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USITT Lighting Job Descriptions

Published in TD&T Spring 2010
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
391 views

USITT Lighting Job Descriptions

Published in TD&T Spring 2010
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 15

Lighting Job Descriptions Project

By Vickie J. Scott for the USITT Lighting Commission

Published in TD&T, Vol. 46 No. 2 (Spring 2010)

Theatre Design & Technology, the journal for design and production
professionals in the performing arts and entertainment industry, is published
four times a year by United States Institute for Theatre Technology. For
information about joining USITT or to purchase back issues of TD&T, please
contact the USITT office:

USITT
315 South Crouse Avenue, Suite 200
Syracuse, NY 13210
tel: 800-93-USITT (800-938-7488)
tel: 315-463-6463
fax: 315-463-6525
e-mail: info@office.usitt.org
web: www.usitt.org

Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc.


lighting commission
-*()5*/(
+0#%&4$3*15*0/4130+&$5 2EVISEDss

45"5&.&/50'163104&
This project delineates a series of job descriptions with their specific responsibilities and
qualifications for positions within the lighting industry. These descriptions may be used as a point
of departure for specific job descriptions with individual employers, or as a possible guide for
training, on the job evaluations, or personal career enhancement.
The USITT membership encompasses a variety of lighting employers and employees:
educational, professional, volunteer, and union. These differences and similarities were taken into
account when formulating the job descriptions.

46((&45*0/4'0364*/(5)&%0$6.&/5
This document is only meant as a communications device and is by no means a binding document. The
job descriptions are general guidelines. They are intended as a departure point for most lighting crews.
Many lighting personnel are “hyphenates” (i.e., Electrician–Rigger). This project sought to
break down job descriptions to their most basic components. A combination of descriptions may be
necessary to accurately reflect actual responsibilities. Many productions will have specific require-
ments, and responsibilities should be increased or reduced as necessary.
Please note that although many job titles are consistent between theatre, film, and television
their specific responsibilities may be different. Also note that jobs with very similar descriptions may
have different titles in different industries.
The job descriptions included in this document cover responsibilities and qualifications only. Spe-
cific duties such as “sort color media” or “attend weekly meetings” should be created at the manage-
ment level within a specific theatre. In this document, duties are implied within the responsibilities.
At certain levels, a measure of education (e.g., MFA in design, or membership in United Scenic
Artists) or experience (e.g., three years professional experience, union membership) should be
added to the qualifications. Again, this should be specific to an individual theatre or production.

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


12 S P R I N G 2010 Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc.
5)*35:+0#%&4$3*15*0/4"3&*/$-6%&%*/5)*4%0$6.&/5
theatre film & television

LIGHTING DESIGNER DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY/CINEMATOGRAPHER


ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER LIGHTING DIRECTOR
ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER ASSISTANT LIGHTING DIRECTOR
LIGHTING DIRECTOR LIGHTING DESIGNER
MASTER ELECTRICIAN LIGHTING COORDINATOR
HOUSE ELECTRICIAN CHIEF LIGHTING TECHNICIAN
ASSISTANT MASTER/HOUSE ELECTRICIAN ASSISTANT CHIEF LIGHTING TECHNICIAN
DECK ELECTRICIAN/LIGHTING RUN CREW BEST BOY
EFFECTS TECHNICIAN GAFFER
FOLLOWSPOT OPERATOR GRIP
ELECTRICIAN GENERATOR (GENNY) OPERATOR
LIGHT BOARD PROGRAMMER/OPERATOR LIGHT BOARD PROGRAMMER/OPERATOR
MOVING LUMINAIRE PROGRAMMER/OPERATOR LIGHTING TECHNICIAN/LAMP OPERATOR/LIGHTING OPERATOR
MOVING LUMINAIRE PROGRAMMER/OPERATOR
FOLLOWSPOT OPERATOR
SET WIREMAN
EFFECTS TECHNICIAN

This document was created by Vickie J. Scott for the USITT Lighting Commission using professional and educational sources to compile the data
necessary to write these descriptions.

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. S P R I N G 2010 13
theatre

LIGHTING DESIGNER
The artist who creates the look of the lighting for a production based on collaboration with the director and lighting staff.
The common acronym for this title is LD.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s 2EADSSCRIPTANDDETERMINESTHELIGHTINGNEEDSOFTHEPRODUCTION s %XPERIENCEINSCRIPTANALYSIS
s -EETSWITHTHE$IRECTOROFTHEPRODUCTIONTOHELPDETERMINETHECONCEPT WHICHALLARTISTSWILLWORKWITHIN s %XCELLENTRESEARCHSKILLS
s 2ESEARCHESLIGHTINGSOURCES AVAILABLEEQUIPMENTFACILITIESANDRENTALPOSSIBILITIES s +NOWLEDGEOFCURRENTLIGHTINGlXTURESAND
s #REATESSTORYBOARDS SKETCHES COMPUTERHANDRENDERINGSORRESEARCHCOMPILATIONS ASNECESSARY TO TECHNOLOGY
COMMUNICATEDESIGNIDEASTOTHE$IRECTORANDDESIGNTEAMFORAPPROVAL s +NOWLEDGEOFPOWERDISTRIBUTIONAND
s #REATESALIGHTPLOTANDACCOMPANYINGPAPERWORKTOREALIZEIDEASASDISCUSSEDWITHTHE$IRECTOR DIMMINGSOURCESANDMETHODS
s -EETSWITHLIGHTINGPERSONNELASNECESSARYTOFACILITATETHEINTERPRETATIONOFTHELIGHTPLOTINTOTHREE s -ASTERYOF$ESIGN0RINCIPLESANDTHE
DIMENSIONALREALITY %LEMENTSOF$ESIGN
s $ETERMINESTHECOLORSCHEMEOFANYCOLORMEDIAANDORDIFFUSIONS s %XCELLENTRESEARCHSKILLS
s /VERSEESASSISTANTSTOMAKECERTAINTHATPLOTANDPAPERWORKAREUPDATEDANDACCURATE s %XCELLENTORGANIZATIONALSKILLS
s !TTENDSALLTECHNICALANDLIGHTINGREHEARSALSTOCOMMUNICATEWITHTHE$IRECTORANDFACILITATEINTEGRATIONOF s $RAFTINGSKILLS
THE,IGHTING$ESIGN s 5NDERSTANDINGOFLIGHTBOARDPROGRAMMING
s 7RITESEACHLIGHTCUEREQUIREDBYTHEPRODUCTIONANDCOMMUNICATESITEFFECTIVELYTOTHE,IGHT"OARD s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
/PERATORTOBERECORDED s 4IMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s #OMMUNICATESPLACEMENTANDTIMINGOFLIGHTCUESTOTHE3TAGE-ANAGERFORCALLINGTHECUESDURINGTHESHOW s !BILITYTOREMAINCALMINEXTENDEDHIGH
s -AINTAINSANUP TO DATESCRIPTORCUESHEETTHATINDICATESPLACEMENTOFALLLIGHTCUES STRESSSITUATIONS
s !TTENDSREHEARSALSASNECESSARY s %XCELLENTRENDERINGANDORVISUAL
s !TTENDSPRODUCTIONMEETINGSORDELEGATESATTENDANCETOTHE!SSOCIATE,IGHTING$ESIGNEROR!SSISTANT COMMUNICATIONSKILLS
,IGHTING$ESIGNER s !BILITYTOTRANSFERVISUALDATAFROMLIGHT
s -EETSSCHEDULEDDESIGNDEADLINES PLOTINTOFORMSOFHOOKUPS SCHEDULES ETC

ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER


The artist who works closely with the Lighting Designer to create the look of the lighting for a production based on
collaboration with the director and lighting staff.
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s 2EADSSCRIPTANDDETERMINESTHELIGHTINGNEEDSOFTHEPRODUCTION s %XPERIENCEINSCRIPTANALYSIS
s -EETSWITHTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNERANDTHE$IRECTOROFTHEPRODUCTIONTOUNDERSTANDTHECONCEPT WHICHALL s %XCELLENTRESEARCHSKILLS
ARTISTSWILLWORKWITHIN s +NOWLEDGEOFCURRENTLIGHTINGlXTURESAND
s 5NDERTHEDIRECTSUPERVISIONOFTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNER RESEARCHESLIGHTINGSOURCES AVAILABLEEQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY
FACILITIESANDRENTALPOSSIBILITIES s "ASICKNOWLEDGEOFPOWERDISTRIBUTIONAND
s 5NDERTHEDIRECTSUPERVISIONOFTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNERCREATESSTORYBOARDS SKETCHES COMPUTERHAND DIMMINGSOURCESANDMETHODS
RENDERINGSORRESEARCHCOMPILATIONS ASNECESSARY TOCOMMUNICATEDESIGNIDEASOFTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNERTO s +NOWLEDGEANDEXPERIENCEINTHEBASIC
THE$IRECTORANDDESIGNTEAMFORAPPROVAL PRINCIPLESANDELEMENTSOFDESIGN
s 5NDERTHEDIRECTSUPERVISIONOFTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNERCREATESALIGHTPLOTANDACCOMPANYINGPAPERWORKTO s %XCELLENTRESEARCHSKILLS
REALIZEIDEASASDISCUSSEDWITHTHE$IRECTOR s %XCELLENTORGANIZATIONALSKILLS
s -EETSWITHLIGHTINGPERSONNELASNECESSARYTOFACILITATETHEINTERPRETATIONOFTHELIGHTPLOTINTOTHREE s $RAFTINGSKILLS
DIMENSIONALREALITY s 5NDERSTANDINGOFLIGHTBOARDPROGRAMMING
s 5NDERTHEDIRECTSUPERVISIONOFTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNERDETERMINESTHECOLORSCHEMEOFANYGELSANDORDIFFUSIONS s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
s /VERSEESLIGHTINGASSISTANTSTOMAKECERTAINTHATPLOTANDPAPERWORKAREUPDATEDANDACCURATE s 4IMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s !SDIRECTEDBYTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNER ATTENDSALLTECHNICALANDLIGHTINGREHEARSALSTOCOMMUNICATEWITHTHE s !BILITYTOREMAINCALMINEXTENDEDHIGH
$IRECTORANDFACILITATEINTEGRATIONOFTHE,IGHTING$ESIGN STRESSSITUATIONS
s 5NDERTHEDIRECTSUPERVISIONOFTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNERCOMMUNICATESPLACEMENTANDTIMINGOFLIGHTCUESTO s %XCELLENTRENDERINGANDORVISUAL
THE3TAGE-ANAGERFORCALLINGTHECUESDURINGTHESHOW COMMUNICATIONSKILLS
s 5NDERTHEDIRECTSUPERVISIONOFTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNERMAINTAINSANUP TO DATESCRIPTORCUESHEETTHAT s !BILITYTOTRANSFERVISUALDATAFROMLIGHT
INDICATESPLACEMENTOFALLLIGHTCUES PLOTINTOFORMSOFHOOKUPS SCHEDULES ETC
s !TTENDSREHEARSALSASNECESSARY s !CLEARUNDERSTANDINGOFUNIONOROTHER
s !TTENDSPRODUCTIONMEETINGSASDELEGATEDBYTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNER HOUSERULESANDPRACTICES
s -EETSSCHEDULEDDESIGNDEADLINESASDELEGATEDBYTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNER

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


14 S P R I N G 2010 Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc.
lighting commission
ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER
The individual who works as a personal assistant to the Lighting Designer for a specific production. Often these duties are
divided amongst several assistants. The common terminology is to refer to them as First Assistant, Second Assistant, etc.
Exactly how the following responsibilities are divided among multiple assistants is left to the discretion of the Lighting
Designer. The common acronym for this title is ALD.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s 2EADSSCRIPT s %XPERIENCEINSCRIPTANALYSIS
s #OMPILESRESEARCHFOR,IGHTING$ESIGNERASNECESSARY s %XCELLENTRESEARCHSKILLS
s !(OUSE!,$PROVIDESCIRCUITLAYOUTSANDDESIGNDRAWINGSTO'UEST,IGHTING$ESIGNERS s +NOWLEDGEOFCURRENTLIGHTINGlXTURESAND
s !CTSASALIAISONWITHLIGHTINGPERSONNELWHENTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNEROR!SSOCIATE,IGHTING$ESIGNERISUNAVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY
s -AYSUPERVISEHANGATTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNERSDISCRETION s +NOWLEDGEOFPOWERDISTRIBUTIONAND
s &ACILITATESFOCUSCALLSANDTECHNICALREHEARSALSFORTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNER DIMMINGSOURCESANDMETHODS
s #OMPILESANDDISTRIBUTESDESIGNNOTESFROMELECTRICSCALLSANDTECHNICALREHEARSALS s +NOWLEDGEANDEXPERIENCEINTHEBASIC
s !TTENDSPRODUCTIONMEETINGSANDREHEARSALSASASSIGNEDBYTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNER PRINCIPLESANDELEMENTSOFDESIGN
s 0ROVIDESLIGHTINGINFORMATIONTOOTHERPRODUCTIONAREAS s %XCELLENTORGANIZATIONALSKILLS
s #OMPILESANDMAINTAINSACCURATECUESHEETS s $RAFTINGSKILLS
s 2ESPONSIBLEFORlNAL ACCURATEDRAFTOFTHELIGHTINGPLOT s 5NDERSTANDINGOFLIGHTBOARDPROGRAMMING
s 2ESPONSIBLEFORUPDATINGLIGHTINGPAPERWORKASFREQUENTLYASREQUIREDBYTHENEEDSOFTHEPRODUCTION s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
s -ANAGESPETTYCASHFORTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNER s 4IMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s -AYHANDLERENTALANDPURCHASEARRANGEMENTSATTHEDISCRETIONOFTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNER s !BILITYTOREMAINCALMINEXTENDEDHIGH
s 2ECORDSFOCUSOFTHESHOW STRESSSITUATIONS
s 4RACKSLIGHTINGCUESFORTHESHOW s !CLEARUNDERSTANDINGOFUNIONOROTHER
s -AYREMAINWITHTHESHOWTOMAINTAINTHEINTEGRITYOFTHE,IGHTING$ESIGN HOUSERULESANDPRACTICES
s -AYBERESPONSIBLEFORAREMOUNTOFTHESHOWIFTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNERISNOTAVAILABLE
s 0ERFORMSOTHERDUTIESASASSIGNEDBYTHE,IGHTING$ESIGNER

LIGHTING DIRECTOR
The artist who represents the venue and the lighting area during the hiring of lighting staff, and the scheduling,
installation and maintenance of a light plot for a production.
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s )NTERVIEWSANDHIRESALLLIGHTINGSTAFF s +NOWLEDGEOF ANDEXPERIENCEIN,IGHTING
s $ETERMINESTHEYEARLYBUDGETARYNEEDSFORTHELIGHTINGAREA $ESIGN
s 2ESPONSIBLEFORMAINTENANCEREPLACEMENTOFLIGHTINGINVENTORY s +NOWLEDGEOF ANDEXPERIENCEWITH BASIC
s &ACILITATESINSTALLATIONOFLIGHTPLOTFORALLINCOMINGPRODUCTIONS ACCOUNTINGPROCEDURES
s !DVISESANDOVERSEESTHESEASONSCHEDULEFORTHELIGHTINGAREA INCLUDING BUTNOTLIMITEDTODESIGNERDUE s $EMONSTRATEDKNOWLEDGEOFSAFETY
DATES DESIGNERRESIDENCY LIGHTINGSTAFFWORKDATESANDLIGHTINGRUNCREWSCHEDULE STANDARDSANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
s 0ARTICIPATESINLONGRANGEPLANNINGFORTHETHEATRE s %XPERIENCEININTERVIEWING HIRINGAND
s 0ERFORMSOTHERDUTIESASASSIGNEDBYTHE0RODUCTION-ANAGEROR!RTISTIC$IRECTOR SUPERVISINGLIGHTINGSTAFF
s 0ROVIDESHOUSEELECTRICALINFORMATIONTECHNICALRIDERSFOROUTSIDEUSERS

