# Do you know someone in L.A. who can help?



## gafftaper (Jun 16, 2018)

Hi everyone 

Two years ago I took a group of 10 high school tech students on the greatest field trip ever to the Los Angeles area. I'm now setting up another one for Spring 2019. I have a really exclusive tour arranged that I can't really talk about publicly, and some other cool stops I hope to repeat from last time. However there are two things I would love to try to set up that I wasn't able to arrange last time. 

1) I would love to get a tour of a large performance space where big concert tours, Broadway shows, or awards ceremonies happen. 

2) I would love to get a tour of any sort of TV or Movie studio/set. 

My experience has always been that technicians love to share their world with students, you just have to get through the gate keeper to contact the right person. So I'm looking for help making contact with that person. 

Do you know someone?


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## eadler (Jun 27, 2018)

My alma mater arranges such a tour every year for the TV students (or at least they used to). They have contacts with former students who work in the industry out there (some of whom actually went through this tour program) which gets them into different places each year. Do you have some past students working in industry? Maybe a local college does and you can get them to help you out?


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## TimMc (Jul 3, 2018)

The Los Angeles Music Center used to do _ad hoc_ tech tours of whatever theatre wasn't in use at the moment; as a high school student I just called the switchboard and ask for the "technical department". The LAMC TD gave me a 30 minute tour of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (then home to LA Civic Light Opera and several awards shows) and answered a bunch of questions for me.

I doubt it's that simple, 45 years later....


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## gafftaper (Jul 5, 2018)

TimMc said:


> The Los Angeles Music Center used to do _ad hoc_ tech tours of whatever theatre wasn't in use at the moment; as a high school student I just called the switchboard and ask for the "technical department". The LAMC TD gave me a 30 minute tour of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (then home to LA Civic Light Opera and several awards shows) and answered a bunch of questions for me.
> 
> I doubt it's that simple, 45 years later....


Thanks Tim. Just getting the number of the switchboard or the name of the head tech person is the hardest part.


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## Chris15 (Jul 7, 2018)

The Music Center is great for the architecture alone...
They do run tours: https://www.musiccenter.org/visit/Exploring-the-Center/
Or you could try your luck with the switchboard number listed here: https://www.musiccenter.org/Contact-Us/
They also note on the rentals information that it's a union house, so that might give you a back door to finding out who runs tech there...


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## gafftaper (Jul 12, 2018)

Chris15 said:


> The Music Center is great for the architecture alone...
> They do run tours: https://www.musiccenter.org/visit/Exploring-the-Center/
> Or you could try your luck with the switchboard number listed here: https://www.musiccenter.org/Contact-Us/
> They also note on the rentals information that it's a union house, so that might give you a back door to finding out who runs tech there...


Thanks Chris, it turns out the IATSE business rep here in Seattle moved up from L.A. a couple years ago and has lots of connections down there. She says when we get a little closer she will call some friends and see what she can work out. Also some people here have been helping with connections privately.


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