Alex222 Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Hi, I am calling on the knowledge base of this website to help me in finding the right people to contact about working on the technical side at T in the Park 2009. The last big project I worked on was the Edinburgh festival were I worked for C Venues as a swing tech (thinking on the spot allways fun) :blink: I am skilled in both lighting and sound although I would say I would be better placed to work on the sound side. Hopefully this post might help other people as well as me Will be very grateful of any reply's thanks. :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 It worries me slightly that "you're not fussed"? Where are your skill areas. In reality, what can you offer them in terms of skills and experience. That's all that's needed. The big stages will want 100% skilled people - the only real chance you have of getting on the job if people can recommend you - unless you're going out with the production managers daughter! These kind of events are not places where the production department take chances with untried people. They need to rely on people, so if they don't know you - there's little real chance of getting work - sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex222 Posted January 1, 2009 Author Share Posted January 1, 2009 Where are your skill areas. In reality, what can you offer them in terms of skills and experience. Think I will do an edit on the origional post, make it a bit more diret. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokm Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Unfortunately Alex, its not quite as simple as just ringing up either the LX or Sound production companies and going 'oh hello, I'd like to work on this event please.' Can't speak for the sound side of things, but Neg Earth have done the main stage last year and the past few years, as it is with most production companies, all the crew tend to be known/regular freelancers. Yes there is a chance you might be able to get in, but I'd be weary of just 'cold calling' requesting to work on one event. They might happily take your details/CV, but then all you can do is wait and see. Funnily enough though, Neg Earth do have a section on their website for job opportunities where IIRC, they do state they're looking to hear from people on industry related courses, so I'd suggest speaking to them in regards to that. Sorry its probably not the news you want to hear, but IMO, its better than you learn how things work in real world, rather than press on in a way which, as I said, might come back to haunt you later.. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDP Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Getting on the lighting side, no chance, unless you work for the local crew.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djw1981 Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Last byear I was told that the staging was Stagehire of Glasgow, if you are really not fussed what you do.....and assuming the person who told me was telling the truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete McCrea Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 That said if you rang up offering to keep the crew supplied with tea and coffee for the duration of the event, and expect no pay, you might be in with a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlyfarly Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 + 1 for tokm's reply.For a start, wanting to work on one particular "named" festival ain't generally a good way to get work. Knoworrimean? :blink: Be flexible and willing otherwise you just come across as a wannabee. Sorry to sound harsh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex222 Posted January 2, 2009 Author Share Posted January 2, 2009 wanting to work on one particular "named" festival ain't generally a good way to get work. Until I have had all these reply's I was not aware that the companies don't just get hire people in for one particular event like it is with the Edinburgh festival. Thanks for all the advice so far will have to get recommendations from people I have worked for/with before. Even if I manage to get work for the Rig and De-Rig and sort of general helper in the middle I would be happy as I’m sure an extra pair of hands wouldn’t go a miss :blink: . (even if some of the work isn’t paid) Alex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 These kind of things tend to have a kind of heirarchy - so they employ humpers who spend their time moving flightcases from the lorrys to the various areas. Pushing cases rarely gives you any insight into what's in them, or what they do with it. Once your jobs done, you go. There might be a place backstage where you can sit for 8 hours until you're needed again if an event is a single day, but anything over a day means you go home, and come back for the reverse of what you did. The bigger the event, the more compartmentalised it is. I guess it's the outside event version of getting a job front of house in a theatre because you are interested in what goes on, on stage. Only very rarely do you even meet the backstage people. Same thing with case humpers. You're expected to move boxes, then get out of peoples way. As a theatre type, this is where I have many fallouts when visiting people come from the festival or major outside events companies, and treat a house crew as 'humpers with no brains". This happens when 'Big' names start doing smaller tours in theatres. It's very different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokm Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Thanks for all the advice so far will have to get recommendations from people I have worked for/with before.Well, if you know people who are in with Neg, by all means ask them to give its a try.. Even though the chances are slim, its always worth asking! But if they don't, then no amount of 'references' will help.. Its often a case of reference's are only valid if the people giving them are known by the company your approaching! Even if I manage to get work for the Rig and De-Rig and sort of general helper in the middle I would be happy as I’m sure an extra pair of hands wouldn’t go a miss . (even if some of the work isn’t paid) Alex.The problem is Alex, is they'll still not likely to let you in, even if your around for free or 'just another pair of hands'.. Thats what locals are for, if they wanted another pair of hands, they'd hire an extra local, or if needs be.. another lampie. Yes there's a few occasions where there's someone young floating around on site, just for the experience, but they really are rare occasions and are usually related or friends, or have parents who are friends of, someone higher up the pecking order. Sorry Alex, think your going to have to give up on this one.. As I said, have a look into what I said in my first post, maybe something'll come from that. Best of luck for the future.. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LXbydesign Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 If you dont have any "inside contacts" to start with, the best thing you can do for the moment is to create a data base of all the production companies and then fire out e-mails with CV's. You might get one response out of 100 but thats how it goes. Its all chance really. I got into the events industry purely by accident as well. I was Chief LX at a theatre- and one day a company came in for a show and brought their own lighting guy. We got talking and it turned out he owned a lighting company. So the following month he takes me out to Monaco for 4 days running movers. After that I do a few more gigs with him subbed to an events production company. And then after a while the events company employ me direct as an LD as well as "senior LX". And so on.... So the moral is, think about the big picture!! Dont just think - oh, I wanna work on "xyz" what do I have to do?. Try and get ANY work on ANY event. You never know who could be on the crew or who might be watching you work! Reputation is the key. Reputation and reliability. Got those to assets, you'll be fine. But knowing a bit about lights / sound / whatever helps as well though!! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stagemanagement Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 I don't think you've got much chance, but if you want to cold call the best bet is the Scottish companies rather than giants like Neg Earth and SSE etc. Here's a list of some "local" companies, try it and see: Stagehire Scotland - Andy Smith (boss) Glasgow Stage Crew - various, check the website SM Lighting - Scott Monroe (boss) CPE(lighting) - Chris Gillies (boss) Scorpio Sound - Dave Pringle (boss) (this is a last resort as Dave is very unlikely to try anyone who hasn't had a baptism at a 12 hour techno-fest!!) Sound Acoustics - Tommy Gorman (boss) or Billy Leslie Blue Audio - Nadar (boss) I'm afraid it wouldn't be right to dole out their numbers, but you'll get appropriate details from their websites. You could also try DF Concerts and see if they need a stamp licker!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex222 Posted January 3, 2009 Author Share Posted January 3, 2009 Hi thanks for all of the reply's I have been looking into some of the companies and found a couple that I haven't directly worked for but have worked for other companies that have been working with them on an event at the time so hopefully could get a lead from that. Also know through son’s/daughter’s people high up or at the top in one case in the management division side of the event so fingers crossed. :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenW2 Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Last year we managed to get 2 small DJ systems in at the last minute, but we spent a lot of time up there just finding out who was doing what - EFX Audio did the NME stage - they are based in Bathgate. Blue Audio (Nadar) - Glasgow based had a small DJ system in the hospitality area. Scorpio - Didn't find what they were doing. Sound Acoustics - Lots of NEXO around which may have been theirs. Apart from that, we were surprised at how many English companies had travelled all the way up to put in small systems.........I would have thought the diesel & travel time would have made the costs prohibitive, but that's rock N roll for you................. Best of luck............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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