Wondering what to expect in a career in Lighting Design? Well to help you, we have organised a quick interview with renowned Lighting Designer Gavin Stanton from Nexus Lighting Design! This short interview will help you understand the scenario and what to expect from a career in this industry.
Foreword
Lighting design is about passion; through your design you realise your passion, its about getting home or to the hotel or the tour bus, and laying your head on the pillow and being able to say yeah I nailed it today,
But tomorrow I'm gonna try this...
But tomorrow I'm gonna try this...
What should I expect for my first job?
Unless you are staggeringly lucky the chances of leaving school, College, or University and walking into a £40.000 P.A job is the stuff of fairy tale and Hollywood. Experience is more valuable than any piece of paper. Expect to be at the bottom of the totem pole, making tea (A good skill to have wherever you are.) In my life I’ve even had the managing director of a company make me a cup of coffee because he recognised that was the best thing he could do on that job at that time. It’s important that nothing is beneath you (As long as its legal and doesn't compromise you) By this I mean if you find yourself with nothing to do, pick up a broom, You will progress in this business by showing willingness and initiative. Never ever just stand around with A) your hands in your pockets, or B) your phone in your hand checking messages, Twitter, Facebook or whatever every 2 minutes.
Got nothing to do? Find your supervisor or manager and use the magic phrase “What do you want me to do next?” never be the one to stand around staring vacantly into space.
Got nothing to do? Find your supervisor or manager and use the magic phrase “What do you want me to do next?” never be the one to stand around staring vacantly into space.
What will the salary and hours be?
Again when you are the newbie fresh from education, companies will use you as a source of cheap labour, some companies will pay you on a day rate which can range from £50 upwards and you only get paid when you work. Other companies will look for trainee/interns and offer a fulltime salary but will vary – averages £10.000 P.A. starting salary. This is often done to weed out the wannabes and those lacking commitment.
Remember it’s up to you to earn your next pay rise through being indispensable and going that extra bit!
The hours that you work, are likely to be whatever hours are required to get the job done. You want regular 9 -5 hours? Go work in a bank. By the very nature of the business we work in, unsociable hours are normal rather the exception.
Just remember overtiredness can cause accidents, so it’s important to listen to your body, make sure you eat, stay hydrated, and if you are tired then ask to take a break, no-one will think less of you. Energy drinks are a double edged sword, whilst they can give a short- term boost they are not a replacement for proper food and water.
Remember it’s up to you to earn your next pay rise through being indispensable and going that extra bit!
The hours that you work, are likely to be whatever hours are required to get the job done. You want regular 9 -5 hours? Go work in a bank. By the very nature of the business we work in, unsociable hours are normal rather the exception.
Just remember overtiredness can cause accidents, so it’s important to listen to your body, make sure you eat, stay hydrated, and if you are tired then ask to take a break, no-one will think less of you. Energy drinks are a double edged sword, whilst they can give a short- term boost they are not a replacement for proper food and water.
What Qualifications do I need and what ones would be good to aim for?
Specifically for lighting, qualifications to aim for include; rigging, climbing, rope access, any free courses that manufacturers and suppliers offer, servicing and maintenance of fixtures, structural and truss rigging, basic electrics (not an electricians course though) it’s not just about having the bits of paper, it’s about demonstrating practical knowledge learned by experience as well and keeping those skills fresh and up to date.
What does my attitude need to be like and what commitments do I need to make?
The advice given to me by my first employer “Theres no room for attitude “ and its true, no one wants to work with someone who is perpetually miserable or for whom everything is too much like hard work, trust me you wont last long.
As far as commitment goes, this is what you want to do for a career right? If yes then youre going to be committed and want to turn up for work regardless. Everyone has a bad day now and again and thats fine. Turn up with a long face and no enthusiasam then you're not going to last.
As far as commitment goes, this is what you want to do for a career right? If yes then youre going to be committed and want to turn up for work regardless. Everyone has a bad day now and again and thats fine. Turn up with a long face and no enthusiasam then you're not going to last.
What equipment should I carry?
Personally I carry a Gerber multitool (get a leather belt pouch because the the ones that come with it are usually not very good), LED mini maglite, and a pair of dirty rigger fingerless gloves and glove clip on my belt, roll of black and roll of white Lx tape in my pocket. These allow me to deal with immeadiate things, My tool box is of the briefcase variety it is foamed out with cutouts for all my tools – this is easy to do yourself. In it a decent set of electrical screwdrivers, a multimeter, a podger(scaffolders tool) adjustable spanner, can of optic lens cleaner, wired soldering iron, cordless soldering iron, tube of solder, can of butane gas, set of watchmakers screwdrivers, Sharpie marker pens x3. Also this type of case is strong enough to use as a seat if there isnt one on the train. I also have a seperate rigging bag which has my safety helmet, harness, and fall arrestor, scaff hook, and carabiners and lanyards.
How can I get external training?
Simply put: approach a company/manufactuerer and ask. The worst anyones going to say is no, and if they do ask if they have any contacts for related companies. Always be polite!
How Do I approach a Lighting Design Project?
The most important thing is to get a brief from your client – The brief should include relevant information like budget, available equipment, dates, venues, venue plans, instructions from the director.
Do your research, if its theatrical look at when/where its set, if its dance look at the rhythm and emotion, if its music look at what the band are doing etc most important is to communicate and reassure your client if theyre not happy to come and talk to you, communication both ways is key!
Be organised!
Do your research, if its theatrical look at when/where its set, if its dance look at the rhythm and emotion, if its music look at what the band are doing etc most important is to communicate and reassure your client if theyre not happy to come and talk to you, communication both ways is key!
Be organised!
How can I get inspiration?
Inspiration isn't something you can buy off the shelf at Tesco! Inspiration is all around you all day every day! Open your eyes; look at sunlight passes through the trees, see if you can work out how many colour shades you can count in a sunset, look at how sunlight behaves across buildings in built up areas, find inspiration in music, listen and work out colours and shades, where you put cues. Inspiration isn't a tangible thing, it just is, open your eyes, ears, and most importantly your mind, and quickly inspiration will soon follow.
How can I be more creative?
Be aware of the world around you, you never know when you will come across something that inspires you, and store it away until one day you go ah! Creativity is as much about emotion as anything else.
How do I have to act? (Professionalism)
Being professional is about your attitude, your knowledge and skills, and how you interact. It is about respect, respect and deference that you should show to colleagues, but to clients as well. They in turn should show respect to you. With the people you work with there's always a bit of banter, but that doesn't mean you should be a doormat either. Professionalism is something that is learned rather than taught. My rule is to try and treat people as I would expect to be treated, even if I do have to bite my tongue sometime!
What should I keep after the project?
Typically I keep the lighting design and research material electronically, I do however have a memorabilia shelf with things from shows of special significance, a burned out gel, the safety chain from the first pyro that I set, probably 100 or more things that wouldn't mean anything to anyone else but happy memories for me.