Aaron-Hill07 Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Evening all, I've been working for a good two years as a technician on a variety of gigs (Big & Small) and I work freelance for 2 or 3 companies but I'm looking for new places that are in need or would accept new technicians where I can gain employment or even work experience. I'm thinking companies such as Stagecoach etc. Now I don't know many companies such as Stagecoach who take on technicians to gain experience. I'm 16, based in Essex although travelling by train/bus/etc is absolutely fine with me! My website is: www.Aaron-Hill.co.uk which has an almost full portfolio of my work (Some things are missing which I need to add in!) If your reading this and know of places that I could contact, please reply on the topic or via PM! Thanks in advance,Aaron Hill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biro Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I work freelance for 2 or 3 companies I'm 16 Oxymoron? Are you looking for Weekday or Weekend placements? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron-Hill07 Posted December 20, 2009 Author Share Posted December 20, 2009 Why is that an Oxymoron? I'm looking for both! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Why is that an Oxymoron?Because at the age of 16, you're still in compulsory full-time education. Therefore you're not a freelancer. A freelancer is someone who earns a full-time living by supplying their services to a variety of companies rather than working for one single employer. You may well be, on the other hand, someone who does some casual work for the aforementioned companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron-Hill07 Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 I'm actually not in full time compulsory education as I'm nearly 17 and left school last June. I didn't realise freelancing had to be your main income to be a freelancer but now I do! In which case, I work as a casual technician for 2 or 3 companies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I'm nearly 17Or, to put it another way, you're 16. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo7744 Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Why is that an Oxymoron?Because at the age of 16, you're still in compulsory full-time education. Therefore you're not a freelancer. A freelancer is someone who earns a full-time living by supplying their services to a variety of companies rather than working for one single employer. You may well be, on the other hand, someone who does some casual work for the aforementioned companies. Actually Gareth, It is possible to be a full-time employee earning a full-time living or be a student and be a freelancer (part time or 40+ hours a week) working for a variety of companies ;) The term "Freelancer" cannot be associated to someone that is only self employed...... That's something that has been covered many many time's before?!? Jimbo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biro Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I wouldn't put 30th April as being 'nearly 17..' thats nearly May. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron-Hill07 Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 Ok, I'm 16 and 2 thirds then ;) Can we go back to the original question now? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I don't usually get involved in these "bash the teenager for bigging himself up" threads but, in this case.... Aaron, your website (which you referred us to) states that you are presently taking a 2 year technical theatre course but your third post in this topic says: I'm actually not in full time compulsory education as I'm nearly 17 and left school last June. Now, inclusion of the word "compulsory" may make it possible to argue that your post is technically accurate but you're relying pretty heavily on a technicality. You're still in full time education. Similarly, your web site (with no mention of your age) says you've been freelancing as a professional technician for 18 months; your original post says 2 years. However, with the age you have stated, this would mean you have been a professional freelancer since your were 14 years old. How likely is this? (And, for that matter, how many of the "jobs" listed on your web site are school shows or amdram?) Unlike some other posters, I see nothing wrong with your desire to get into the industry or your post asking for suggestions of other places and ways you can get experience. That said, as soon as you try to mislead people about your present situation or you actual level of experience, the replies you can expect will inevitably divert the topic into the sort of flame war you're seeing here. The Blue Room can be an excellent resource for students and those starting out on a career. If there is one thing I'd like to say to all our younger members, it's "be straight with us about your status, your experience and the reason for your question". If, at 16 you're getting occasional casual shifts from a couple of local venues, more power to your elbow--but tell us that. Don't try to imply you've been a professional freelancer since you were 14 since patently you haven't. To any other of our younger members, let this be a lesson. Be honest and you'll get lots of useful help. Try to pull the wool over older eyes and you WILL be found out and you WON'T get the answers you need Never forget that the grumpy git replying to your question might also be the Technical Manager reading your job application tomorrow. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Sorry, Aaron, but I'll (not surprisingly) come down on the side of the cautionary advice here. The word 'Freelance' usually (not always, I'm sure) evoke an expectation of that dirty phrase amongst the younger generation - "Real Experience". At 16, I'm afraid, despite what you may feel, you cannot have had the time spent working with and learning about the way things work in the business - from the practical side as well as the technical. I'd put this down as the same big issue many of us have with those setting up their own 'business' at the get go when they leave school. There are just SO many things you need to be aware of, and have covered off (I won't go through them again here!!). To be a freelancer you need to be able to walk into a situation for a job you've secured (usually on your own merit) and work alone or as part of a team to get the job done without having to be told HOW to do it. OK, there will be times in every freelancer's working life where they'll come across something new and unfamiliar, but how they deal with that at the time will depend heavily on their experience and work methods. The advice here therefore is the same. Forget actual freelancing for a while and either enrol on a decent college course for technician work or look at getting casual/part time work at a local venue or two to start honing your skills. Or indeed both. I would guess that there aren't too many freelance 16-yr olds on the market..