Your responsibilities working as an AV technician will vary widely depending on where you’re working and what kind of event is being produced. This page presents an overview of the general characteristics of what an AV technician’s duties and responsibilities might be on any given event. We will explore specifics on other pages and as these pages develop, we will update this page with the links to same.
One might think that will start this article by describing the skills and techniques needed to use the myriad of audio/video equipment needed to produce a successful event. Not so much.
CUSTOMER SERVICE is the skill the trumps just about all others. Our overall primary job is to serve the end client. Having good customer service skills starts with being a good listener and following up with answers that the client can understand.
zippia.com did a study and discovered that “Out of all the resumes we looked through, 27.4% of event technicians listed customer service on their resume…”
We event technicians enjoy the techno-speak but all too often I’ve seen clients eyes glaze over as they really don’t care as long as they sound and look good when their presenting.
There are scores of job listings that lists customer service as a vital characteristic of a job applicant. A production company is going to want their staff to take care of their clients with kid gloves regardless of what fires they’re trying to put out.
In addition to interfacing with the client, you must also entertain these same concepts with your peers. Everyone talks to everyone and when your name pops up repeatedly as a terrific person to work with and one that was very helpful to the rest of the team, you increase your marketability exponentially. Having good relationships with the rest of your team increases the likelihood that everyone will be helpful when you find yourself at odds with success. No one wants to help the person who’s always pitching and moaning.
ADAPTABILITY is one of the most sought after characteristics for those seeking entertainment technicians they wish to work with. We work in one of the few entertainment industries where the person on stage at the microphone (a.k.a. the talent) can ask just about anyone in the room to make a change to their liking. It’s not like theater where the creative team is working to produce a work to support an author’s words and we create the environment in which the event takes place. We work on events where the person at the microphone might be the CEO and is the one who’s writing the check. If the front lights are too bright, we turn them down. If they stumble in their speech because they can’t hear themselves or they can’t see their confidence monitor, we figure out a way to fix that.
Adaptability is important for both the leads and for the rest the crew. As soon as an issue arises that doesn’t fit the preplanned chain of events, we all adapt to the situation. The leads are often jumping at the whim of the client and the crew need to be active participants in seeking out solutions. There are times when the install technicians may not understand why they are readjusting gear for the third, fourth, or fifth time. All too often is the client that is not sure what they want and they are “window shopping.” Here’s the thing, the end client likely puts on a big event once a year. They are certainly not as practiced as we are and it’s our job to make them feel as comfortable as we can.
Are you adaptable? Or, are you set in your ways? Here are some pointers on how to improve your adaptability.
- Keep an eye out around you for changes that are happening.
- Always have a plan B, C, and perhaps D, in mind.
- Use your imagination and place yourself in the client’s shoes.
- As you assemble your rig, imagine for a moment that you are missing that piece of gear in your hand. What would you do?
- During the rare moment of down time, visit with the other departments to see if you can learn something new.
KEEP IT UNDER WRAPS. Keep your frustrations away from the client. High level clients like corporate CEOs and such have enough to worry about without being surrounded by scowling faces. It’s valuable to know that production companies have been known to receive letters of thank you from high-level executives praising their crew for “holding their hand” through their stressful time. Of special note: keeping under wraps your frustration may need to include your time at the bar with the rest of the crew if you are out of town. There are plenty of stories abound where crew members were letting off steam at the local barbecue place without knowing that the executive assistant to the CEO was sitting at the next table over.
THE GEAR: of course you need to know your gear. This is probably how you thought I’d start this article. Knowing a little bit about everything will put you into two categories.
- A know-it-all that no one wants to have around.
- A well-rounded technician who will be valuable to everyone.
Which one of these two you end up within will be dependent on how you implement the concepts discussed above.
Knowing a lot about everything can put you in the upper echelon of technical production leadership. Your approach to how you implement your knowledge also depends on the concepts discussed above.
- You can be sought after by producers and production companies because you execute stellar events with a stable crew of freelancers with whom you work repeatedly.
- You can be successful with producers and production companies without regard towards using a consistent group of technicians since you can step in to just about any role when needed.
- You can certainly be the inexpensive option for producers and production companies because you can serve multiple roles.
Option #1 is our preferred choice. Options #2 and #3 both indicate that these types of leaders are relying on their own skill levels rather than cultivating and curating a crew of top-notch specialists in their own right. Additionally, to the experienced C suite executive in the room who is observing the process it can seem scratch that it can appear that you may not be as calm and/or confident in your running crew if you are continually looking over their shoulders.
THE FUTURE: this article was written on December 21, 2020. The Covid 19 vaccine is rolling out around the globe and we are ever hopeful that the event industry comes back strong as soon as possible.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists the median salary for AV technicians as $42,190. The lowest 10 percent of earners make $24,710, while the highest-paid 10 percent earn more than $78,570. (jobhero.com)
The job outlook of AV technicians is bright. Employment of audio and visual equipment technicians is projected to grow 13 percent through 2026, which is classified as faster than the average for all occupations. (jobhero.com)