Sound engineering OT

Perhaps the majority now enter this sort of job via a meja degree or Tonmeister course. Which is sad because IMHO, an apprentice type scheme works better. Ie, trainees attached to working sound types.

You do need to decide which branch of the industry to aim for, as there is very little interchange between them in practice.

In article , Tim Lamb scribeth thus

Grit determination and a very strong belief in her capabilities!

If its the engineering side these days a very good IT knowledge.

If it's production Dave Liquorice may know a lot more.

The main commercial stations in this country owned by Global of course are always plugging their academy. I guess they might be able to at least cast some light on the requirements, assuming there really are engineers still about who know what they are doing, which is debatable sometimes.

Many years back when Capital radio had a flying Eye, the lady, Caroline Faraday as I recall, surprised them by fixing some broken cables using shock horror a soldering iron. it transpired she had done some time as an apprentice with the BBC before they lost the plot, so yes, I do wonder where folk would go nowadays. Brian

I'd suggest electronics, physics and maths if they want to be involved in the technical side of recording engineering and sound stage design.

But I suspect there may not be all that many high level jobs and a lot more unglamorous holding of furry microphones under interviewees chins. (and hanging around in cold windswept places waiting to shoot)

When I started at the BBC - many many years ago - a sound operator didn't fix cables etc. There were maintenance departments for that. What you would do is make sure you had spares in case of problems.

Actually not. Much of that is now done by the cameraman.

Of all potential employers the BBC still seem to offer the most apprenticeship and training opportunities

As in a lot of things your subsequent career can often depend on contacts made early on, whether its at school, or university who have a long term relationships with certain employers, or at an organisation like the BBC. People need some way of making themselves known to potential employers.

She'll possibly also be competing with trainees whose parents are sufficiently well off to sponsor them in one or two years unpaid work experience. Not that many of them may gain permanent posts; simply that they reduce the opportunities for everyone else to start at the bottom, and work their way up as might previously have been the case.

michael adams

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If looking at courses , do invert any `interview` and quiz the course provi der intensely.

There is quite a growth industry in offering media and production related c ourses aimed squarely at the £9K a year they can charge aspirants with out any care for preparing them for a career.

Indeed.

The very big problem with an academic course for what is essentially a skill is that industry practices change far more rapidly than any course can keep up with. And the general meja ones often more biased towards the production side. Ie, you may just start off as a camera assistant, but your goal is to be a director. Or whatever.

I think it's disgraceful that the BBC largely abandoned its tried and tested training programme for these technical skills.

I had a very enjoyable career in broadcast sound. Reasonably profitable too. I've no idea how I'd set about it if starting now. Most successful people in this field are now freelance - and passing on those skills may be seen as adding to competition for such jobs as there are.

Eeven the jobs at venues where gigs are played just seem to relay on the ba nds own sound engineer who they mostly get by word of mouth or friends of f riends that do the sound for local pub gigs and it;s prettyy low paid and n ot usualy 9-5 but 5 to after midnight.

I've seen this bunch advertised on the London underground.

SAE institute

I'd look further out though. Europe?

Many immediately think of music and sound engineer in the same breath. But as regards broadcast and film, there's far more work that doesn't include it at all.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

OK Chaps. I'll pass all these thoughts on to my daughter who is dropping in on Sunday.

Paid training courses looks to be a minefield!

Thanks.

One thing that no one here has mentioned that the ability to carry heavy equipment in and out of vans will be an essential quality.

If she's a rugby player then no probs. Otherwise she'll be competing with lads that can balance a dozen speakers and mixing decks all at once over a mile of rough ground.

As I read it, the 15 year old daughter is looking for an apprenticeship/training with the broadcast/film industry. The OP only mentioned sound engineers as they're the only representatives of that industry posting in here. I still reckon she's best checking out the various BBC apprenticeship and training schemes specifically the sort of qualifications they're going to be be looking for, once she's old enough to apply.

michael adams

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Really?

Why would you want to carry speakers and mixing desks? That would be the roadies job at a gig. On a TV OB, the riggers move the heavy stuff around.

Plenty of females work in sound. Nothing like as many as blokes - but physical strength doesn't really come in to it. Stamina may.

Then she'll just have to use her feminine wiles and get the lads to carry the heavy stuff for her.

Of course that might not work so well in theatre ;-)

Owain

Don't think you quite understand the job. Those 'lads' if there are any will certainly have their own work to do. Or she may well be working as part of a very small crew. Who will also have their own work to do.

If she knows she will need heavy stuff (pretty unusual) she'd have to make arrangements for its transport etc if she can't cope herself.

Each job is individual so you plan what equipment is needed. You don't carry around absolutely everything that could possibly be needed. Ie, you don't carry a gig rig in the van if going to interview someone.

She might find it useful to approach her local BBC radio station.