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Aaron. Bus and train are pretty useless means of travel in our business. First thing you need are driving lessons, and access to a car as soon as you're 17 - or at least a moped. Walking out of a venue late at night and being able to get home is pretty vital. Nowadays, the ability to get about safely means that you might get work on your doorstep, but going further afield is a bit silly/dangerous. My advice is simple. Carry on at college. Take any work locally until you can expand your area. For what it's worth - all the rubbish this topic got sidetracked onto is all about 'status' and 'job title'. My experience is that your real status - and this applies to people at uni who are 21/22 too - is simply student. Student is not a dirty word, we were all one once. It's about people's perceptions. You think (it seems to me) that describing yourself as a student is somehow bad? It isn't. I've always been quite happy paying students to work on shows for me. I don't call it work experience. I call it work. The Taxman takes his chunk, then often gives it you back in April. They take tax from your work, but still call you a student. If you look at many people's profiles on the BR who we know are students, they describe themselves as anything but a student. The reason topic like this boil over is that everything the 'typical' student shouts about is so obviously school and college. If you look in the sections show your show and show your school show - there are two distinct types of production evident in the pictures - not always in the correct sections sometimes! We can look at the photo and mentally 'tag' it. No matter what description might be used for their work on it - I suspect many of us make our minds up in a fraction of a second. I can do it with my own pictures - it's easy to say school/college/amateur/professional as appropriate. It doesn't matter. My own view is that school and college shows are education. Despite attempts at professionalism, they aren't - because that's not what they are for. Amateur and professional shows are NOT education and are different in aims and objectives. I'm officially self-employed. I suppose I'm some kind of prostitute - selling things I can do to people who want them (or sometimes just have been told they need them). I never call myself freelance. My own interpretation is that people who are freelance can have many employers, and when not working, they can sign on. I can't. Can you? If you are on a college course, being fully or part-funded by the Government - don't forget each BTEC student is costing somebody a couple of grand a year - then you cannot sign on unless you leave college. To my mind, this stops students being able to use the term 'freelance' - because they are not free to take work if it impinges on the college course. Does it really matter? To be honest, if everyone who was a student was actually proud of being a student, we'd never have these fallouts. Student only becomes a dirty word when it's use implies lazy git scrounging from the tax payer rather than getting a proper job. Students on here are always keen for work - so must be good ones! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron-Hill07 Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 Thanks for all of the replies so far and for the constructive criticism.. seems I've misunderstood the term freelancer somewhat in which case, I work as a casual technician instead of a freelancer! Also, I am currently at college but looking for work instead of college as I'm not really enjoying the course as it's at a bit of a basic level 90% of the time! I make 99% of my money from working in the industry, and on my online portofolio the work I have listed only includes about two shows I worked on whilst at school! I do a lot of work outside of college, some of which isn't on that porfolio! I'm not trying to big myself up in anyway as I'm one of the teenagers that understands I have ALOT to learn, I know basics possibly a bit more but there are so many things I can't do.. Yet I am willing to put my hand up and say that because as others have said I have only been working in the industry for 2 years or so. I did start working as a casual technician when I was around 14 as a volunteer for a local company for monthly shows and also am-dram but since I've hit the 16 mark I've been able to work on bigger and better things due to insurance and health and safety etc. Paul, I know that buses etc are pretty useless but working in London is sometimes quite easy only using trains and public transport which is why I mentioned it! Bobbsy - If you go onto the ''about me'' page, it says my age on there! I'm not afraid to say how old I am which is why I made sure it's on there for everyone to see! I have tried to be as honest as I can yet I think some of this has come accross differently so I apologise for the way it's been worded and I hope everything is now clear! Thanks again,Aaron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLightsTech Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 One more thing-- you're 16 and a rigger? I know on my side of the pond you'd have to be 18 to do rigging professionally. I'm not doubting you're abilities at all, just the laws/insurance cos/ect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I suspect he doesn't mean he's a rigger - as in the job title - 'rigger', but he rigs equipment from structures already present, as many of us do. So the term 'rigging' works, but perhaps this doesn't mean he is a 'rigger'. To be frank, I've always found this one particularly daft - as the word just confuses. However, we don't have a better one, do we? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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