Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Performance lighting director to performance lighting technician

A performance lighting director already meets 32% of what the performance lighting technician role asks for. The move turns on 20 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From performance lighting director
32 % overlap
Distant match
To performance lighting technician
23 You already bring
20 Still to learn
65 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance A rebuild

75.4/ 100

1 How much of what a performance lighting technician is expected to do is already part of a performance lighting director’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the performance lighting technician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A performance lighting technician role treats 8 of its required skills as things a performance lighting director already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • artificial lighting systems
  • assess power needs
  • draw up lighting plan
  • focus lighting equipment
  • focus stage lights
  • light a show

What stands in the way is 20 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 23 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A performance lighting technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a performance lighting director background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held light a show working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held focus stage lights working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held operate a lighting console working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held focus lighting equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held rig lights working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held plan act lighting management skills

All 23 carried skills, including the 8 the performance lighting technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 42 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 working with machinery and specialised equipment 8 required, 5 supplementary
  • still to learn distribute control signals required
  • still to learn maintain dimmer equipment required
  • still to learn maintain lighting equipment required
  • still to learn operate dimmer equipment required
  • still to learn work safely with mobile electrical systems under supervision required
  • still to learn de-rig electronic equipment required
  • still to learn provide power distribution required
  • still to learn work safely with machines required
  • optional, not held maintain automated lighting equipment optional
  • optional, not held operate follow spots optional
  • optional, not held set up light board optional
  • optional, not held maintain electrical equipment optional
  • optional, not held set up generators optional
02 assisting and caring 6 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn ensure safety of mobile electrical systems required
  • still to learn prevent fire in a performance environment required
  • still to learn follow safety procedures when working at heights required
  • still to learn use personal protection equipment required
  • still to learn work ergonomically required
  • still to learn work with respect for own safety required
  • optional, not held perform first fire intervention optional
03 handling and moving 3 required
  • still to learn pack electronic equipment required
  • still to learn set up equipment in a timely manner required
  • still to learn store performance equipment required
04 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 8 supplementary
  • still to learn adapt to artists' creative demands required
  • still to learn understand artistic concepts required
  • optional, not held adapt artistic plan to location optional
  • optional, not held consult with stakeholders on implementation of a production optional
  • optional, not held edit digital moving images optional
  • optional, not held maintain system layout for a production optional
  • optional, not held safeguard artistic quality of performance optional
  • optional, not held set up follow spots optional
  • optional, not held advise client on technical possibilities optional
  • optional, not held develop professional network optional
05 management skills 1 required, 3 supplementary
  • still to learn prepare personal work environment required
  • optional, not held manage signoff of an installed system optional
  • optional, not held manage consumables stock optional
  • optional, not held manage personal professional development optional
06 information skills 3 supplementary
  • optional, not held document your own practice optional
  • optional, not held draw up artistic production optional
  • optional, not held keep personal administration optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a performance lighting technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 23 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held artificial lighting systems knowledge
  • already held assess power needs skill
  • already held draw up lighting plan skill
  • already held focus lighting equipment skill
  • already held focus stage lights skill
  • already held light a show skill
  • already held prevent technical problems with lighting equipment skill
  • already held rig lights skill
  • already held adapt designers’ work to the performance venue skill
  • already held analyse the need for technical resources skill
  • already held check material resources skill
  • already held cinematography knowledge
  • already held design an artificial lighting system skill
  • already held electricity knowledge
  • already held familiarise with personal directing styles skill
  • already held keep up with trends skill
  • already held manage technical resources stock skill
  • already held operate a lighting console skill
  • already held plan act lighting skill
  • already held read lighting plans skill
  • already held translate artistic concepts to technical designs skill
  • already held use technical documentation skill
  • already held work with the director of photography skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 constructing 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held manage performance light quality optional
  • optional, not held rig automated lights optional
22 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held adapt artistic plan to location optional
  • optional, not held consult with stakeholders on implementation of a production optional
  • optional, not held document your own practice optional
  • optional, not held draw up artistic production optional
  • optional, not held edit digital moving images optional
  • optional, not held maintain automated lighting equipment optional
  • optional, not held maintain system layout for a production optional
  • optional, not held manage performance light quality optional
  • optional, not held manage signoff of an installed system optional
  • optional, not held operate follow spots optional
  • optional, not held rig automated lights optional
  • optional, not held safeguard artistic quality of performance optional
  • optional, not held set up follow spots optional
  • optional, not held set up light board optional
  • optional, not held advise client on technical possibilities optional
  • optional, not held develop professional network optional
  • optional, not held keep personal administration optional
  • optional, not held maintain electrical equipment optional
  • optional, not held manage consumables stock optional
  • optional, not held manage personal professional development optional
  • optional, not held perform first fire intervention optional
  • optional, not held set up generators optional
21 held skills the performance lighting technician role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role analyse a script skill
  • not needed by the target role attend rehearsals skill
  • not needed by the target role collaborate on costume and make-up for performances skill
  • not needed by the target role consult with production director skill
  • not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
  • not needed by the target role create storyboards skill
  • not needed by the target role design lighting skill
  • not needed by the target role develop drama production process skill
  • not needed by the target role film production process knowledge
  • not needed by the target role finish project within budget skill
  • not needed by the target role health and safety regulations knowledge
  • not needed by the target role lighting techniques knowledge
  • not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
  • not needed by the target role operate lighting equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role photography knowledge
  • not needed by the target role supervise equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role supervise lighting crew skill
  • not needed by the target role technical drawings knowledge
  • not needed by the target role use specialised design software skill
  • not needed by the target role use storyboards skill
  • not needed by the target role work with the camera crew skill
Index

Other moves recorded from performance lighting director

Full index of moves from performance lighting director

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a performance lighting director become a performance lighting technician?

Yes, and it is a career change move. A performance lighting director already covers 32% of what a performance lighting technician is expected to do: 23 skills carry over, 8 of which the performance lighting technician role treats as required.

What skills does a performance lighting director need to become a performance lighting technician?

20 required skills are missing, plus 22 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is adapt to artists' creative demands.

How hard is the move from performance lighting director to performance lighting technician?

Its learning distance is 75.4 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.