numberwrong Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 What do people call themselves on CVs cards etc? I would probably describe myself as a lighting technician but have had plenty of production notes with engineer written next to my name. Does the position of 'Lighting Engineer' even exist? or are you either a Tec, LD, or Programmer. What if you're all three as well as doing a bit of rigging and power.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Some people get all huffy about the use of "engineer" by sound engineers as they aren't "real" engineers... Personally I think it's just a label, and the experience and background should be more important. That said, I'd go with "technician" rather than engineer for this particular question, as you are doing something technical. 2c. David (who should be finishing 2 assignments...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 In the UK it isn't just "huffy", terms like electrician and engineer have definitive meanings, often decided by legal precedent. They depend on qualifiers and sometimes on institute memberships. If you say you are an entertainments rigger, for instance, you might just have to prove that to a judge someday. Technician is a general term and can be debated, engineer can't. Technician means: One whose occupation requires training in a specific technical process OR a worker trained with special skills, especially in science or engineering. Thus students cannot be technicians and neither can I since I earned my living managing technicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldradiohand Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 For years the Engineering Council have lobbied to make the term engineer dependant on the membership of an approved body. I call myself a sound engineer because I've worked all my life as a sound operator/trainer and I've got the appropriate letters after my name because of a detour into electronic engineering earlier in my career. Technically I'm a sound technician with an IET membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 It's a bit industry usage specific really - TV engineer has been a job title for years and very few have any for of engineer qualification. If somebody claimed to be a mechanical or electrical engineer then I'd expect them to be a 'proper' engineer, but I wouldn't expect the same thing for sound engineer or TV engineer. I personally have never used or even heard (I don't think) "lighting engineer" from somebody in the industry, although I've often heard non-industry people ask for one! Lighting currently needs Designer, Technician, Programmer or Operator after it I think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timd Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 As far as I'm concerned, the term engineer is totally dependent on what comes before it, so the definition of civil, chemical, structural and mechanical engineers is well defined and protected whereas software, sound and automotive engineer is less well defined. The thing is engineer covers a very broad spectrum of activities not really met by other occupations with protected titles. If you say you're a surveyor or a doctor, it gives a pretty clear idea of what you do. Say you're an engineer and you could be doing anything from drilling operations on an oil rig to designing circuit boards or software! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callumb Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 ??? http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedd Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Sadly I think the term engineer used to have far more standing than it has today. I speak slightly selfishly as somebody who (I hope) can rightly claim the title engineer, through recognition of an engineering institution. I don't use them, but I could stick some letters after my name if I wanted because of it. Go to somewhere like Germany and you'll find the title engineer used with the same recognition and respect as the title doctor. For that reason I've got to put my hand up and say I'm one of those people who do get a bit huffy about this! In the world of am dram it's actually quite interesting to see how you get labelled in the programme. I've had a whole range of titles, from simply "sound" to "sound engineer", "sound technician" and "sound designer". I think the latter is my favorite as it reinforces my belief that good theatre sound is not purely a technical exercise, but an artistic one too. I tend to label anybody working for me as a technician, which I think just naturally comes from the day job - a technician being a lower grade than an engineer, and usually working under the supervision and inspection of one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 To clarify, my use of the word "huffy" might not have been the best choice of word, but it was more of an observation, than a reflection of my own thoughts on the matter. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numberwrong Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 I think the companies that I work for in the corporate world put down 'Lighting Engineer' because it looks good on the production notes/invoice for the end client. I too think the word Engineer is over-used or miss-used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Anecdote Alert!!!!I think everyone understood that "telephone engineer" was the accepted term but in court one day, one of my coinbox guys was giving evidence in a very serious vandalism case about the level of damage to a kiosk. The case involved an emergency in which someone had died whilst the box was out of service. The defence brief ripped him a new one purely on the basis of calling himself an engineer and the case fell apart on that single factor of evidence validity. Just to remind everyone that even in the Bullsh1t world of entertainment the requirements for a professional Lighting Designer are;Evidence of at least 2 years work as a professional lighting designer. Evidence of contracts/employment as a lighting designer to light a minimum of 6 productions or events in different venues within the last two years. Proposed by another Professional Member of the ALD. Even they are jealously protective and rightly so. Anyone can be a member or associate of LDA but they still aren't LD's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainwave-generator Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Does it really matter? People get hired on reputation, not the term they describe themselves by on their business cards. Call yourself the "Lighting Panda" if it makes you feel better it won't make a lot of difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junior8 Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Old definition: "An engineer is someone who can do for ten bob (50p) what anybody else could do for a quid!" Do you qualify? I don't... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigclive Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 For years the Engineering Council have lobbied to make the term engineer dependant on the membership of an approved body. I call myself a sound engineer because I've worked all my life as a sound operator/trainer and I've got the appropriate letters after my name because of a detour into electronic engineering earlier in my career. Technically I'm a sound technician with an IET membership. well for a start, the engineering "council" (Who elected them?) don't own the word "engineer". traditionally it was applied to people who actually worked with engines and associated mechanical equipment. (An engine is officially a device that converts energy into motion.) I tend to think of an engineer as being someone who works hands-on with technical equipment at a component level. I think the word "technician" is better suited to other less grubby technologies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldradiohand Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 For years the Engineering Council have lobbied to make the term engineer dependant on the membership of an approved body. I call myself a sound engineer because I've worked all my life as a sound operator/trainer and I've got the appropriate letters after my name because of a detour into electronic engineering earlier in my career. Technically I'm a sound technician with an IET membership. well for a start, the engineering "council" (Who elected them?) don't own the word "engineer". traditionally it was applied to people who actually worked with engines and associated mechanical equipment. (An engine is officially a device that converts energy into motion.) I tend to think of an engineer as being someone who works hands-on with technical equipment at a component level. I think the word "technician" is better suited to other less grubby technologies.You have an odd concept of engineers! The engineering council (or its predecessor) was set up by the engineering institutions, civil, mechanical and electrical to be a central register of accredited engineers and technicians. They'd like to own the term "engineer" and give it some meaning in society at large. I'm glad the GMC own the title "doctor of medicine", aren't you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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