Exploring Opportunities: 5 Areas in AV You May Not Have Considered.

By Matthew Hale

The Audio Visual Industry is a diverse and exciting part of the live industry. AV can include everything from live shows and music concerts to awards, AGMs, and multi-day Conferences.

In this blog, I’ll show you a few areas you might not have considered to advance your career in AV. Or, if you’re just starting out and new to the industry, where you can get your foot in the door.

I’ve worked in some of these roles myself, so each account is firsthand from someone who’s been there and done it.

Live Music Venues

There are numerous music venues in London, the United Kingdom, and around the world. Learning how to use mixing desks will help you advance as an audio engineer because it will allow you to adapt and be comfortable in different audio environments.

If you can learn how Dante works, you’ll be more valuable to your employer or others when looking for new opportunities, as Dante networking is the industry standard for networking and is found in most large environments.

Audinate offers Dante courses ranging in difficulty from levels 1-3.

Check with your employer to see if you can get free access to these courses.

Follow this link to find out more:

https://www.audinate.com/learning/training-certification/dante-certification-program

The Yamaha QL & CL series are industry-standard mixing consoles used across venues and corporate settings. The QL 5 is the bigger version, while the QL1 is the smaller version; however, if you understand how a mixing desk works, you can use any desk, by any brand because, while the layout may change, the principles and signal flow remain the same.

Here is a link to the Yamaha CL1’s manual. It’s 264 pages long, so feel free to navigate using the contents page and skip to the part you need.

https://www.manuals.co.uk/yamaha/ql1/manual?p=2

Here are a few of my favourite overview videos for the QL 1

CL/QL Series Training Video: 1.1 QL Console Overview

https://youtu.be/7xYZ72rNs7k

Yamaha CL and Ql comparison – Yamaha Digital Audio Consoles

https://youtu.be/7QFAYYdjwMU

Lighting Engineer

Because of the complexities and technical understanding necessary to patch and run a light show properly, lighting engineers are in high demand.

If you like working with lights or are curious to know how they function, this may be a profitable move in the right direction.

I used an Avolite Quartz Desk at the hotel where I worked and found it challenging and confusing to operate at first, partly to my background in sound. However, after a few times setting it up and using it, I became accustomed to the workflow and began experimenting with it. Eventually, I was allowed to use it without supervision during an event. I’m not writing this to boast, but to demonstrate that if you have the desire and curiosity to adapt and try new things, you can learn a new piece of equipment and branch into a new area of the industry.

There are many good courses and helpful youtube videos which can help you get started.

Here are a few links to my favourite tutorials.

Avolites Titan Training Academy Playlist – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqhrVZmIFjXYURky78EoWej4x5qezmnIQ

In addition, Avolite also offer their own courses which can lead to being accredited by them. Here is the link if you’re interested.

https://www.avolites.com/support/avolites-academy-titan/

Lastly, their manuals are all online on their website for you to reference if needed.

https://manual.avolites.com/docs/quick-start

It’s very beneficial to know your way around a lighting desk and the principles of patching because things can and do go wrong. For this reason, most places you will start working at will have experienced engineers/senior techs, on-site who will teach you how to use their in-house equipment. Be aware You will most likely start off using ready made presets that have been created and put in place, until they trust you enough to make your own custom designs.

To upskill, have a look at these short courses which can be done part time or full time.

https://www.backstage-academy.co.uk/train/short-courses

Hotels

Working at a hotel may be a good way to get your foot in the door since you will learn on the job and build your character while dealing with a range of demanding clients. You will be involved in a range of events, such as award ceremonies, auctions, and charity dinners.

You will learn how to set up and de-rig the in-house equipment You’ll be using the equipment so often that you’ll be able to operate it with your eyes closed.

You’ll also gain an understanding of how production companies work, as the space may be ‘dry hired’  for an external production team to come in and do their thing. You must be knowledgeable of the equipment and its locations to advise the crew on the constraints and best use of the site.

Depending on your role, you may start contacting clients and preparing AV equipment quotes. You will learn how to communicate and collaborate effectively and attend meetings with different teams such as sales, operations, and events.

Volunteer at a Music Festival

Not only will you learn first-hand the behind the scenes of how festivals work, but you’ll also receive a free ticket to the festival for when you’re not on shift. It’s an excellent opportunity to network and meet other technicians, freelancers also Stage, Tour & Production Managers.

There’s also a big chunk of work out there which isn’t advertised but offered to people they like, so be nice, work hard and get networking.

Here are some links to websites listing summer festival jobs.

https://connectioncrew.co.uk/jobs

https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/information/jobs/

https://lucidcreates.co.uk/site-crew

https://firstcall.co.uk/crew-services/festivals/

Unique Venues

This includes, Schools, Colleges and Universities, Museums, Bars, Hotels, Aquariums.

Many AV companies including Prospero Integrated and Pro AV, work with these companies, so ask if they have any links to unique spaces. They also may hire people directly so contact the relevant people on linked in or check out job boards. This opens up a scope for you to work anywhere in the world.

Zoom & Teams – Hybrid Environments 

The pandemic and lockdown taught us how to adapt, and today the majority of businesses are turning hybrid. As a result, people can continue to hold meetings & conduct webinars using Zoom or Teams from their homes. Gaining knowledge of these programmes will be beneficial to you in the long run and can be applied to practically any industry.

The moral of the story and the purpose of this post is that AV is everywhere, so will always be in demand. Wherever there is a TV or a laptop/computer, there may be an opportunity and a need for AV/Technical support.

If you’ve enjoyed this blog, be sure to check out Chris’s website which is www.chrisasmith.com

You can stay in touch with him and add him on Linked In using this link.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamchristophersmith