Lighting Technician
What the work is
Positions and controls lighting equipment for film, television, live performance or video productions.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Sets up and positions lighting equipment for film, television, live performance or video productions
- Operates lighting consoles and controls lighting effects during productions
- Adjusts lighting levels and angles to achieve desired visual effects
- Collaborates with directors, producers and other crew members to determine lighting requirements
- Installs, maintains and troubleshoots lighting fixtures and equipment
- Creates lighting plots and designs for productions
- Coordinates with other technicians to ensure smooth operation of lighting equipment
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a community theatre and a small outdoor festival stage, where technicians run lights, sound and cameras for live shows. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A cue lands perfectly and the audience gasps at the exact right second
- A band you mixed all afternoon sounds clean and huge for the first song
- A show comes together after weeks of rehearsal and everyone backstage hugs
Hard days
- A microphone that fails during the one speech nobody can repeat
- A long day building a stage in the sun, then a long night running the show
- A performer who blames the sound crew for something that is not their fault
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 391234, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.