# How To Get A Job In Concert Touring?



## Dkick (Feb 4, 2015)

I am a junior in high school and hopping to become a lighting designer for concerts tours. Does anyone know how or what I need to do, or what school I should go to get to make this goal!?!


----------



## porkchop (Feb 5, 2015)

Do a search this is a very common topic, there's a lot of good advice to be found. This Collaborative Article might help: Getting a Job in the Industry


----------



## chawalang (Feb 5, 2015)

Research the shops that mount these productions. I know a lot of them are in L.A, Orlando, Nashville, Las Vegas etc.

Christie Lights, Bandit, PRG, LMG, Morpheus Lighting.

To be blunt if that is specifically what you want to do, do not go to college, move to a hub where these shops are located and hound them to work in their shops.

You will start out schlepping cable and in no way will it be glamorous nor will you be making big money but thats how you get your foot n the door, unless you have a buddy working on said tours. These shops don't care where you went to college or what your degree is in, they care about your literacy in your craft.

With that being said I will give you the advice I give all young stage hands, if you get you degree in lighting design or theatre double major in business, education or electrical engineering. Also explore trade schools like SILV or Full Sail, there is no one answer to get a certain place in this industry.


----------



## porkchop (Feb 6, 2015)

chawalang said:


> To be blunt if that is specifically what you want to do, do not go to college, move to a hub where these shops are located and hound them to work in their shops.



I completely disagree 100%. You can still make it in this industry without a degree, but the number of good techs that I'd like to work with again that don't have a degree is pretty small. People that have degrees are usually more well rounded and have a better idea of the technical aspects of whats happening as a whole and they don't let just any idiot hop behind the console and give 'er hell. If lighting design is the ultimate goal it would be good to have the kind of experience the a lighting design degree can offer.
Also if you're dedicated to lighting design as a career you might be better served working in a place like a Rep. Theatre or a Road House, were you can actually get work designing shows, rather than going directly to working on a tour were you'll probably be doing anything and everything except actually designing.


----------

