Master electrician
Encyclopedia
The Master Electrician in a theatre
is responsible for implementing the lighting design for a production drawn up by the Lighting designer
. This involves overseeing the preparation, hanging, connection and focusing of stage lighting
fixtures.
This can be done on a show by show basis, or as a resident position of a specific theatre. The tool of the trade of the theatrical Master Electrician is the Crescent wrench or adjustable spanner, used to secure stage lighting instrument
s from lighting positions in the theatre. This wrench is typically attached to the belt or wrist with a lanyard
. The lanyard is important because the Master Electrician tends to work at great height from ladders, lift table
s, catwalks
, or lighting trusses where a falling wrench may hurt people or damage property below.
Other electrical duties performed by any electrician include:
There are as yet no formal certifications of the "theatrical title, master electrician", as there are in some of the more mainstream trades, but in recent years ESTA has developed a test to be come a Certified Entertainment Electrician. Those who pass this rigorous test will become ETCP Certified Entertainment Electricians - and will be recognized as the industry's best. The stagehands union, IATSE, come close in that they offer apprentice and journeyman
levels of certification. In the future, IATSE, or some of the larger local affiliations may form a more formal method of certification, which may include the title of Master Electrician. In the meantime almost every production, from high school shows to Broadway
uses the term to describe their primary electrician, regardless of their skill level or experience.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
is responsible for implementing the lighting design for a production drawn up by the Lighting designer
Lighting designer
The role of the lighting designer within theatre is to work with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create an overall 'look' for the show in response to the text, while keeping in mind issues of visibility, safety and cost...
. This involves overseeing the preparation, hanging, connection and focusing of stage lighting
Stage lighting
Modern stage lighting is a flexible tool in the production of theatre, dance, opera and other performance arts. Several different types of stage lighting instruments are used in the pursuit of the various principles or goals of lighting. Stage lighting has grown considerably in recent years...
fixtures.
This can be done on a show by show basis, or as a resident position of a specific theatre. The tool of the trade of the theatrical Master Electrician is the Crescent wrench or adjustable spanner, used to secure stage lighting instrument
Stage lighting instrument
Stage lighting instruments are used in stage lighting to illuminate theatrical productions, concerts, and other performances taking place in live performance venues. They are also used to light television studios and sound stages.Many stagecraft terms vary between the United States and the United...
s from lighting positions in the theatre. This wrench is typically attached to the belt or wrist with a lanyard
Lanyard
A lanyard is a rope or cord exclusively worn around the neck or wrist to carry something. Usually it is used where there is a risk of losing the object or to ensure it is visible at all times. Aboard a ship, it may refer to a piece of rigging used to secure objects...
. The lanyard is important because the Master Electrician tends to work at great height from ladders, lift table
Lift table
A lift table is a device that employs a scissors mechanism to raise or lower goods and / or persons. Typically they are used to raise large, heavy loads through relatively small distances. Common applications include pallet handling, vehicle loading and work positioning...
s, catwalks
Catwalk (theater)
A catwalk is an elevated service platform from which many of the technical functions of a theater, such as lighting and sound, may be manipulated.- Function :...
, or lighting trusses where a falling wrench may hurt people or damage property below.
Duties
The Master Electrician supervises and is responsible for all other Electricians working on any construction/installation project. Only the Master Electrician can pull the permits with the electrical authority, and can only be registered with one electrical contracting company at any one time.Other electrical duties performed by any electrician include:
- InventoryInventoryInventory means a list compiled for some formal purpose, such as the details of an estate going to probate, or the contents of a house let furnished. This remains the prime meaning in British English...
and repair and maintenance of all lighting fixtures, cables, effects, power distribution, dimmerDimmerDimmers are devices used to vary the brightness of a light. By decreasing or increasing the RMS voltage and, hence, the mean power to the lamp, it is possible to vary the intensity of the light output...
s, networking and lighting control consoleLighting control consoleA lighting control console is an electronic device used in theatrical lighting design to control multiple lights at once...
s. - Organization and purchasing of all consumables including color gelColor gelA color gel or color filter , also known as lighting gel or simply gel, is a transparent colored material that is used in theatre, event production, photography, videography and cinematography to color light and for color correction...
, goboGobo (lighting)A gobo derived from "Go Between" or Goes Before Optics -originally used on film sets, is a physical template slotted inside, or placed in front of, a lighting source, used to control the shape of emitted light....
s, SharpieSharpie (marker)Sharpie is a manufacturer of writing instruments whose products are sold in over 20 countries. Originally a name designating a single permanent marker, the Sharpie brand has been widely expanded and can now be found on a variety of previously unrelated permanent and non-permanent pens and markers...
s, and gaffer tapeGaffer tapeGaffer tape, gaffer's tape, gaff tape or gaffa tape is a strong, tough, cotton cloth pressure sensitive tape with strong adhesive properties. It is used in theater, film and television productions as well as during live performances and any other kind of stage work...
. - Planning and implementing of the cabling (circuiting) of lights and electric powerElectric powerElectric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
distribution. - Documenting and tracking of all circuiting, addressing, and system configuration in cooperation with the Lighting Designer.
- Patching assignments of the control console based on the paperwork generated by the Lighting Designer and the planned circuiting.
- Occupational safety and healthOccupational safety and healthOccupational safety and health is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. The goal of all occupational safety and health programs is to foster a safe work environment...
of workers and operational decisions as the Head of the Electrics department.
Training, origin, and professional affiliations
Master Electricians go through extensive on site and classroom training, with little work in more formal settings such as schools or colleges. The designation "master" is only given to electricians who can display extensive job knowledge and are tested to have an extensive understanding of the electrical safety code.There are as yet no formal certifications of the "theatrical title, master electrician", as there are in some of the more mainstream trades, but in recent years ESTA has developed a test to be come a Certified Entertainment Electrician. Those who pass this rigorous test will become ETCP Certified Entertainment Electricians - and will be recognized as the industry's best. The stagehands union, IATSE, come close in that they offer apprentice and journeyman
Journeyman
A journeyman is someone who completed an apprenticeship and was fully educated in a trade or craft, but not yet a master. To become a master, a journeyman had to submit a master work piece to a guild for evaluation and be admitted to the guild as a master....
levels of certification. In the future, IATSE, or some of the larger local affiliations may form a more formal method of certification, which may include the title of Master Electrician. In the meantime almost every production, from high school shows to Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
uses the term to describe their primary electrician, regardless of their skill level or experience.
External links
Websites with information on Master Electricians in the construction field (non-theatrical type).- www.Electrician-ElectricalContractor.com - Get a detailed look into the Electrical Trade and what it takes to become a Master Electrician and a Licensed Electrical Contractor.
- http://www.masterelectricians.com.au - Australian Accreditation program for Master Electricians
- http://www.kntelectric.com http://www.kntelectric.com - Licensed Master Electrician Toronto.
- http://www.become-an-electrician.com - Apprenticeship programs for Master Electricians and related trade.