# Technician Course ?



## BrettHaley (Jun 1, 2010)

hey guyss.

Im just wondering if anyone knows of a technician course to take in college or what grades i would need to get into a technician job at concerts such as o2 Arena, stuff like that  Thanks

Brett


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## Les (Jun 1, 2010)

BrettHaley said:


> or what grades i would need to get into a technician job at concerts such as o2 Arena, stuff like that  Thanks
> 
> Brett



In the case of concerts and such, you pretty much start at the bottom (coiling cable) and work your way up. It is truly a "not what you know, but who you know" type of situation. This isn't to say that you don't actually need to know what you're doing -- you'll learn that along the way. But no college course is going to guarantee you (or necessarily prepare you for) a concert gig. You have to prove to them you're a good worker first, it really doesn't matter what your transcript says. 

Also, welcome to the booth! You best start using some punctuation though, unless you want to be harassed about it later . Seriously, it's kind of a caveat around here, lol.


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## BrettHaley (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks alot for the reply. Would it be useful to study an Electronics Course in college ?


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## Les (Jun 3, 2010)

BrettHaley said:


> Thanks alot for the reply. Would it be useful to study an Electronics Course in college ?



It definitely wouldn't hurt, especially if you start out in a rental house like a lot of concert technicians do. Maintaining and repairing moving lights and consoles is a big part of the job. You would also be a lot more marketable on tour if you can 'take a moving light apart and fix what's wrong with it'. Though, there might be some red tape to get around if the gear is rented. They don't seem to look to kindly on renters 'fixing' their things, which is one of the reasons why they often send one or more spares, depending on the size of the rig. Still not a bad course to take though, even if you only learn the fundamentals.


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## BrettHaley (Jun 3, 2010)

How would i start doing this kind of stuff.

And thanks for all the other help Les.


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## Les (Jun 3, 2010)

BrettHaley said:


> How would i start doing this kind of stuff.



Which stuff exactly?

And you're welcome!


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## BrettHaley (Jun 4, 2010)

Basically getting into a concert to program lighting and run the show. Something like for example "Robbie williams or Lady Gaga" if i wanted to do lighting for one of them ? how would i get into it ?  Thanks.

Sorry to be a pain.


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## derekleffew (Jun 4, 2010)

Not a pain at all, Brett. See the collaborative article Getting a Job in the Industry. Yes, taking electronics courses in college, as well as theatre classes would be a step in the right direction. You'd likely want to work for White Light, Negative Earth, or a similar type of company after college.


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## shiben (Jun 5, 2010)

Whats your major in college?


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