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. S P R I N G 2010 15
theatre

MASTER ELECTRICIAN
The technician who oversees installation and maintenance of a light plot for a production. The common acronym
for this title is ME.
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s /VERSEESTHEINSTALLATIONOFALLLIGHTINGELEMENTSFORAPRODUCTIONTOTHETHEATRESAND,IGHTING$ESIGNERS s $EMONSTRATEDELECTRICIANEXPERIENCEATTHE
SATISFACTION PROFESSIONALLEVEL
s 3UPERVISESLIGHTINGSTAFFDURINGALLPHASESOFPRODUCTION s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFEELECTRICALPRACTICESAND
s #OORDINATESELECTRICIANSANDSCHEDULESALLLIGHTINGWORKCALLSASREQUIREDTOMEETTHENEEDSOFTHE IMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
PRODUCTION s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFERIGGINGPRACTICESAND
s %XPEDITESPRODUCTIONSWITHINSCHEDULEDDEADLINES IMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
s -ANAGESALLLIGHTINGEQUIPMENT INCLUDINGREPAIRS MAINTENANCEANDREPLACEMENT s +NOWLEDGEOFLIGHTINGlXTURESAND
s 3UPERVISESALLLIGHTHANGANDFOCUSCALLS ASWELLASLIGHTINGSTRIKE TECHNOLOGY
s !TTENDSALLTECHNICALANDLIGHTINGREHEARSALSTOTROUBLESHOOTPROBLEMSASNECESSARYAPPROPRIATE s +NOWLEDGEOFPOWERSOURCESANDDIMMER
s 0ROVIDESTIMELY ACCURATEINFORMATIONTOTHE,$OR!,$FORMAINTENANCEOFPAPERWORKANDPLOT CONTROL
s %NFORCESCOMPLIANCEWITHSAFETYSTANDARDSFORALLLIGHTINGSTAFF s +NOWLEDGEOFBASICLIGHTBOARD
s 2ESPONSIBLEFORTIE INSATCOMPANYSWITCH PROGRAMMING
s 2ESPONSIBLEFORPLACEMENTANDWIRINGOFRUNLIGHTS SPOTTINGLIGHTS PRACTICALSANDOTHEREQUIPMENTSTAGE s $EMONSTRATEDEXPERIENCEINPERSONNEL
MACHINERYASSOCIATEDWITHAPRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
s 2ESPONSIBLEFORTIMELYCOMPLETIONOFELECTRICSNOTESTOTHE,$SSATISFACTION s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
s #OORDINATESPRE LOAD INPREPSEQUIPMENTPROVISION BUNDLES TRANSPORTATION WITHRENTALHOUSE s %XCELLENTORGANIZATIONALSKILLS
s $EMONSTRATEDABILITYTOINTERPRETLIGHTING
PLOTSANDPAPERWORK
s $EMONSTRATEDKNOWLEDGEOFSAFETY
STANDARDSANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
s #ERTIlCATIONTHROUGHTHE%NTERTAINMENT
4ECHNICIAN#ERTIlCATION0ROGRAM%4#0 IS
HIGHLYDESIREDANDMAYBEREQUIRED

HOUSE ELECTRICIAN
The technician who represents the venue and represents the lighting area during the scheduling, installation and
maintenance of a light plot for a production.
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s 3AMEASTHOSEFORTHE-ASTER%LECTRICIANANDALSOINCLUDETHEFOLLOWING s 3AMEASFORTHE-ASTER%LECTRICIANANDALSO
s )NTERVIEWSANDHIRESALLLIGHTINGSTAFF INCLUDETHEFOLLOWING
s $ETERMINESTHEYEARLYBUDGETARYNEEDSFORTHELIGHTINGAREA s +NOWLEDGEOF ANDEXPERIENCEWITH BASIC
s 2ESPONSIBLEFORMAINTENANCEREPLACEMENTOFLIGHTINGINVENTORY ACCOUNTINGPROCEDURES
s &ACILITATESINSTALLATIONOFLIGHTPLOTFORALLINCOMINGPRODUCTIONS s $EMONSTRATEDKNOWLEDGEOFSAFETY
s !DVISESANDOVERSEESTHESEASONSCHEDULEFORTHELIGHTINGAREA INCLUDING BUTNOTLIMITEDTODESIGNERDUE STANDARDSANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
DATES DESIGNERRESIDENCY LIGHTINGSTAFFWORKDATESANDLIGHTINGRUNCREWSCHEDULE s #ERTIlCATIONTHROUGHTHE%NTERTAINMENT
s 0ARTICIPATESINLONGRANGEPLANNINGFORTHETHEATRE 4ECHNICIAN#ERTIlCATION0ROGRAM%4#0 IS
s 0ERFORMSOTHERDUTIESASASSIGNEDBYTHE0RODUCTION-ANAGEROR!RTISTIC$IRECTOR HIGHLYDESIREDANDMAYBEREQUIRED

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


16 S P R I N G 2010 Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc.
lighting commission
ASSISTANT MASTER / HOUSE ELECTRICIAN
The technician who assists the Master or House Electrician on a specific production
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !SSISTSINOVERSEEINGTHEINSTALLATIONOFALL s $EMONSTRATEDELECTRICIANEXPERIENCE
LIGHTINGELEMENTS s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFEELECTRICALANDRIGGINGPRACTICESANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
s 3UPERVISESLIGHTINGSTAFFONSPECIlCTASKS AS s +NOWLEDGEOFLIGHTINGlXTURESANDTECHNOLOGY
DIRECTEDBYTHE-% s +NOWLEDGEOFPOWERSOURCESANDDIMMERCONTROL
s !TTENDSALLLIGHTINGWORKCALLS s +NOWLEDGEOFBASICLIGHTBOARDPROGRAMMING
s %XPEDITESPRODUCTIONSWITHINSCHEDULED s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
DEADLINES s 'OODORGANIZATIONALSKILLS
s !TTENDSTECHNICALANDLIGHTINGREHEARSALSAS s $EMONSTRATEDKNOWLEDGEOFSAFETYSTANDARDSANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
THEDISCRETIONOFTHE-% s #ERTIlCATIONTHROUGHTHE%NTERTAINMENT4ECHNICIAN#ERTIlCATION0ROGRAM%4#0 ISHIGHLYDESIREDANDMAY
s 0ROVIDESTIMELY ACCURATEINFORMATIONTOTHE,$ BEREQUIRED
OR!,$FORMAINTENANCEOFPAPERWORKANDPLOT
s %NFORCESCOMPLIANCEWITHSAFETYSTANDARDS
FORALLLIGHTINGSTAFF

