Joe Bleasdale Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Hi all, My ambition is to be a freelance lighting programmer,and I am planning on starting early.I already have 2 years experiance programming strand 550 and 520 consoles. I am planning to speciallise in thw wholehog 3/iPC When I find a course for them! Anyway, is there any age restrictions to being a freelance programmer? I have searched google and the wiki but found nothing. thanks in advance joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Coker Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Excellent. If you could just let me have a copy of your PLI, confirmation of your tax status from the IR, your NI number, a current CV and a couple of references you may well have a job. Oh...I probably need a note from your headmaster giving consent to your absence from school for the rest of term too. :D KC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightnix Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 If you could just let me have a copy of your PLI, confirmation of your tax status from the IR, your NI number......and don't forget to add the name and address of your accountant :D Seriously, though... the traditional route to being an operator, is to get at least a couple of year's experience as a technician under your belt first; usually starting off in the warehouse. There are few, if any companies, who will let an unknown and inexperienced operator loose on their shows, just like that - no matter how much training they've done. You'll need to develop a good reputation and track record first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Bleasdale Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 ohh thats ok then, as I know plenty of managers of lighting hire companys, and they said they will employ me when im 16! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightnix Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Fantastic, who you know is just as important (if not more so) than what you know :) IME a driving licence is also invaluable for any freelancer (or "self-employed contractor", as they are increasingly becoming known). Many crew-bookers (including the big names like PRG) are also starting to insist that all freelancers carry IOSH Safety Passports, if they want to work on-site. Have a search of the forums for terms such as "Freelancing" - there have been a fair few in-depth discussions on the subject over the years and you may well find something of use, even if they're not specifically related to operating. All the best with your career :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete LD Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 [I already have 2 years experiance programming strand 550 and 520 consoles. Also be aware that alough you may have experiance programming, you might nor even know half of what there is to know about a Strand 500 and a lighting designer will want you to be able to do everything!Get lots more experiance of programming! And most jobs will require you to be a production LX aswell.Driving is good skill too!Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
live Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Hi Joe,You have to start somewhere in this industry and been based in Liverpool I'd start with giving thease people a ring with a view to "tagging along" on job'sMartin at Adlight (Adlib Audio)Pete at KickpaRitchie at Saville Audio VisualJimmy at DSLColin at MerseysoundEnthusiasm for the job (as well as ability) will always win people over.Good luck!g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zonino Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 IME a driving licence is also invaluable for any freelancer (or "self-employed contractor", as they are increasingly becoming known). probably because the term "freelancer" has no legal definition and is therefore ambiguous, however "self-employed contractor" does have a legal definition. The fact that you might not be is a different and increasingly complex matter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Oh...I probably need a note from your headmaster giving consent to your absence from school for the rest of term too. Reminds me of this thread on the high end site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indyld Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 I already have 2 years experiance programming strand 550 and 520 consoles. I am planning to speciallise in thw wholehog 3/iPC When I find a course for them! Enthusiasm and a strong career goal is to be applauded. But let's take a step back. There are very few freelancers who solely make their day rate from just programming, let alone on one or two console models. I would be surprised if the Hog 3 was the weapon of choice in the next 5 - 10 years. But it doesn't really matter. As a programmer, you need to fully understand top flight lighting design and production electrics, as well a knowing which buttons to push. You gain all this experience by the usual ground-up, learning on the job and cutting gel for LD's and production LX's with years of experience. During that time, influential employers learn to trust you and you build up a long standing relationship with an LD or two. Then you might be lucky and end up working with an international LD with a never ending stream of work for a dedicated programmer. Not many of my peers ended up doing that. Most freelancers will LD, Prod LX , op shows and do whatever it takes to keep the cheques coming in. The work of a freelancer is not programming the Olympics, it's chucking some kit into a venue, getting the best in the time available and getting the hell out of there. The market is saturated at the moment and the work situation is on a downturn that I haven't experienced in 15 years as a freelancer. Budgets are being tightened, and the first ones out the door are the specialists. So keep your eyes and your options open. Don't let anyone put you off your dreams off becoming a top flight freelance programmer - but have a plan that is realistic based on short term, achievable goals - and good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjkered Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Excellent. If you could just let me have a copy of your PLI, confirmation of your tax status from the IR, your NI number, a current CV and a couple of references you may well have a job. Oh...I probably need a note from your headmaster giving consent to your absence from school for the rest of term too. :P KCWhy oh why do we keep knocking kids on this forum. It is a Chat room after all but it is getting very boring to keep knocking kids, lets us be constructive. Also is it just me, but I have noticed that the lighting side of the forum knocks the kids but yet you don't see it on the ,sound side. I am sure this is a whole new Topic in its own right if the moderators want to move it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 How is Ken's post not constructive? It points out some of the realities of working in this industry which it is likely the OP did not think of David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 David Elsbury: Freelance Lighting/AV/Sound technician should tell the OP what reality in this business is like. I don't know anyone who merely programmes consoles, let alone one type of console.Ken is right to be reasonably harsh, I would go further and say, become a qualified electrician and then get into lighting, it will do the OP far more good than a degree in LX with the attendant loan repayments. At least he will earn a living as a sparks between waiting to programme a console.Enjoy your youth and make the decisions when you need to, do the research, work at anything which will give you good experience, be prepared to be low on the totem pole and work your way up. But mainly, enjoy life, having an open mind as a teenager and not making the future dependant on one job is best. Things are changing really fast now and the pace of change will be phenomenal in this industry. Keep your options open. On a lighter note, it doesn't really matter anyway. By the time the OP is half my age Merseyside will be under water as the ice-caps melt!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 I don't know anyone who merely programmes consoles, let alone one type of console. Really? I do, mainly in TV and those guys will do it forever, I know a few people that make 75+K a year just programming one type of console it is however near impossible to get into and lets be honest if you were doing it you wouldn't stop till you you have to and as it doesn't involve the lifting and the manual side that the rest of the industry does you can last a lot longer than most techs before your back goes and you have to rethink... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 David Elsbury: Freelance Lighting/AV/Sound technician should tell the OP what reality in this business is like.Sorry, you are asking me to tell the OP what the business is like, or you are saying that that statement is indicitave of what this business is like? Not quite following ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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