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From torch light to DMX: the stage trade's historyHistory · 8You get an overview of how the work behind the scenes evolved from hand-held torches and rope pulls to programmable light controllers and digital sound — and how the technician became a profession in its own right.A working day behind the scenes...Weekday · 8You follow an event from surveying and setup to breakdown and disassembly, and see which methods and routines make a production succeed on time.Desks, lamps, and cables: your equipmentEquipment · 9You get a tour of the central equipment you work with — from mixing desks and microphones to stage lights, rigging, and signal cables — and how the parts fit together in a system.Safety when hanging things over people's headsSafety · 8You learn why safety is the most important technical subject in the trade — from rigging and load to electricity, noise, and working at height — and how you work responsibly.Specialties and ways forward in the tradeCareer · 8You get an overview of the trade's specialties and the many directions the trade can take you — from theater stages and festivals to permanent installations in meeting rooms and museums.How you don't accidentally infringe intellectual property rightsThe education's structure · 8The education to theater, event, and AV technician is a vocational education where you alternate between school periods and training in a business. Here you get an overview of basic course 1 and 2, the main course, duration, and the admission requirements you need to know before you apply.Pay and employment terms as apprentice and skilled workerPay & terms · 7As an apprentice on the main course you receive wages from your employer while you learn the trade — and wages typically increase as you progress through your apprenticeship. Here we cover the principles behind apprentice wages collective agreements and the conditions that await you when you are skilled.Rules, legislation and certificates in the subjectRules & authorisation · 8As a theatre event and AV technician you work close to electricity heavy lifting and large numbers of people. It places demands. Here we look at the law affecting the training and trade and the courses and certificates that are often part of the package.Work environment safety and ergonomics in depthWork environment & safety · 9Sound, light and scene must hang safely, the power must be in order, and backs and knees must hold for a whole working life. Here we dive into the most important work environment and ergonomics issues for theatre, event and AV technicians.The industry today — workplaces, jobs and futureThe industry today · 8Festivals, theaters, TV productions, conferences and museums — theater, event and AV technicians are behind the scenes everywhere something must be experienced live. Here we look at workplaces, job opportunities and where the trade is heading.Further and continuing education — what can you build on?Further education · 7A journeyman's certificate is not a final station but a springboard. Here we see the opportunities you have to build on your training as a theatre event and av technician — from short courses to longer advanced education.DMX512: the language that controls stage lightingTechnique · 7DMX512 is the common digital protocol that nearly all stage lighting today is controlled by. The article covers what a universe, an address and a channel are, how a DMX line is set up, and why the standard made it possible to connect equipment from different manufacturers in one system.Pyrotechnics and stage fireworks: certificate and regulationsSafety · 6Spark fountains, flame effects and confetti with pyrotechnic charges fall legally under fireworks legislation, not under the normal stage technical toolkit. The article covers what stage pyrotechnics is, who is allowed to handle it, and what role you typically have as a theatre, event and AV technician around it.Power to location: safe electrical connection at festival and stageTechnique · 7On location, power rarely comes from an ordinary outlet. The article covers the boundary between what you as a technician can connect and distribute yourself and what requires an authorized electrician, and why earth fault circuit breakers are your most important safety net outdoors.Fire safety backstage and in assembly hallsSafety · 6Places with public access are covered by the emergency legislation's operational regulations for assembly halls. The article reviews what the regulations require, how your work with rigging, cables and equipment affects fire safety, and why emergency exits must never give way to time pressure.Rigging in depth: truss, wire and safety factorTechnique · 8Truss, wire and lifting straps are the skeleton; all equipment above the heads of the audience and colleagues hangs from it. The article goes in depth into what a truss really is, which standards wire and straps are covered by, and why concepts such as WLL and safety factor are key to all rigging work.The journeyman's exam: how it's structuredThe education's structure · 5The journeyman's exam is the last major step on the way to becoming a qualified theatre, event and audiovisual technician. The article goes through how the exam is structured in three parts, who assesses you, and what happens when you pass.

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