Anyone from a School?

[smalljoshua]

I doubt many student 'technicians' or 'Head of..s' visit the staffroom, sit in on briefings, sit in on staff meetings, attend staff training days, discuss future plans and budgets with Estates Managers, Bursars or Heads.

There may of course be the odd exception.

An interesting crossover category is the schools who employ 6th form Students, generally mostly just as lunchtime assistants/cleaners to give them an extra money. Once I'd left, I managed to persuade my old place to take on a 6th form student as staff to cover the technical duties for performances thus giving them a level of access to other staff/budgets/training that they needed. Once this student left the school, he was taken on permanently.

 

I don't think it's a regular thing but two places near me did it within 18 months of each other!

 

Most other schools in the city, whether they have a student tech or not, just get in a freelancer for their shows and assessments. As more and more places are moving towards Academy Status, the public facing events are being run to a much higher level. It is becoming increasingly important to the schools to appear professional and "glossy" so I feel a shift to using more paid/skilled (not always the latter, it must be said) will continue to happen in order to keep the corporate bosses of the place happy.

 

Josh

[STCM_Tech]

sleah dont give away all the fun things we get to do!! haha

 

I am a paid technician at a secondary school, I cover media studies and performing arts as well as whole school events. I have never heard of this "Student Technician" role but I do have a number of "AV Prefects" who are students who help out with events so I guess thats kind of the same? I think it is a great thing to have, it s equipping the younger generation who will one day but working in the industry.

 

I for one have a funny story of how I came to work in the industry [or as in the industry as a school technician is] I was a student at this school, while being a student I was an AV Prefect, I learnt so so much and by sixth form I could do pretty much everything that I saw the technician at the time do [obviously didn't see all the behind the scenes bit and bobs] Six months after leaving the school I was head hunted by the Head of Media and asked to apply for the technicians job. In the interview the other candidate was also an ex student who had been an AV Prefect and like me had gone on to experience a small part of working in the industry.

 

I think this shows that "AV Prefects" or "Student Technicians" are roles we shouldn't forget are important to the future of our industry, it is where their love for this kind of thing starts. I know of a fair few students [past and present] that work in the industry and are very very skilled at what they do.

[sleah]

Nice little story there STCM_Tech :)

Not a million miles from my story... I was about to do my 'O' levels in year 11 (5th year in old money) and was essentially head hunted by my current employer, I didn't get involved in AV directly at the time, but my Careers Master (as they called back then) evidently recognised my potential - the rest, as they say is history!

 

You may have gather from this thread the issue is with students who are given titles which don't really match what they do, and they end up with ideas above their station.

To be fair it usually through naivety rather than deliberate attempt to undermind anyone or their position.

 

To put some balance to it, we have a student who could easily be the 'student' technician if we alowed such a thing. He is knowledgeable, enthusiastic, capable and very easy to get along with. he is just 16 and has been activly involved with the drama department for 2 or 3 years now.

He does not have ideas of grandure within the school, he knows his place - and I mean that in the nicest way.

During his GCSE drama moderation presentation, he actually mentioned me and a colleague in connection with working along side school staff. It would have made no difference to his presentation to have mentioned us, but it demonstrated his understanding of where he fitted in and his ability to work as a team member. I was most impressed! :)

I hope he stays on to 6th form, he takes some of the pressure from me!!! :** laughs out loud **:

[ojc123]

As more and more places are moving towards Academy Status, the public facing events are being run to a much higher level. It is becoming increasingly important to the schools to appear professional and "glossy" so I feel a shift to using more paid/skilled (not always the latter, it must be said) will continue to happen in order to keep the corporate bosses of the place happy.

 

Josh

 

That's exactly what is driving the upgrade I'm trying to put together now. My challenge is to get as much out of it as I can for the rest of the School's activities.

 

I am paid, I'm sometimes not so sure about the skilled. :(

 

I've been on the phone for advice to one of my ex 'student technicians' who is now much more widely experienced than I am. There are a few I can call on.