DECK ELECTRICIAN / LIGHTING RUN CREW


The technician who operates any lighting equipment other than the lighting console or followspots during performance.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !TTENDSLIGHTINGWORKCALLS REHEARSALSAND s 7ORKINGKNOWLEDGEOFLIGHTINGEQUIPMENTUSEDINTHEPRODUCTION
ORPERFORMANCESASSCHEDULED s 7ORKINGKNOWLEDGEOFBASICSTAGEELECTRICIANSKILLS INCLUDING BUTNOTLIMITEDTOCHANGINGALAMP CIRCUITING
s /PERATESLIGHTINGORELECTRICALEQUIPMENT ANDPATCHING COLORMEDIAANDDIFFUSION PATTERNS LUMINAIREASSOCIATEDACCESSORIES
DURINGTHEPERFORMANCEATTHECOMMANDOF s !BILITYTOQUICKLYANDACCURATELYFOCUSALIGHTINGINSTRUMENT
THE3TAGE-ANAGER s !BILITYTOSTANDORSITFORLONGPERIODSOFTIME
s 4ROUBLESHOOTSPROBLEMSWITHLIGHTING s 0HYSICALABILITYTOMOVEOPERATELIGHTINGEQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENTASAPPROPRIATE s 0RIORTHEATRICALBACKSTAGEEXPERIENCE
s !BILITYTOWORKWELLINHIGH PRESSURESITUATIONS
s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
s /RGANIZATIONALANDTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s 0ROBLEMSOLVINGABILITY
s 0ERSONALINITIATIVE
s +NOWLEDGEOFANDADHERENCETOSAFEWORKINGPRACTICES
s #ERTIlCATIONTHROUGHTHE%NTERTAINMENT4ECHNICIAN#ERTIlCATION0ROGRAM%4#0 ISHIGHLYDESIREDANDMAY
BEREQUIRED

EFFECTS TECHNICIAN
The technician who install, troubleshoot and operate all effects/effect equipment for a production.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !TTENDALLEFFECTSWORKCALLS REHEARSALS s 7ORKINGKNOWLEDGEOFAPPROPRIATEEFFECTSEQUIPMENT
ANDORPERFORMANCESASSCHEDULED s +NOWLEDGEOFALLSAFETYCONSIDERATIONSANDPROCEDURESASSOCIATEDWITHTHEEQUIPMENTBEINGUSED
s )NSTALL TROUBLESHOOTANDOPERATEEFFECTS s ,ICENSEORCERTIlCATIONASREQUIREDBYLOCALANDORSTATELAW
INCLUDING BUTNOTLIMITEDTOATMOSPHERE s +NOWLEDGEOFALLSAFETYPOLICIESANDPROCEDURESOFTHEVENUE
LASERSANDPYROTECHNICS s 0HYSICALABILITYTOMOVEOPERATEEFFECTSEQUIPMENT
s %NFORCESCOMPLIANCEWITHALLSAFETY s 0RIOREFFECTSTRAININGANDEXPERIENCE
PROCEDURES s !BILITYTOWORKWELLINHIGH PRESSURESITUATIONS
s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
s /RGANIZATIONALANDTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s +NOWLEDGEOFANDADHERENCETOSAFEWORKINGPRACTICES
s #ERTIlCATIONTHROUGHTHE%NTERTAINMENT4ECHNICIAN#ERTIlCATION0ROGRAM%4#0 ISHIGHLYDESIREDANDMAY
BEREQUIRED

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. S P R I N G 2010 17
theatre

ELECTRICIAN
The technician who assists the Master or House Electrician with the installation and maintenance of the light plot
for a production.
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !TTENDSALLLIGHTINGWORKCALLS REHEARSALS s 7ORKINGKNOWLEDGEOFLIGHTINGEQUIPMENTUSEDINTHEPRODUCTION
PERFORMANCESANDORSTRIKESASSCHEDULED s 7ORKINGKNOWLEDGEOFBASICSTAGEELECTRICIANSKILLS INCLUDING BUTNOTLIMITEDTOCHANGINGALAMP CIRCUITING
s )NSTALLSLIGHTINGEQUIPMENTASDIRECTED ANDPATCHING COLORMEDIAANDDIFFUSION PATTERNS LUMINAIREASSOCIATEDACCESSORIES
s 2UNSPOWERCABLEANDCIRCUITSANDPATCHES s !BILITYTOQUICKLYANDACCURATELYFOCUSALIGHTINGINSTRUMENT
LIGHTINGEQUIPMENTASDIRECTED s !BILITYTOSTANDORSITFORLONGPERIODSOFTIME
s 2UNSPOWERTOALLON STAGEPRACTICALS s 0HYSICALABILITYTOMOVEOPERATELIGHTINGEQUIPMENT
s &OCUSESLIGHTINGEQUIPMENTUNDERTHE s 0RIORTHEATRICALBACKSTAGEEXPERIENCE
DIRECTIONOFTHE,$ORHISHERDESIGNATE s !BILITYTOWORKWELLINHIGH PRESSURESITUATIONS
s -ANAGESTIMEINANEFFECTIVEMANNER s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
s 0ERFORMSOTHERDUTIESASASSIGNEDBYTHE s /RGANIZATIONALANDTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
LIGHTINGSUPERVISOR s 0ROBLEMSOLVINGABILITY
s 0ERSONALINITIATIVE
s +NOWLEDGEOFANDADHERENCETOSAFEWORKINGPRACTICES
s #ERTIlCATIONTHROUGHTHE%NTERTAINMENT4ECHNICIAN#ERTIlCATION0ROGRAM%4#0 ISHIGHLYDESIREDANDMAY
BEREQUIRED

FOLLOWSPOT OPERATOR
The technician who are responsible for the operation of the followspots during performance.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !TTENDSALLLIGHTINGANDTECHNICAL s %XCELLENTWORKINGKNOWLEDGEOFTHEFOLLOWSPOTINSTRUMENTANDITSFEATURES
REHEARSALS ASWELLASPERFORMANCES s %XCELLENTWORKINGKNOWLEDGEOFBASICSTAGEELECTRICIANSKILLS INCLUDING BUTNOTLIMITEDTOCHANGINGALAMP
s /PERATESTHEFOLLOWSPOTATTHEINSTRUCTIONOF CHANGINGCOLORMEDIAORDIFFUSIONANDFOCUSINGANINSTRUMENT
THE3TAGE-ANAGEROR,EAD3POT/PERATOR s %XCELLENTWORKINGKNOWLEDGEOFBASICFOLLOWSPOTSKILLSANDTERMINOLOGY
DURINGREHEARSALSANDPERFORMANCES s !BILITYTOSTANDORSITFORLONGPERIODSOFTIME OFTENINAVERYWARMENVIRONMENT
s 4ROUBLESHOOTSPROBLEMSWITHTHEFOLLOWSPOT s 0HYSICALABILITYTOMOVEOPERATEFOLLOWSPOTINSTRUMENT
ASAPPROPRIATE s !BILITYTOWORKWELLINHIGH PRESSURESITUATIONS
s 'OODINTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
s 'OODORGANIZATIONALANDTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s +NOWLEDGEOFANDADHERENCETOSAFEWORKINGPRACTICES

LIGHT BOARD PROGRAMMER / OPERATOR


The technician who is responsible for programming and operating the lighting console. Sometimes operation and
programming duties are split between different people, dependent on the needs and resources of the production.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !TTENDSALLLIGHTINGANDTECHNICAL s +NOWLEDGEOFTHESPECIlCLIGHTINGCONSOLEBEINGUSED
REHEARSALS ASWELLASPERFORMANCES s 3PEEDANDACCURACYINDATAENTRYWITHTHELIGHTINGCONSOLE
s 0ROGRAMSTHELIGHTINGCUESTOTHE s !STHISISAHIGHLYSKILLEDPOSITION PRIORTHEATRICALBACKSTAGEEXPERIENCEISAMUST
SATISFACTIONOFTHE,$ s !BILITYTOWORKWELLINHIGH PRESSURESITUATIONS
s %XECUTESALLLIGHTINGCUESATTHECOMMAND s !BILITYTOSITFORLONGPERIODSOFTIME
OFTHE3TAGE-ANAGERDURINGREHEARSALS s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
ANDPERFORMANCES s /RGANIZATIONALANDTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s 4ROUBLESHOOTSPROBLEMSWITHTHELIGHTBOARD s +NOWLEDGEOFANDADHERENCETOSAFEWORKINGPRACTICES
ASAPPROPRIATE
s !SSISTSTHE3TAGE-ANAGEROR-ASTER
%LECTRICIANWITHDIMMERFOCUSCHECKSPRIOR
TOEACHTECHNICALREHEARSALORPERFORMANCE

