the fact that I can't really remember anything that I learned in those three years at university is neither here nor there!! :P)

[Alastair Noonan]

As an occasional poster who works in HE, specifically specialist theatre practice degree courses at Central School of Speech and Drama and as someone who entered the industry at 16 without prior vocational training, there are things to be said for either route into the industry depending on your personal circumstances, opportunities, need to earn etc. I agree with Simon that that there are certain skills which further training should furnish you with including those lifelong learning skills and very valuable transferable skills. Learning in the workplace will often give you a high turnover of work and therefore experience of shows. I began my working life in a multi venue arts centre learning everything from theatre to rock'n'roll, exhibitions, dinners, working on stage, electrics, sound etc etc. A great grounding which gave me a huge variety of experience.

The advantage of opting for the training route is the variety of opportunities available to you and that you are more able to discover, refine and target the area of the industry you are interested in and then ( probably most importantly ) to enter the chosen area of the industry at a 'higher level' than is possible for most people entering the business. I entered the industry working in the provinces and worked my way to the West End, experienced diverse venues such as the Donmar Warehouse to the Dominion Theatre and along the way met some very good practitioners. I now have the opportunity of putting my students in contact with these practitioners and often they will continue working with the same people after leaving college. This access to the 'upper levels' of the industry took me many years but is available to ( good ) students as part of their training. As is often the case, it can be about contacts.

Again, I would not imply that one is better than another and that should you be sufficiently focused and motivated you couldn't achieve this independently but may be worth factoring in to your decisions.

 

Alastair

[James_Lyons]

Many thanks for all the input guys, apologies for not getting back sooner but I've been snowed under recently with lots and lots of plays around (16-20 I'd say since I posted this topic). I have decided that I'll probably do a degree in physics or electrical engineering with the possibility of a gap year first to gain some qualifications in outdoor pursuits.

 

Thanks again James