Going Full Time LD

[sensisi]

I need some advice.

 

I have been a part time lighting engineer for the touring and corporate industry for over 5 years now. I have never been able to go full time due to restrictions with authodontic work (had to have a local job) Im 23 now and its all over and looking fab I must say! Anyhow I am now ready to quite my borring day job and go full time.

 

The last 5 years I have mainly worked for one company as there main LD doing festivals and corporate work. I am highly experianced with large intelligent, generic rigs and larger avo desks such as the Pearl & Diamond 3.

 

Last month I worked on a large festival as house LD, one of the visiting acts were Status Quo, I worked heavily with their LD and he was over impressed with me and question why I wasnt doing this full time. Why indeed hit me hard.

 

So where do I go now, my current day job rakes in 20k a year so breaking away from that is hard. I am already a qualified PAT tester and have a rigid hgv licence so I have plenty to offer along with my existing experiance, I just lack contacts for the larger touring companies.

 

Any advice please!

[24seven]

I need some advice.

 

I have been a part time lighting engineer for the touring and corporate industry for over 5 years now. I have never been able to go full time due to restrictions with authodontic work (had to have a local job) Im 23 now and its all over and looking fab I must say! Anyhow I am now ready to quite my borring day job and go full time.

 

The last 5 years I have mainly worked for one company as there main LD doing festivals and corporate work. I am highly experianced with large intelligent, generic rigs and larger avo desks such as the Pearl & Diamond 3.

 

Last month I worked on a large festival as house LD, one of the visiting acts were Status Quo, I worked heavily with their LD and he was over impressed with me and question why I wasnt doing this full time. Why indeed hit me hard.

 

So where do I go now, my current day job rakes in 20k a year so breaking away from that is hard. I am already a qualified PAT tester and have a rigid hgv licence so I have plenty to offer along with my existing experiance, I just lack contacts for the larger touring companies.

 

Any advice please!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

network network network email email email phone phone phone network network network email email email phone phone ------

 

I think you get the idea and the best advice I can give you

 

but I will say you are mad to leave a steady 20K a year job it might be boring and all the rest but you know at the end of the month you will have x amount of money.

but if you still want to do it good luck and perhaps I will see you FOH one day

 

Mark W-E

 

24seven

[sensisi]

Thanks, I know its a bit mad, but the job isnt me. Lighting is my passion and im told I am pretty damn good at it! Haha! I should think I could earn a lot more as LD to, but I do understand its pretty random income. Do you have any contacts?

[Calder]

Thanks, I know its a bit mad, but the job isnt me. Lighting is my passion and im told I am pretty damn good at it! Haha! I should think I could earn a lot more as LD to, but I do understand its pretty random income. Do you have any contacts?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

As 24/7 has said network! It takes a lot of time and effort for people to build up their contacts and why would they give them away to somebody they don't know? I employ freelancers mainly with recommendations from other freelancers, this way I know I am getting someone that can do the job and not a bull******. We have all experience of somebody saying that they are a desk op or a moving light tech and they don't have a clue.

 

Please do not take this personally as you might be the next best thing.

 

What I am saying is work your way up and in doing this you will build up your own contacts and a name for yourself.

 

C.

[Paul J Need]

It is more to do with who you know than what you know. I have seen some completely talent-less lighting designers over the years who could not light their way out of a paper bag and it was the hand-holding chief sparks and crew who got the LD out of the S**T, but the director, or band likes them. You may be good, have the passion and skills but without a client ....................

 

My advice is to continue with the day job, and build up your portfolio of clients.

 

There are a great deal of talented LD's out there, only a hand-ful making a sensible living from LD'ing alone. (Even David Hersey had to form a company making Gobo's :P )*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Not saying either way wether the author beleives this LD is talented or not.

[Bryson]

I think the condensed version of the answers above is: Going full-time as a Lighting Designer is probably not going to be financially viable. But going full-time as a lighting tech who has aspirations to design may be a way forward, but you should probably expect your earnings to drop temporarily while you make a name for yourself. If I were in your situation, I'd gradually phase out the "real" job, rather than quit it entirely.

 

It's a shame you weren't able to catch Durham Merenghi's talk at AC North - most informative, and pretty relevant to your aspirations. And I say aspirations. LD is the job all the college educated kids are told to aspire to (I certainly was told to at college!) so the competition will be harsh. I would never assume that you'll ever get any design gigs. I'd get decent tech work and see if the design work follows from it.

[Guest lightnix]

Some excellent answers there, Paul and Bryson have both hit the nail spot on the head and there's not much I can add to what's been said.

 

Follow the advice that's been given and start out with tech work, that's what every single LD I've ever worked with has done and it's still the best way of building up your contacts and getting your name around. All things being equal, your career will develop naturally, alongside those of your contemporaries and you may well find that one day that you are offered design work by former fellow technicians, whose careers have moved, say, into production and who remember you from "way back".

 

Many technicians get to light productions as a matter of course anyway. The vast majority of shows don't require a fully fledged LD, just someone who can make it look good and very few allow the LD anything like full artistic control over the lighting. Successful LDs provide what the client / director wants (or has been sold by the Prod. Co.), not what they think the client should have.

 

Don't be in a hurry to reach the top, if you are any good you'll get there anyway. Regardless of whether you are a tech, an operator or a designer, there are endless opportunities to get out there and indulge your passion for lighting while travelling the world at other people's expense, collecting adventures and having experiences that will leave your office-bound ex school chums green with envy.

 

All the best with your career - don't forget to keep in touch with everybody here :P

[24seven]

I have to agree with the previous statements work as a tech and the LD work will come if you want it .

 

I work as an LD but also work as a tech its only now after working in the industry quite a few years and doing shows again and again I am now getting my chance to design them but I am thankful for all those years as a tech to give me understanding when stuff goes wrong and when I am on my own at shows be able to fix the problem or know someone who might know

 

like I said stick with it and like they say the cream always rises to the top

 

mark

 

24Seven

[unis]

There are very few "full time" LDs , there are a lot more people who make a living from lighting , doing a bit of design, a bit of opping, a bit of prod LX, a bit of this that and the other. Some of those people wil eventully drop the this that an the other and call themselves full time LDs some never will. As for how to "chose" which to be... Its all down to what jobs you get to hear about get recomended for or fall into and want to do.

unis

I make a living from lighting. This morning I was PAT testing its not very imnteresting but it pays.

[sensisi]

Thanks all for your kind advice, pretty much what I was expecting. But usefull at that. Like I say Ive been doing the job part time for 5 years but only kept my dealings with two companies and declined other work due to my full time commitments (silly bugger I know!)

 

And yep I have also met touring LD's who are working with big acts, yet I always feel they are lighting a completely different stage/act to what we are all watching! how is it people with no sence of time get employed!

 

Will keep all posted...

 

Ohh and I do sympathise with the PAT testing..unfortuntly I am qualified for that to and been abused for it on many occasions!