Lighting technician
Lighting technicians set up and operate lighting for concerts, conferences and theatre, or in film and TV productions.
Typical Salary
£15,000 – £40,000
per year
Working Hours
42–44
hours per week
Day-to-day tasks
You could:
- interpret a lighting designer's plan
- carry out risk assessments for health and safety purposes
- plan where to run cables and place lights at film locations
- help to rig and check the equipment
- take cues from the stage manager in theatre or the floor manager in TV
- programme and operate manual and computer-controlled lighting systems
- take down equipment after shows or filming
Skills needed
- knowledge of building and construction
- the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
- maths knowledge
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- analytical thinking skills
- the ability to use your initiative
- leadership skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to get into this role
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- volunteering
- broadcasters' training schemes
- specialist courses run by private training providers
Career progression
You could work on more complex events, or specialise in areas like electrical safety, inspection and testing, pyrotechnics or rigging.