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


18 S P R I N G 2010 Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc.
lighting commission
MOVING LUMINAIRE PROGRAMMER/OPERATOR
The technician who is responsible for programming, operating and troubleshooting the moving lights for a production.
Sometimes operation and programming duties are split between different people, dependent on the needs and
resources of the production.
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !TTENDSALLLIGHTINGANDTECHNICAL s +NOWLEDGEOFTHESPECIlCEQUIPMENTBEINGUSED
REHEARSALS ASWELLASPERFORMANCES s 3PEEDANDACCURACYINDATAENTRYWITHTHEMOVINGLIGHTCONSOLE
s 0ROGRAMSTHEMOVINGLIGHTCUESTOTHE s !STHISISAHIGHLYSKILLEDPOSITION PRIORTHEATRICALBACKSTAGEEXPERIENCEISAMUST
SATISFACTIONOFTHE,$ s !BILITYTOWORKWELLINHIGH PRESSURESITUATIONS
s %XECUTESALLLIGHTINGCUESATTHECOMMAND s !BILITYTOSITFORLONGPERIODSOFTIME
OFTHE3TAGE-ANAGERDURINGREHEARSALS s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
ANDPERFORMANCES s /RGANIZATIONALANDTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s 4ROUBLESHOOTSPROBLEMSWITHTHEMOVING s +NOWLEDGEOFANDADHERENCETOSAFEWORKINGPRACTICES
LIGHTSASAPPROPRIATE
s !SSISTSTHE3TAGE-ANAGERORSUPERVISING
ELECTRICIANWITHDIMMERFOCUSCHECKSPRIOR
TOEACHTECHNICALREHEARSALORPERFORMANCE

film & television


lighting commission

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY / CINEMATOGRAPHER


The artist who imparts a photographic style to a film or videotape based on the script and the director’s vision.
The common acronym for Director of Photography is DP.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s 2EADSSCRIPTANDDETERMINESTHEVISUALNEEDSTHATMEETANDSUPPORTTHEDIRECTORSLIGHTINGNEEDSOFTHE s %XPERIENCEINSCRIPTANALYSIS
PRODUCTION s 2ESEARCHSKILLS
s -EETSWITHTHE$IRECTORANDDESIGNTEAMOFTHEPRODUCTIONTOHELPDETERMINETHECONCEPT WHICHALLARTISTS s +NOWLEDGEOFCURRENTLIGHTINGlXTURESAND
WILLWORKWITHIN TECHNOLOGYDESIRED
s 3ELECTSTHElLMTYPE CAMERAANDCAMERALENSES USEDFORDIFFERENTSHOTS s +NOWLEDGEOFCURRENTCAMERAlXTURESAND
s $ETERMINESCAMERAMOVEMENTANDFRAMINGANGLEALONGWITHTHE$IRECTORTOACHIEVEEACHSHOT TECHNOLOGY
s -EETSWITHLIGHTINGPERSONNELASNECESSARYTOFACILITATETHEINTERPRETATIONOFTHELIGHTINGIDEASINTOREALITY s +NOWLEDGEOFlLMTYPES SPEEDSAND
s $ETERMINESTHECOLORSCHEMEOFANYGELSANDORDIFFUSIONS DEVELOPMENTPROCESSES
s -EETSSCHEDULEDDESIGNDEADLINES s +NOWLEDGEANDEXPERIENCEINTHEBASIC
PRINCIPLESANDELEMENTSOFDESIGN
s %XCELLENTORGANIZATIONALSKILLS
s %XCELLENTTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s !BILITYTOREMAINCALMINEXTENDEDHIGH
STRESSSITUATIONS

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. S P R I N G 2010 19
film & television

LIGHTING DIRECTOR
The artist who, in collaboration with the director and lighting staff, imparts a photographic style to a television or
videotape production based on the script and the director’s vision.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s 2EADSSCRIPTANDDETERMINESTHELIGHTINGNEEDSOFTHEPRODUCTION s %XPERIENCEINSCRIPTANALYSIS
s -EETSWITHTHE0RODUCER THE$IRECTORANDDESIGNTEAMOFTHEPRODUCTIONTODETERMINETHECONCEPT WHICHALL s 2ESEARCHSKILLS
ARTISTSWILLWORKWITHIN s +NOWLEDGEOFCURRENTLIGHTINGlXTURESAND
s 2ESEARCHESLIGHTINGSOURCES AVAILABLEEQUIPMENTFACILITIESANDRENTALPOSSIBILITIES TECHNOLOGY
s -EETSWITHLIGHTINGPERSONNELASNECESSARYTOFACILITATETHEINTERPRETATIONOFTHELIGHTPLOTINTOTHREE s +NOWLEDGEOFPOWERDISTRIBUTIONAND
DIMENSIONALREALITY DIMMINGSOURCESANDMETHODS
s $ETERMINESTHECOLORSCHEMEOFANYCOLORMEDIAANDORDIFFUSIONS s +NOWLEDGEANDEXPERIENCEINTHEBASIC
s /VERSEESASSISTANTSTOMAKECERTAINTHATPLOTANDPAPERWORKAREUPDATEDANDACCURATE PRINCIPLESANDELEMENTSOFDESIGN
s !TTENDSALLTECHNICALANDLIGHTINGREHEARSALSTOCOMMUNICATEWITHTHE$IRECTORANDFACILITATEINTEGRATIONOF s /RGANIZATIONALSKILLS
THE,IGHTING$ESIGN s 5NDERSTANDINGOFLIGHTBOARDPROGRAMMING
s 7RITESEACHLIGHTCUEREQUIREDBYTHEPRODUCTIONANDCOMMUNICATESITEFFECTIVELYTOTHE,IGHT"OARD s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
/PERATORTOBERECORDED s %XCELLENTTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s -AINTAINSANUP TO DATESCRIPTORCUESHEETTHATINDICATESPLACEMENTOFALLLIGHTCUES s !BILITYTOREMAINCALMINEXTENDEDHIGH
s !TTENDSREHEARSALSASNECESSARY STRESSSITUATIONS
s !TTENDSPRODUCTIONMEETINGSORDELEGATESATTENDANCETO!,$
s -EETSSCHEDULEDDESIGNDEADLINES

ASSISTANT LIGHTING DIRECTOR


The individual who works as a personal assistant to the Lighting Director for a specific production.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s $EMONSTRATED,IGHTING$ESIGNEXPERIENCE
s2EADSSCRIPT
ATTHEEDUCATIONALORPROFESSIONALLEVEL
s #OMPILESRESEARCHFOR,IGHTING$IRECTORASNECESSARY
s +NOWLEDGEOFANDEXPERIENCEINBASIC
s !CTSASALIAISONWITHLIGHTINGPERSONNELWHENTHE,$ISUNAVAILABLE
STUDIOLIGHTINGTECHNIQUES
s &ACILITATESFOCUSCALLSANDTECHNICALREHEARSALSFORTHE,$
s +NOWLEDGEOFANDEXPERIENCEINBASIC
s #OMPILESANDDISTRIBUTESDESIGNNOTESFROMELECTRICSCALLSANDTECHNICALREHEARSALS
ACCOUNTINGPROCEDURES
s !TTENDSPRODUCTIONMEETINGSANDREHEARSALSASASSIGNEDBYTHE,IGHTING$IRECTOR
s %XCELLENTORGANIZATIONALSKILLS
s 0ROVIDESLIGHTINGINFORMATIONTOOTHERPRODUCTIONAREAS
s %XCELLENTCOMPUTERSKILLS
s #OMPILESANDMAINTAINSACCURATECUESHEETS
s %XCELLENTDRAFTINGSKILLS
s #REATESANACCURATEDRAFTOFTHELIGHTINGPLOTLIGHTPLOTANDACCOMPANYINGPAPERWORKTOREALIZEIDEASAS
s !BILITYTOWORKWITHAVARIETYOFARTISTSIN
DISCUSSEDWITHTHE,IGHTING$IRECTOR
HIGH PRESSURESITUATIONS
s 2ESPONSIBLEFORUPDATINGLIGHTINGPAPERWORKASFREQUENTLYASREQUIREDBYTHENEEDSOFTHEPRODUCTION
s %XCELLENTINTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATION
s -ANAGESPETTYCASHFORTHE,IGHTING$IRECTOR
SKILLS
s -AYHANDLERENTALANDPURCHASEARRANGEMENTSATTHEDISCRETIONOFTHE,$
s 2ECORDSFOCUSOFTHESHOW
s 4RACKSTHELIGHTCUESFORTHESHOWS
s 0ERFORMSOTHERDUTIESASASSIGNEDBYTHE,$

