Lighting Technician Position Description
Casino hotels are often known for their entertainment. In large casinos there may be a showroom featuring major entertainment and one or more small nightclubs hosting lesser-known acts. Smaller facilities may have just one club. Many productions in large casino showrooms are elaborately staged with dramatic lighting and special effects. Lighting Technicians are responsible for handling the lighting requirements for a facility’s entertainment. Some lighting requirements are fairly simple and just involve spotlights and other lighting so the audience can see the entertainers better. In other situations, elaborate lighting plans have been developed by a lighting designer to increase the excitement of shows. These are often documented in writing so the Lighting Technician can follow them precisely. The documentation describes exactly what the Lighting Technician must do in order to duplicate the lighting effects created by the lighting designer. Various lights, filters, and colors create an array of lighting effects.
The Lighting Technician is responsible for working the lighting control board during the performance.
The individual follows the cue schedule provided by the lighting designer. These cues alert the lighting technician to which lights are used at specific times during the performance. Other responsibilities of the Lighting Technician include:
- Performing lighting checks before each performance
- Making sure all lights and equipment are working properly
- Checking that all lights, bulbs, and filters are in the proper position
- Discussing lighting changes or requirements with entertainers if there is no lighting designer
Earnings for lighting people range from USD 450 to USD 2,200 or more weekly or from USD24,000 to USD115,000 or more annually.
In some casino hotels, this is a union position. Depending on the specific situation, those working in a unionized setting have their minimum weekly earnings negotiated and set by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the United Scenic Artists (USA), or the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). Individuals working in nonunionized settings negotiate their own salaries. Factors affecting earnings include the specific facility, its size, prestige, and geographic location. Other factors include the specific responsibilities, experience, and professional reputation of the Lighting Technician Additionally, earnings depend on the type of stage productions the person handles.
Employment prospects are good for Lighting Technicians.
As noted previously, many casino hotels host showrooms as well as nightclubs. Usually there are a number of Lighting Technicians working in all but the smallest facilities. Las Vegas, Reno, Laughlin, Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City, Biloxi, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Detroit offer the greatest number of job possibilities. Other employment settings include casinos and casino hotels in other areas of Nevada, Mississippi, New York, Louisiana, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Arizona, and California. Other regions hosting Indian gaming and land-based or riverboat gaming facilities offer additional opportunities. New casinos and casino hotels are constantly under construction. More casinos and casino hotels are opening every year as new areas legalize gambling.
Lighting Technicians can advance their careers in a couple of ways.
Individuals may either locate similar jobs in larger facilities or handle lighting for more elaborate productions. Some Lighting Technicians climb the career ladder by becoming lighting designers for major stage extravaganzas.
Educational requirements vary from job to job.
While formal education may not be required, training is necessary and can be acquired through apprenticeships, internships, or work as an assistant to other Lighting Technicians or lighting designers. Other valuable training includes classes in lighting and electronics often offered in school or through vocational programs.
Depending on the specific facility and whether or not alcohol is being served there may be minimum age requirements.
Experience in lighting is necessary in this job. As noted previously, experience can be obtained through apprenticeships, internships, or work as an assistant to a Lighting Technician or lighting designer. Experience may also be acquired by assisting lighting people handle lights in school or community theater productions. Some Lighting Technicians work in the music industry handling lighting requirements for entertainers on the road before they settle down for a career in one place. Others work in small nightclubs as lighting people prior to jobs in casino hotels. Knowledge of lighting, staging, and electronics is imperative.
Unions and Associations
Depending on the casino, this position may or may not be unionized. Individuals interested in becoming a Lighting Technician can obtain additional information by contacting the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the United Scenic Artists (USA), or the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
Eight steps to your job
1. Consider breaking into the field on a small scale. Get experience working the lights in a local club.
2. Consider a short stint handling lights for a local rock group.
3. Obtain experience is by volunteering to handle the lighting for school and community theater productions.
4. Take workshops and seminars in theatrical and entertainment lighting and staging. You can hone skills, learn new ones, and make valuable contacts.
5. Watch lighting people at work, take classes, and read relevant books. The more you know, the more marketable you will be.
6. Contact hotels, clubs, theaters, and production companies to find internships and apprentice or training programs.
7. Jobs may be advertised in trade papers or local newspapers in areas hosting gaming. Look under heading classifications such as “Lighting Technician,” “Lighting,” “Lighting Person,” “Lightman/ woman,” “Entertainment,” “Showroom,” or “Nightclubs.”
8. Call casino human resources offices to see if they have openings in this area.