A career as a sound technician

[dfinn]

Hiya,

 

I'm in a situation which I'm sure many others have been in at some point. Its coming to the end of my GCSE year and I am definitely doing to be carrying on with AS and A2 Levels at my high schools college.

 

However I am undecided about what I want to do as a career and my two ideas are very very different.

 

I have a love for technical theatre and just cannot get enough of it. I'm there as early as the school will let me and and go home sometimes last at night because I've stayed back to do technical work. I feel that I am addicted to it and I love it. I am always planning how I would set everything and last night actually drew out where each piece of equipment would go on the technical operating area. I don't know wether to see this as a mental problem or a true love for it.

 

I have never really planned to become a theatre sound technician as a full time job and always had my heart being set on becoming a dentist! I do not know why I have two completely different ideas, I Just do.

 

I just don't know what to do, but realistically it all comes down to one thing, money.

 

I know most people go into theatre for the love of it and for me that would partially be why but I also need to have a sense of reality. Our country is becoming more and more costly to live in and our state pension scheme is something of a complete waste of time. Now I don't like to touch on this too much as it is quite a personal subject but on average how much would a theatre sound technician receive as an annual wage?

 

I would love to be a theatre technician full time but I really need to know what the pay is like.

 

All replies and input would be really appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Daniel

[Bryson]

Best thing to do is buy the Stage newspaper and have a look at the job ads. Sound technicians probably get anything from £11,000 to £20,000 as a full-time employee of a proper company or venue, depending on venue size, experience and location.

 

If you want to have money, be a dentist.

[Fleeting]

Hi,

I used to work as a sound technician a years ago. I would have something to fall back on as regional theatre is poorly paid. Most theatre technicians have fingers in other pies doing freelance work, and conference work etc.

It is worth studying the C & G 2360 ( or whatever it is now) Electrician course. Most theatre's now have a combined lighting and sound department, although the two disciplines are very far apart. This is the year of the multi skilled technician. I used to work as Head Of Sound in a regional producing theatre, when the theatre hit cash crises they combined the lighting and sound department back together making me redundant ( I was a luxury item as the Artistic director called me). Three and a half years later they have just separated the departments and appointed a new Head Of Sound.

I was on around £19,000 a year as Head Of Sound. That included a overtime buyout ( work all the hours for no extra money). The sound technicians were on around £12,00 with overtime paid.

sorry this has turned into a tale of woe. Perhaps I'm just bitter....** laughs out loud **

 

Fleeting

[dfinn]

Hi,

 

Thanks, I think a few posts have gone missing but as someone said before they went I can either have a job which is doing what I love or I can have a job which enables me to do what I love. I think realistically the second option is much better as it todays world working on £12,000 a year is not going to get me far?

 

No offence intended to people in this wage bracket whatsoever but I've always been told get the best job I can which enables me to do what I want to do with my life instead of being limited financially.

 

Thanks

 

Daniel

[JimWebber]

Daniel,

 

It's good that you love technical theatre, and it offers a lot. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer as much money as a dentist.

 

When I left school, with a burning passion for the technical theatre, I realised that there wasn't the work/money to make a career out of it, certainly considering where I lived.

 

Instead, I took an apprenticeship, and trained as an electrical engineer. I still was able to keep up my lighting, and now, some years later (I'm not going to say how many) I am starting to supplement my income by carrying out the occasional bit of freelance work, it's only a bit here, and there, not enough to live on, but I still get a regular income, and possibly in another few years, I will be able to rely a lot more on money from LX work.

 

I suspect I've rambled a bit, but what I'm trying to say is just because you earn good money as a dentist, you don't have to give up the theatre.

[j_b]

When I was a kid, I loved theatre, entertainment and all that gubbins, and I can relate to the staying up late, planning etc. Great fun. I also loved playing with computers and electronics and that kind of stuff.

 

Naturally, a decision comes along as to what is a career and what should be just a hobby. Choose wisely, as you need to have a job that you enjoy doing, else you'll hate it, and it takes an awful lot of money to overcome hating every minute of every day.

 

I chose the electronics industry for a career, and I among other 'projects' I get to design audio mixers and things too, so this is a bonus. I've worked for some bad places, but I currently work for a good one :-)

 

I still maintain technical theatre et al as a hobby, and this means I get to choose to avoid the bad bits, like the mundane getting p*ssed of with the administration, beurocracy and such like, that makes my vocation dull. Fortunately, I'm in a sufficient position, shall we say, that I can have other people to worry about that for me at work ;-)

 

In short it sounds like you have a few things going on, don't cut any ties yet. My advice to you, would perhaps be study for dentistry, but you can support your education (as I did) with casual work in the entertainment industry. If you're any good, you'll get some good gigs. You'll have the ability to fall either way, should one not work out, but if you study now for theatre, then you'll possibly find later on that you only have the one string for your bow.

 

 

If I understand the industry at the moment, then whilst training at somewhere like GSA or Rose Bruford is all well and great, but I wouldn't employ you for a show, unless I'd seen or heard that you were any good - i.e. a reputation is worth so much more than a qualification. I know people who are doing this route and I wouldn't ever trust them to work on one of my shows. Saying that I do know a lighting designer who graduated from Rose Bruford - but then again, he was very good before he went there.

 

All a bit bleak for the ents industry here - any advocate online who chose that path and never looks back? Come on someone!