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


20 S P R I N G 2010 Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc.
lighting commission

LIGHTING DESIGNER
Under the direct supervision of the Director of Photography, the artist who can be brought into a recorded media
production to assist with special lighting needs such as concerts, club lighting, etc.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s 2EADSSCRIPTANDDETERMINESTHELIGHTINGNEEDSOFTHEPRODUCTION s %XPERIENCEINSCRIPTANALYSIS
s -EETSWITHTHE$IRECTOROFTHEPRODUCTIONTOHELPDETERMINETHECONCEPT WHICHALLARTISTSWILLWORKWITHIN s %XCELLENTRESEARCHSKILLS
s 2ESEARCHESLIGHTINGSOURCES AVAILABLEEQUIPMENTFACILITIESANDRENTALPOSSIBILITIES s +NOWLEDGEOFCURRENTLIGHTINGlXTURESAND
s #REATESSTORYBOARDS SKETCHES COMPUTERHANDRENDERINGSORRESEARCHCOMPILATIONS ASNECESSARY TO TECHNOLOGY
COMMUNICATEDESIGNIDEASTOTHE$IRECTORANDDESIGNTEAMFORAPPROVAL s +NOWLEDGEOFPOWERDISTRIBUTIONAND
s #REATESALIGHTPLOTANDACCOMPANYINGPAPERWORKTOREALIZEIDEASASDISCUSSEDWITHTHE$IRECTOR DIMMINGSOURCESANDMETHODS
s -EETSWITHLIGHTINGPERSONNELASNECESSARYTOFACILITATETHEINTERPRETATIONOFTHELIGHTPLOTINTOTHREE s +NOWLEDGEANDEXPERIENCEINTHEBASIC
DIMENSIONALREALITY PRINCIPLESANDELEMENTSOFDESIGN
s $ETERMINESTHECOLORSCHEMEOFANYGELSANDORDIFFUSIONS s %XCELLENTORGANIZATIONALSKILLS
s /VERSEESASSISTANTSTOMAKECERTAINTHATPLOTANDPAPERWORKAREUPDATEDANDACCURATE s $RAFTINGSKILLS
s !TTENDSALLTECHNICALANDLIGHTINGREHEARSALSTOCOMMUNICATEWITHTHE$IRECTORANDFACILITATEINTEGRATIONOF s 5NDERSTANDINGOFLIGHTBOARDPROGRAMMING
THE,IGHTING$ESIGN s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
s 7RITESEACHLIGHTCUEREQUIREDBYTHEPRODUCTIONANDCOMMUNICATESITEFFECTIVELYTOTHE,IGHT"OARD s 4IMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
/PERATORTOBERECORDED s !BILITYTOREMAINCALMINEXTENDEDHIGH
s !TTENDSREHEARSALSASNECESSARY STRESSSITUATIONS
s -EETSSCHEDULEDDESIGNDEADLINES

LIGHTING COORDINATOR
The artist who creates the look of the lighting for a production in collaboration with the director and lighting staff.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s 2EADSSCRIPTANDDETERMINESTHELIGHTINGNEEDSOFTHEPRODUCTION s %XPERIENCEINSCRIPTANALYSIS
s -EETSWITHTHE$IRECTORANDDESIGNTEAMOFTHEPRODUCTIONTODETERMINETHECONCEPT WHICHALLARTISTSWILL s 2ESEARCHSKILLS
WORKWITHIN s +NOWLEDGEOFCURRENTLIGHTINGlXTURESAND
s 2ESEARCHESLIGHTINGSOURCES AVAILABLEEQUIPMENTFACILITIESANDRENTALPOSSIBILITIES TECHNOLOGY
s -EETSWITHLIGHTINGPERSONNELASNECESSARYTOFACILITATETHEINTERPRETATIONOFTHELIGHTPLOTINTOTHREE s +NOWLEDGEOFPOWERDISTRIBUTIONAND
DIMENSIONALREALITY DIMMINGSOURCESANDMETHODS
s $ETERMINESTHECOLORSCHEMEOFANYGELSANDORDIFFUSIONS s +NOWLEDGEANDEXPERIENCEINTHEBASIC
s /VERSEESASSISTANTSTOMAKECERTAINTHATPLOTANDPAPERWORKAREUPDATEDANDACCURATE PRINCIPLESANDELEMENTSOFDESIGN
s !TTENDSALLTECHNICALANDLIGHTINGREHEARSALSTOCOMMUNICATEWITHTHE$IRECTORANDFACILITATEINTEGRATIONOF s /RGANIZATIONALSKILLS
THE,IGHTING$ESIGN s 5NDERSTANDINGOFLIGHTBOARDPROGRAMMING
s 7RITESEACHLIGHTCUEREQUIREDBYTHEPRODUCTIONANDCOMMUNICATESITEFFECTIVELYTOTHE,IGHT"OARD s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
/PERATORTOBERECORDED s %XCELLENTTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s -AINTAINSANUP TO DATESCRIPTORCUESHEETTHATINDICATESPLACEMENTOFALLLIGHTCUES s !BILITYTOREMAINCALMINEXTENDEDHIGH
s !TTENDSREHEARSALSASNECESSARY STRESSSITUATIONS
s !TTENDSPRODUCTIONMEETINGSORDELEGATESATTENDANCETO!,$
s -EETSSCHEDULEDDESIGNDEADLINES

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. S P R I N G 2010 21
film & television

CHIEF LIGHTING TECHNICIAN


The technician who oversees the entire Lighting Department for a movie or TV production.
Note: Chief Lighting Technician is the correct title mandated by IATSE under its Studio Contract. In other situations, this position is called Gaffer.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s $ETERMINES WITHTHE,IGHTING$IRECTOR THELIGHTING s %XTENSIVEPROFESSIONALLIGHTINGEXPERIENCEIN46ANDORlLM
EQUIPMENTANDPURCHASESNECESSARYFORTHE s +NOWLEDGEOFCURRENTLIGHTINGEQUIPMENTANDTECHNOLOGY
PRODUCTION s +NOWLEDGEOFPOWERDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS
s 3UPPLIESTHENECESSARYINTENSITY COLOR ANGLEAND s #URRENTCERTIlCATIONFORWIRING GENERATOROPERATIONANDORELECTRICALOPERATIONASREQUIREDBY
LIGHTINGQUALITYASDIRECTEDFOREACHSHOOT LOCALLICENSINGAUTHORITY
s 3UPERVISESLIGHTINGSTAFFDURINGALLPHASESOF s +NOWLEDGEOFBASIClLMSTUDIOLIGHTINGTECHNIQUES
PRODUCTION s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFEELECTRICALPRACTICESANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
s -ANAGESTIMEINANEFFECTIVEMANNER s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFERIGGINGPRACTICESANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
s %XPEDITESPRODUCTIONSWITHINSCHEDULEDDEADLINES s $EMONSTRATEDEXPERIENCEINPERSONNELMANAGEMENT
s /VERSEESPOWERSUPPLYTOOTHERPRODUCTION s %XCELLENTINTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
DEPARTMENTSASREQUIRED s %XCELLENTORGANIZATIONALSKILLS