[STCM_Tech]

sleah, I think you are right about 'student technicians' or whatever you want to call them. The AV Prefects at my work know they are a team of students who help out when needed. Saying that though they do have responsibilities and often set up small systems without my supervision once I know they can be trusted. I think it is getting that balance right that will build them up in experience and knowledge but also not trying to make them part of the staff.

[Robin D]

The other issue to be considered is the legal position if something did go wrong and someone was hurt. I don't believe that giving a child 'responsibility' for something would stand up to scrutiny if they are seen to be largely unsupervised. Industry norm safe working practices must apply and be insisted on. i.e. Never work alone. What to do if? Manual Handling. Working at height. How to do things when other kids are running around.

 

I'm no H & S jobsworth, and have no difficulty with teaching this to any 'sensible' child as long as they are taught properly with the biggest emphasis on safety. I find it slightly worrying that certain posts here seem to indicate that some 'student technicians' are working unsupervised handling what potentially is very dangerous, if not lethal equipment.

[CraigG]

Reading these opinions on "student techs" is interesting, compared wih the way our school works.

 

We have no adult technicians, or even specific

drama staff, at the school, just 2 members of staff. They oversee all h&s aspects, such as conducting PAT, approving finished rigging and power distro, and working at heights. But they accept their tech knowledge is limited, and all design aspects, choosing of hire orders, power and data runs etc. are done by the lx and sound prefects, who do siy in on some staff production and budget meetings, then work is checked off by staff

 

I'll just follow this up with a disclaimer that I wanna avoid coming across as arrogant or elevated sense of importance; I apprecaite we all still have a lot to learn, and we do contact old prefects now working in inductry and hire companies for advice when needed, or physics staff for electrics

It's just nice to see how much independance we get

[paulears]

If the staff are not technical, then how can they check the work? The facts would seem to be tricky to negotiate. The staff have a duty of care over the students. The students must not be placed in position where there are legalities to consider. From what you've described, the school will be in serious trouble if anyone has an accident. A member of staff who is not technical, signing off technical activities they do not understand must border on negligence. If one happens to be the H&S person, then their position is frankly insane!

 

At the best, you are at risk of hurting yourself or others and at worst somebody could have (to use the current phrase) a life changing injury.

 

EDIT

I take this back. A little investigation shows the school have an excellent record and some VERY highly qualified staff in the school. I suspect that Craig's description is a little unbalanced.

The information is here.

[Ynot]

I think it's been said many times before - the problem with schools is a distinct lack of understanding.

 

That doesn't make the teachers or ancillary staff thick, or obstructive as a rule, it just means they have an obvious ignorance of how things need to be done and indeed CAN be done with regard to theatre.

 

And with all the additional pressures on teaching staff these days (remember I'm married to one and have many friends and family in the profession) it's hardly surprising that a lot of them take the 'easy' routes. That sometimes means allowing students a little more freedom than perhaps they should, or at the other extreme, citing generic H & S 'rules' as reasons why things can't be done, like change lamps because they're up on those metal bars out of reach, or can't use stage make-up because it might bring a student out in a rash.

 

Some schools recognise their shortcomings, and try to do the right thing and bring in outsiders to compliment the teaching staff for drama.

 

I look back over my life within theatre work and can name many schools that I've done just that. I worked on MANY shows for a local junior school in my twenties, because one of the teachers there was big with our am dram group - I was there so often that I was almost treated like one of the staff, most of whom knew me.

 

The am dram group itself performed in what used to be my secondary school, and yes, as a teen I started to get my hands dirty on the stage (following my old man) both with them and the odd school production.

 

In more recent years I've gone into several schools and rigged lights, staging, sound gear and pyro - and for one secondary school I seem to have become their 'go-to' guy for anything tech. They have a main hall stage, on which I've lit 3 or 4 full productions, as well as several dance shows (taking in where necassry hired movers or extra generics, and also supplying additional generic kit to augment their stock). They also have a studio space, which I am the only person they'll allow to rig and point (caretaking staff will literally put up or take down the lanterns but that's about it - anything else they call me (and pay me) to do).

[CraigG]

I take this back. A little investigation shows the school have an excellent record and some VERY highly qualified staff in the school. I suspect that Craig's description is a little unbalanced.

The information is here.

