Technical Theatre Roles Research

Introduction-

In this assignment, I have been tasked with the collection of industry research regarding the job responsibilities and technicalities and have been given the opportunity to undertake numerous job roles as a member of the “animal farm” production crew. It is imperative that you understand a range of critical and contextual perspectives and approaches influencing the daily workload of professionals within the theatre production industry.

Lighting Designer

A lighting designer’s job is not only to light the stage but to create an overall atmosphere for each scene using lighting alone. Lighting designers begin by designing a lighting plan for the production, to create this plan they have to use set designs, storyboards, theatre plans, computer software and scripts to create lighting cues. Throughout the rehearsal and design process, the lighting designer must edit this plan to fit the show. Before the tech rehearsals start a complete light plot must be approved, this plot must include the locations, colours and dimmers for all lights that are to be included in the show, along with lighting cues. The lighting designer must also work within a lighting budget. They must research and purchase their own equipment and order any additional items needed for their lighting plan.

Some of the different techniques that a lighting designer uses when they are designing their lighting plot includes using colours to create different moods. For example, if what is happening on stage is dark and moody, they might use dark colours like red and a dark blue to convey those feelings to the audience. In contrast, if the mood of the scene is an upbeat/ happy mood then they will use brighter colours such as aqua and light greens. Some of the different techniques that they also use are angles, they use angles to create a different effect such as backlighting for silhouettes, side lighting

For movement pieces, Front lighting for general cover. All these angles are used in different situations to bring the most out of that scene and the actors involved.

Lighting Designers have to plan everything in advance and they have to create a lighting plan before the rigging crew start so that they know beforehand what lanterns are required and where they need to hang them. They would generally require this information a couple of days to a week before they start. Lighting designers also have to plan their lighting plans during rehearsals so they are confident that every scene will be lit correctly so the lighting team doesn’t have to mess around rigging close to the show.

Some of the different roles that a lighting designer networks with include the director of the show. The lighting designer must have a good relationship with the director as they both work together to make the directors vision into a reality. The lighting designer must also work with the stage manager, to provide the lighting cues that they have designed for the show. These cues are then used by the stage manager to call the show during rehearsals/performances. The lighting designer also works alongside the projection/ AV designer to make sure that none of their cues overlaps during the show which wouldn’t allow the audience to get the full effect of every lighting/ AV cue.

Director

The role of Director is often the most important job of them all, it takes someone who is self-motivated, organised, creative, a team player, smart and finally someone who has dedication and enthusiasm. The director is the person who takes the text that has been given to them by the writers and creates an idea which then everyone works from, ultimately, they are in control of how the show will look in its final form. They are there from day one all the way up to opening night, the director also casts the show and chooses which actors they think best fit their interpretation.

One technique that a director has to use before and during rehearsals is organisation. They have to make sure before rehearsals that the room is ready to be used, a working sound system is available in case they need one, tables are set out for everyone. They also have to have their notes organised so when they start they can return to what they did in the last rehearsal.

A director does a lot of planning during their time with a show company, before previews happen this includes budgeting, adapting a script alongside the writers, holding auditions, hiring designers/musicians, attending production meetings and organising rehearsals. During previews, they may attend the performances and prepare detailed notes for the cast, crew and production teams. All these tasks require a lot of planning for them to go right, therefore the director has to be really good at planning. A director also uses a lot of equipment to carry out their role, that includes a laptop and phone that can work alongside each other, detailed notes from production/script writing meetings and also blocking notes. (Graduate Prospects Ltd, 2017)

As the Director is the most important role in the production team, they have to network every single position in the show company. Clear communication is key for the director as he/she has to consistently communicate between departments to pull the show together and create their final vision.

Sound Engineer

A sound engineers job isn’t just to play music, you have to mix the inputs from microphones and amplifiers, using a control desk to balance the sound levels. Other duties might also include discussing the production’s sound needs with the director or sound designer, identifying places in the script where any sound effects, music and changes in sound level are needed, pre-recording any sound effects and music, positioning and rigging up microphones, completing sound checks before a performance, operating the sound desk during shows, following a sound plan (known as a 'plot') and cues from the deputy stage manager and looking after and repairing sound equipment. (National Careers Service, 2016)

A technique that sound engineers use is timing and rhythm. When mixing for a live show, they have to make sure they time everything so precisely so when a microphone needs to be on, it’s on. They also have to have a good rhythm as sometimes they might have to mix during a show, and certain cues might be on time with the music. Another technique that sound engineers use is good concentration and patience. Once again, this ties into how they need to be on the ball thought-out the show listing for their cues either off the DSM (Deputy stage manager) or visual/audio cues from the performers.

As a sound engineer you have to plan a lot, you can’t just turn up to a venue and expect to plug in your desk and for it all to work without any problems. Often a sound engineer will plan a gig/show in advance by getting in contact with the venue and going down to have a look around. This allows them to find out what equipment the venue had available to them. They can also plan where the equipment will go, and how they will safely run wires around the venue. They can also measure how big the venue is to see if their equipment will fit in. They can also look at the different problems that might occur when doing the load in such as will the equipment fit through the door? Is the venue upstairs or downstairs? If so is there a lift, or will you have to carry the equipment down the stairs? All this is taken into consideration when planning for a load in either for a gig or a show.

Some of the different roles that a sound engineer networks with include the cast/performers. Often the sound engineers have a good relationship with the cast/performers as they are in charge of their microphones. The sound engineer makes sure that the cast/ performers have the microphones in the right places (whether that be in their hair or on the side of their cheek) before stepping on stage.  This ensures that the microphones sound as good as they can during the performance. The sound engineer must also work closely with the stage manager, as during the show the DSM (Deputy stage manager) will call cues for the sound engineer. Therefore, there need to be good communication skills between the DSM and the sound engineer.

Bibliography

Graduate Prospects Ltd. (2017, 09). Graduate Prospects Ltd. Retrieved from Graduate Prospects Ltd: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/theatre-director

National Careers Service. (2016, 12 08). National Careers Service. Retrieved from National Careers Service: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/job-profiles/live-sound-engineer