ASSISTANT CHIEF LIGHTING TECHNICIAN


The technician who works as assistant to the Chief Lighting Technician.
Note: Assistant Chief Lighting Technician is the correct title mandated by IATSE under their Studio Contract.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !SSISTSTHE#HIEF,IGHTING4ECHNICIANINDETERMINING s 0ROFESSIONALLIGHTINGEXPERIENCEIN46ANDORlLM
THELIGHTINGEQUIPMENTANDPURCHASESNECESSARYFOR s +NOWLEDGEOFCURRENTLIGHTINGEQUIPMENTANDTECHNOLOGY
THEPRODUCTION s +NOWLEDGEOFPOWERDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS
s !SSISTSTHE#HIEF,IGHTING4ECHNICIANINTHESUPPLY s #URRENTCERTIlCATIONFORWIRING GENERATOROPERATIONANDORELECTRICALOPERATIONASREQUIREDBY
THENECESSARYINTENSITY COLOR ANGLEANDLIGHTING LOCALLICENSINGAUTHORITY
QUALITYASDIRECTEDFOREACHSHOOT s +NOWLEDGEOFBASIClLMSTUDIOLIGHTINGTECHNIQUES
s !SSISTSTHE#HIEF,IGHTING4ECHNICIANINTHE s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFEELECTRICALPRACTICESANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
SUPERVISIONOFTHELIGHTINGSTAFFDURINGALLPHASESOF s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFERIGGINGPRACTICESANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
PRODUCTION s %XCELLENTINTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
s !SSISTSTHE#HIEF,IGHTING4ECHNICIANTOEXPEDITETHE s %XCELLENTORGANIZATIONALSKILLS
SCHEDULEANDDEADLINESFORTHEPRODUCTION
s !SSISTSTHE#HIEF,IGHTING4ECHNICIANINTHE
OVERSIGHTOFTHEPOWERSUPPLYTOOTHERPRODUCTION
DEPARTMENTSASREQUIRED

BEST BOY
The technician who oversees the entire Lighting Department for a movie production.
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !SSISTSTHE#,4WITHORDERINGANDORGANIZATIONOF s 0ROFESSIONALLIGHTINGEXPERIENCEIN46ANDORlLM
EQUIPMENTREQUIREDFORPRODUCTION s %XCELLENTKNOWLEDGEOFLIGHTINGEQUIPMENTANDTECHNOLOGY
s /VERSEESLOADINGANDUNLOADINGLIGHTINGEQUIPMENT s %XCELLENTKNOWLEDGEOFPOWERDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS
FROMVEHICLES s #URRENTCERTIlCATIONFORWIRING GENERATOROPERATIONANDORELECTRICALOPERATIONASREQUIREDBY
s 3UPPLIESNECESSARYCREWANDEQUIPMENTFOREACH LOCALLICENSINGAUTHORITY
WORKCALL s %XCELLENTKNOWLEDGEOFSAFEELECTRICALPRACTICESANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
s 3UPERVISESALLLIGHTINGWORKCALLS s %XCELLENTKNOWLEDGEOFSAFERIGGINGPRACTICESANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
s -ANAGESALLLIGHTINGEQUIPMENT INCLUDINGREPAIRS s $EMONSTRATEDEXPERIENCEINPERSONNELMANAGEMENT
MAINTENANCEANDREPLACEMENT s %XCELLENTINTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
s %NFORCESCOMPLIANCEWITHSAFETYSTANDARDSFORALL s %XCELLENTORGANIZATIONALSKILLS
LIGHTINGSTAFF
s %XPEDITESPRODUCTIONSWITHINSCHEDULEDDEADLINES

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


22 S P R I N G 2010 Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc.
lighting commission

GAFFER
The technician who oversees the entire Lighting Department for a movie or TV production.
Note: Gaffer is an older, non-union term for Chief Lighting Technician. The duties are the same.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s $ETERMINES WITHTHE,IGHTING$IRECTOR THELIGHTING s %XTENSIVEPROFESSIONALLIGHTINGEXPERIENCEIN46ANDORlLM
EQUIPMENTANDPURCHASESNECESSARYFORTHE s +NOWLEDGEOFCURRENTLIGHTINGEQUIPMENTANDTECHNOLOGY
PRODUCTION s +NOWLEDGEOFPOWERDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS
s 3UPPLIESTHENECESSARYINTENSITY COLOR ANGLEAND s #URRENTCERTIlCATIONFORWIRING GENERATOROPERATIONANDORELECTRICALOPERATIONASREQUIREDBY
LIGHTINGQUALITYASDIRECTEDFOREACHSHOOT LOCALLICENSINGAUTHORITY
s 3UPERVISESLIGHTINGSTAFFDURINGALLPHASESOF s +NOWLEDGEOFBASIClLMSTUDIOLIGHTINGTECHNIQUES
PRODUCTION s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFEELECTRICALPRACTICESANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
s -ANAGESTIMEINANEFFECTIVEMANNER s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFERIGGINGPRACTICESANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
s %XPEDITESPRODUCTIONSWITHINSCHEDULEDDEADLINES s $EMONSTRATEDEXPERIENCEINPERSONNELMANAGEMENT
s /VERSEESPOWERSUPPLYTOOTHERPRODUCTION s %XCELLENTINTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
DEPARTMENTSASREQUIRED s %XCELLENTORGANIZATIONALSKILLS

GRIP
The technician who are responsible for rigging, moving and installation of scenic elements, and for any diffusion, color
and reflective media placed in front (away) from the light such as a C-Stand with a flag or cookie. They do so for the
lighting department.
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s 3ETSUP STRIKESANDMOVESALLSCENICELEMENTS s $EMONSTRATEDGRIPEXPERIENCE
s )NSTALLS STRIKESANDMOVESALLmYINGSCENERYAND s 0HYSICALABILITYTOMOVEOPERATEGRIPEQUIPMENT
CATWALKS s +NOWLEDGEOFRIGGINGSYSTEMS
s /PERATESANDMOVESALLREmECTORBOARDS REmECTIVE s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFETYPRACTICESANDABILITYTOIMPLEMENTSAME
MATERIAL COLORCORRECTIVEGELSANDDIFFUSION s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
EQUIPMENT s /RGANIZATIONALSKILLS
s /PERATESANDMOVESALLCAMERADOLLIES CRANES
MOUNTSANDANYOTHERCAMERAORSOUNDMOBILE
EQUIPMENT
s ,OADSANDUNLOADSALLGRIPEQUIPMENT

GENERATOR (GENNY) OPERATOR


The technician who operates and maintains the generators and/or power plants used by the production for all of its
portable power requirements

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s "ALANCESALLELECTRICALLOADS s #URRENTCERTIlCATIONFORGENERATORORELECTRICALOPERATIONASREQUIREDBYLOCALANDORSTATE
s 0ROVIDESSUFlCIENTFUELTOMAINTAINPOWER LICENSINGAUTHORITY
PRODUCTION s +NOWLEDGEOFPOWERDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS
s )NSTALLSALLFEEDERCABLESFORELECTRICALSERVICEAS s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFEELECTRICALPRACTICESANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
NECESSARY s %XCELLENTORGANIZATIONALSKILLS
s #OORDINATESWITHTHE#,4TOENSUREADEQUATEPOWER s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
SUPPLIES s 0HYSICALABILITYTOMOVEOPERATEPOWERDISTRIBUTIONEQUIPMENT
s -AINTAINSALLPOWERPRODUCTIONANDDISTRIBUTION s %XCELLENTTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
EQUIPMENTASNECESSARY
s %XPEDITESPRODUCTIONSWITHINSCHEDULEDDEADLINES
s %NSURESCOMPLIANCEWITHELECTRICALSAFETYSTANDARDS