 

Sorry if the description came across misleading. The staff we have whilst not industry professionals have all had a passion for tech, and both staff and some students where appropriate have done course and qualifications for mobile towers, pyro and rigging

 

A bit OT, very interesting how with a name and loose area information, one can find all sorts of information on a person, their school, their team. But nice to know we have a good reputation

[paulears]

It would have been tricky had you been John Smith, I suspect!

[hellarda]

I am, as you put it, a 'Student Technician' at my school. (Well I have just left) but I have headed and coordinated the Technical team for the last 2 and a half years or so, and there has been pretty much no adult input. We are very privileged at my school to have a couple of parents who are in the industry (UK CEO of probably the largest lighting/technical events company around and another who is head of a large audio company).

 

I have been in charge of sound for all the productions from the last 3 years and we have gradually progressed up with the kit we have. The first system we used consisted of an M7CL and an L'Acoustics Kiva/Kilo system. The first time we used it, yes we had supervision from the parent who was lending the kit, however after the first show, all the following shows (where we used the same kit and then L'Acoustics Kara and SB18's along with Yamaha PM5Ds and DSP5Ds) were entirely set up by the 'Student Technicians' (only under health and safety adult supervision - no technical input whatsoever). I can now confidently setup/rig/use the L'Acoustics systems and Yamaha consoles by myself - purely through my experience as a 'Student Technician'

 

The school have now employed a full time technician, as I was leaving, to take on and supervise all technical aspects. And he has been happy to chat with me about my opinions and thoughts on how best to upgrade and use the hall. Plus taken contacts off of me for use for future shows (For the previous shows I personally arranged the hires, and it was not done through the school - except the signing of the cheque!)

 

I have learnt a great deal from doing this at school and I have had a lot of fun being involved so heavily with all the technical aspects of the shows and am quite sad to be leaving as I will probably not get to use such great kit for a while - at least a few years into my career!

[MrBoomal]

Just reading this whole topic it is so amazing the difference between us oldies and the young upstarts.

 

Experience is a wonderful and sobering thing.

 

All of the students etc are desperate to update and are so frustrated, where as, I showed this topic to many different friends with umpteen years of experience, and we agreed that going to a venue with a dozen lighting channels and a load of old equipment would be fun.

 

We would have to be really creative (like we used to be), make every light do four different jobs.

 

So, what I would say is this. Never say, "I can not do this because I only have XYZ.". Think, how can we do something similar with XYZ.

 

There's always a compromise and a solution.

[Sherminator99]

At my school we have an ETC Ion, 12 mac 250s. 2 mac 550

72 way hard patched dimming, intelligent lighting, A Robert And Juliet Buxie follow spot, 6 channel pyro firing station,

Yamaha ls9-32 sound desk

 

24 x Selecon Rama Fresnels 1200w

 

4 x ETC Source 4 Zoom Profile 25/50 750w

 

14x ETC Source 4 Zoom Profile 15/30 750w

 

8x ETC Source 4 Junior Zoom 25/50 575w

 

12 x Encore Parcan 64 CP62

 

4x Selecon Hui Cyc 4 Way Flood BaZon 1000w

 

6x Selecon Compact Fresnel 1000w

 

12x CP16 Birdies 240v

 

3x Strand Cantata 18/32 profile 1200w

 

 

 

I must point out that my School theatre gets rented out a lot!!

 

[indyld]

While it is great that a good number of schools are well equipped (some might say over equipped) it does leave the potential for disappointment when one gets into the real world, particularly in traditional theatre.

A common conversation at uni recruitment days is:

 

"so, all that education you talked about is great but what kit have you got?"

 

"Each venue is equipped to the same standard or better than you would expect to find in industry."

 

"In my school we had...... Have you got any...?"

 

"No, we hire them"

 

"How often?"

 

"When the LD specs then."

 

"How often do they spec them?"

 

"Not very often. They find out during their first year that most of what they want is better achieved with fresnels and profiles..."

 

We stock enough toys in order to teach current practice but ultimately they aren't what makes a good course.

My heart always sinks a little when you realise that, to some, going to uni is seen as a way to play with more toys than they had at school.