How did you get into the industry?

[Catherine]

Hey guys!

 

As a newbie to the industry I like to hear about how people got into the industry.

 

So come on let's hear your stories!!

[Thirdtap]

'Lo

It all started in secondary school when I wanted to be a roadie and tour with rock bands. Did a youth project at the local theatre one summer and got on the books as a casual and started work in October. Many years and pantos later I still do casual 'work' at the theatre.

[Piers Shepperd]

1) Got called into the school hall when I was 13, because I was the only one with a soldering iron.

Repaired some very dodgy speakers for the school dance, and got into lighting / sound for school productions.

2) Discovered there was more fun working behind the scenes than in front.

2a) Burnt down school hall roof aged 15 due to experiments with Pyro

3) Worked at local theatre doing follow spotting as volunteer. Moved up to board op

4) Did National Youth Theatre for two seasons during summer holidays

5) Got job as accounts clerk

6) Resigned

7) Read lighting & sound international

8) Left home and drove to London to get a job with a lighting company I'd seen in Lighting & Sound International.

9) Knocked on door at Vari-lite/Samuelsons in Cricklewood, and was taken on for one week to spray truss black

10) Continued to spray truss black, but was finally allowed to load trucks (much better for the lungs)

11) Progressed through warehouse, repairing lamps, cables, loading more trucks, control equipment

12) Five years of that progressed to be an account handler for Theatre Projects / Samuelson Concert Productions.

13) Two years of that and became a production electrician

14) Left and became freelance

15) Toured round Europe extensively as climbing electrician

16) Learnt Autocad

17) Worked with Brilliant Stages drawing up fabrication drawings for large technical things

18) Worked with Mark Fisher drawing up technical presentations for more large technical things

19) Currently doing technical design for the 2004 Olympics in Athens

 

 

As I've worked in the industry, five things seem to be important;

1) Ability to get on with people

2) Sense of humour

3) Be professional

4) Enjoyment

5) Experience

 

Points 1 to 4 can be done by anyone at any level from newbie to old hand

Point 5 just takes commitment and lots of time

 

Have fun and whenever possible giggle,

 

Piers

[Thirdtap]

2a) Burnt down school hall roof aged 15 due to experiments with Pyro

 

Maybe another topic?

'What has been your worst mistake whilst working on a production?'

 

This all depends on what people feel comfortable to owning up to.

Might be able to include urban myth ish stories 'a freind of a friend' to protect the not so innocent.

[Guest Stuart B]

Hey guys!

 

As a newbie to the industry I like to hear about how people got into the industry.

 

So come on let's hear your stories!! 

Acted at school & in NYT. Wanted to act, so I wrote to Rose Bruford, among others. Filled in forms for acting course; had crisis of confidence & decided that if I wanted to work in theatre I'd better do a technical course, since the acting one would only qualify me for polishing cafe tables or telesales. Phoned up Bruford's & lied about losing the form; they sent me another, I filled it in for the technical course & blagged my way on to that at interview, complete with phoney drawings of a "set" that we were using for a school play. Haven't regretted a single day of it, and have been out of work for about four months in the last 21 years, so I must have made the right decision!