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. S P R I N G 2010 23
film & television

LIGHT BOARD PROGRAMMER/OPERATOR


The technician who are responsible for the operation of the followspot during photography

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !TTENDSALLLIGHTINGANDTECHNICALREHEARSALS ASWELL s %XCELLENTWORKINGKNOWLEDGEOFTHEFOLLOWSPOTINSTRUMENTANDITSFEATURES
ASPERFORMANCESFORlLMINGTAPING s %XCELLENTWORKINGKNOWLEDGEOFBASICELECTRICIANSKILLS INCLUDING BUTNOTLIMITEDTOCHANGINGA
s /PERATESTHEFOLLOWSPOTATTHEINSTRUCTIONOFTHE LAMP CHANGINGCOLORMEDIAORDIFFUSIONANDFOCUSINGANINSTRUMENT
,IGHTING$IRECTOROR,IGHTING$ESIGNERDURING s %XCELLENTWORKINGKNOWLEDGEOFBASICFOLLOWSPOTSKILLSANDTERMINOLOGY
REHEARSALSANDPHOTOGRAPHY s !BILITYTOSTANDORSITFORLONGPERIODSOFTIME OFTENINAVERYWARMENVIRONMENT
s 4ROUBLESHOOTSPROBLEMSWITHTHEFOLLOWSPOTAS s 0HYSICALABILITYTOMOVEOPERATEFOLLOWSPOTINSTRUMENT
APPROPRIATE s 0RIORFOLLOWSPOTOPERATIONEXPERIENCE
s !BILITYTOWORKWELLINHIGH PRESSURESITUATIONS
s 'OODINTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
s 'OODORGANIZATIONALANDTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS

LIGHTING TECHNICIAN / LAMP OPERATOR / LIGHTING OPERATOR


The technician who install, focus, fix, move, power and operate the lighting equipment.
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !TTENDSALLLIGHTINGWORKCALLS REHEARSALSANDOR s $EMONSTRATEDLIGHTINGANDELECTRICSEXPERIENCE
SHOOTSASSCHEDULED s 0HYSICALABILITYTOMOVEOPERATELIGHTINGEQUIPMENT
s )NSTALLSLIGHTINGEQUIPMENTASDIRECTED s +NOWLEDGEOFLIGHTINGEQUIPMENTANDPOWERDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS
s 2UNSPOWERCABLEANDCIRCUITSANDPATCHESLIGHTING s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFEELECTRICALPRACTICESANDABILITYTOIMPLEMENTSAME
EQUIPMENTASDIRECTED s +NOWLEDGEOFSAFERIGGINGPRACTICESANDABILITYTOIMPLEMENTSAME
s &OCUSESLIGHTINGEQUIPMENTUNDERTHEDIRECTIONOF s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
THE#HIEF,IGHTING$IRECTORORHISHERDESIGNATE s /RGANIZATIONALSKILLS
s -ANAGESTIMEINANEFFECTIVEMANNER
s 0ERFORMSOTHERDUTIESASASSIGNEDBYTHELIGHTING
SUPERVISOR

MOVING LUMINAIRE PROGRAMMER/OPERATOR


The technician who is responsible for programming, operating, and troubleshooting the moving lights for a production.
Sometimes operation and programming duties are split between different people, dependent on the needs and resources
of the production.
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !TTENDSALLLIGHTINGANDTECHNICALREHEARSALS ASWELL s +NOWLEDGEOFTHESPECIlCEQUIPMENTBEINGUSED
ASPERFORMANCESFORlLMINGTAPING s 3PEEDANDACCURACYINDATAENTRYWITHTHEMOVINGLIGHTCONSOLE
s 0ROGRAMSTHEMOVINGLIGHTCUESTOTHESATISFACTION s !BILITYTOWORKWELLINHIGH PRESSURESITUATIONS
OFTHE,IGHTING$IRECTOR s !BILITYTOSITFORLONGPERIODSOFTIME
s %XECUTESALLLIGHTINGCUESATTHECOMMANDOFTHE s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
,IGHTING$IRECTORANDOR,IGHTING$ESIGNERDURING s /RGANIZATIONALANDTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
REHEARSALSANDPERFORMANCES
s 4ROUBLESHOOTSPROBLEMSWITHTHEMOVINGLIGHTSAS
APPROPRIATE

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


24 S P R I N G 2010 Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc.
lighting commission

FOLLOWSPOT OPERATOR
The technician who is responsible for programming and operating the lighting console. Sometimes operation and
programming duties are split between different people, dependent on the needs and resources of the production.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !TTENDSALLLIGHTINGANDTECHNICALREHEARSALS ASWELL s +NOWLEDGEOFTHESPECIlCLIGHTINGCONSOLEBEINGUSED
ASPERFORMANCESFORlLMINGTAPINGWHEREALIGHT s 3PEEDANDACCURACYINDATAENTRYWITHTHELIGHTINGCONSOLE
BOARDISUSED s 0RIORTHEATRICALBACKSTAGEEXPERIENCE
s 0ROGRAMSTHELIGHTINGCUESTOTHESATISFACTIONOFTHE s !BILITYTOWORKWELLINHIGH PRESSURESITUATIONS
,IGHTING$IRECTORANDOR,IGHTING$ESIGNER s !BILITYTOSITFORLONGPERIODSOFTIME
s %XECUTESALLLIGHTINGCUESATTHECOMMANDDURING s )NTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
REHEARSALSANDPERFORMANCES s /RGANIZATIONALANDTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s 4ROUBLESHOOTSPROBLEMSWITHTHELIGHTBOARDAS
APPROPRIATE

SET WIREMAN
The technician responsible for all practical set wiring.
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s 0ROVIDESPOWERTOALLDEPARTMENTSDURING0RE s #URRENTCERTIlCATIONFORWIRINGORELECTRICALOPERATIONASREQUIREDBYLOCALLICENSINGAUTHORITY
0RODUCTION s %XCELLENTKNOWLEDGEOFPOWERDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS
s )NSTALLSANDRUNSPOWERTOALLELECTRICALEQUIPMENT s %XCELLENTKNOWLEDGEOFSAFEELECTRICALPRACTICESANDIMPLEMENTATIONOFSAME
THATAPPEARSON CAMERA s 'OODORGANIZATIONALSKILLS
s -AINTAINSANDREPAIRSON CAMERAELECTRICAL s 'OODINTERPERSONALANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS
EQUIPMENTASNECESSARY s %XCELLENTTIMEMANAGEMENTSKILLS
s %XPEDITESPRODUCTIONSWITHINSCHEDULEDDEADLINES
s 2EPORTSTO#,4DURING0RINCIPAL0HOTOGRAPHY

EFFECTS TECHNICIAN
The technician who is responsible for the implementation and operation of special effects on a production.
RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS
s !TTENDALLEFFECTSWORKCALLS REHEARSALSANDOR s 7ORKINGKNOWLEDGEOFAPPROPRIATEEFFECTSEQUIPMENT
SHOOTSASSCHEDULED s +NOWLEDGEOFALLSAFETYCONSIDERATIONSANDPROCEDURESASSOCIATEDWITHTHEEQUIPMENTBEINGUSED
s )NSTALL TROUBLESHOOTANDOPERATEEFFECTSINCLUDING s ,ICENSEORCERTIlCATIONASREQUIREDBYLOCALANDORSTATELAW
BUTNOTLIMITEDTOATMOSPHERE LASERSAND s 0HYSICALABILITYTOMOVEOPERATEEFFECTSEQUIPMENT
PYROTECHNICS s 0RIOREFFECTSTRAININGANDEXPERIENCE
s %NFORCESCOMPLIANCEWITHALLSAFETYPROCEDURES s !BILITYTOWORKWELLINHIGH PRESSURESITUATIONS
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THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY


Copyright 2010 United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. S P R I N G 2010 25

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