[Pete McCrea]

I set my sights on becoming a Civil Engineer. I did the right GCSE's (if that's possible) and then did the right A Levels. Whilst doing my GCSE's I discovered Live sound. I used the freelance work that I started to pick up through hiring systems out from my now employer to pay my way through my placement year and then onto uni. I now have a Civil Engineering degree, and work full time for a sound and lighting hire company. When I finished my degree I was offereed jobs in both industries. Working on the Railways was gonna be about £22k/year (possibly £32 if I played it right!), whereas where I am now on less.

 

I choose less money, but gained more social work hours (Ok the ents industry is bad, but try doing weeks of nightshifts on cold hard to get to bits of the railway system...) and an office 5 minutes from home.

 

You have to ask yourself what you want to achieve. And whether the money really is the key, or whether you could live on £X less/year, and hopefully enjoy the job more. Also do you have a relationship? This industry isn't good for sustaining relationships, especially if your gigging every day. Married life I guess suits a dentist more than a freelancer. It can be done though, but must be hard hard work.......

 

Just some thoughts! Keep your options open untill the last minute though....

[Bryson]

Indeed, I've just been hunting around for work, and in the end I turned down a more well-paid job to choose the one I've just taken, because the one I've taken looks like the job I'll be happier in. I am aware that some people would rather have the money and do more in their time off. Both approaches are valid.

 

That said, the South Bank Centre are advertising jobs in the Guardian that, for our industry, are very well paid indeed.

 

Hopefully this is indicative of a trend of employers actually paying real money for our skills. I certainly hope so.

[Rich]

How difficult is is to get your first job in sound?

 

I'll be leaving uni in a year or so with a degree in pro sound and video from Salford university, but I've heard there are many people after jobs and not many jobs available. Would I need to move form Manchester?

 

Where do you get the Stage Newspaer from?

[Bryson]

The Stage is available from most decent Newsagents - almost every WH Smiths will stock it. It comes out on Thursdays (perhaps Wednesdays in London) and sells out pretty quick, so get there on a Thursday!

 

It is a small industry, and as everyone and their dog seems to do a tech. degree these days, expect stiff competition. But there are jobs around. Look in classifieds on here for one with a closing date tomorrow that hasn't had an awful lot of applicants...

[Rich]

The Stage is available from most decent Newsagents - almost every WH Smiths will stock it.  It comes out on Thursdays (perhaps Wednesdays in London) and sells out pretty quick, so get there on a Thursday!

 

It is a small industry, and as everyone and their dog seems to do a tech. degree these days, expect stiff competition.  But there are jobs around.  Look in classifieds on here for one with a closing date tomorrow that hasn't had an awful lot of applicants...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Nice one. Thanks Bryson

[Big Dave]

Anything is possible if you want it enough! Theatre noise boys are not the best paid in the world but you have to start somewhere. I think my first job in the industry paid me about £11,000. I always consider myself lucky that I now get paid a good amount for doing something I really enjoy (granted I very rarely work in theatre anymore) but it took time, effort and a bit of luck to get where I am today.

 

My advise; if its something you really enjoy then go for it, you've got nothing to loose and everything to gain.

[david.elsbury]

I have no formal qualifications, having left school 9 or so months ago to start working in a sound/lighting company. If I could I would get my electricians certificate, however that requires about 3 years of on-the-job training with a registered electrician, something I just cannot do at the same time as continuing with the sound/lx company. However, if you have the opportunity to, then I would suggest getting some qualification as a sparky, not only will it help you out with shows, but you have an opportunity to get some regular work if the theatre etc is slow.

 

David

 

Edit: again, disclaimer... I'm in New Zealand, so I'm not the best person to ask about UK courses :(

[Rich]

I have no formal qualifications, having left school 9 or so months ago to start working in a sound/lighting company. If I could I would get my electricians certificate, however that requires about 3 years of on-the-job training with a registered electrician, something I just cannot do at the same time as continuing with the sound/lx company. However, if you have the opportunity to, then I would suggest getting some qualification as a sparky, not only will it help you out with shows, but you have an opportunity to get some regular work if the theatre etc is slow.

 

David

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I was thinking of doing the City & Guilds electrics 1 and 2 next year. Apparently it's pretty easy do do these at night school in about 6 months. Would this help me at all?

[bruce]

A word of caution....

 

When choosing a career at a relatively young age, I would always advise people to take a balanced view. It's important to look at an area which genuinely interests you, and which you're good at. But don't restrict yourself too much. Don't burn bridges.

 

This is really difficult to express simply. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that it sometimes isn't a good idea to turn a hobby into a career. Because then it stops being a hobby, becomes a business, and the bits you enjoyed might not be so enjoyable any more...

 

I know someone who, when he was at school, was a national tennis champion. He lived for the game, played for hours every day. When he left school, he could probably have gone to University, but he chose to work as a sports coach. Now, 10 years later, he can't stand the game.....

 

On the other hand, I have a close friend who was a "straight As" student at school. It seemed obvious for him to apply to do medicine. He sailed through University with no problems, graduated with top results, and is now a consultant in one of the foremost UK hospitals, earning a very substantial salary.

 

And he hates every minute of it.... Medicine was the "obvious" choice for him (or perhaps his parents) based on exam results, but he says that if he were to do it again, he'd choose something he enjoyed more....

 

But he does earn a substantial salary, which allows him to do more of the things he enjoys in his spare time.

 

So... in conclusion, I'd make a rubbish careers advisor :(

 

Bruce.