Last Updated on November 13, 2024 by LD Ryan Conlon | 🕒 5 min Read Time
How to Get Started
People ask how they should get started as a Freelance Lighting Designer.
Either it is a stagehand that wants to focus more on lighting Or it is a high school student that is looking for their first career.
Each LD you meet will give you a different answer based on their experience.
So here is my answer.
If you want to get started as a Stage Lighting Technician – You should
- Join a Stagehand Union
- Work for a A/V Company
- Volunteer at your Church
- Volunteer at a local Theater
- Find a production company to work for
- Or you can become a Freelance Lighting Designer
If you are under 18 – You Should
- Help out in your School’s Theater
- Offer to provide and run lights for your school dances
- Volunteer at your church
- Get to know other LDs
- Get to know local production companies
I am not going to talk about going to school – getting a degree and then becoming a lighting designer. On this page I will talk about finding companies to work with as a Freelance Lighting Designer. We are going to focus on gaining knowledge and finding work with companies you want to work with.
Different Types of Lighting Industries
Theater, Church, Corporate, DJs, Commercials, Bands, TV, Esports,
Worship, Entertainment, Clubs, Festivals, Sports, Movies
– Live Events – Recorded – Broadcast – Live Stream –
Common Lighting Designer Questions
- What qualifications do I need to be a lighting technician?
- What skills do you need to be a freelance lighting designer?
- How much do Freelance Light Designers make?
- What are the other duties of a lighting designer?
- What is an associate lighting designer?
Freelance Lighting Designer Job Description
The Lighting Designer is in charge of the lighting for an event. Concert, Corporate Meeting, TV show, Worship Services or Theater Production. On smaller shows – the LD might design the plot – spec out the lights needed – hang the lights – wire the lights with power and DMX – program the controller – operate the show and strike the lights at the end of the event.
Larger shows have multiple people doing different jobs (ME, Board Op, Programmer, ALD, Stagehands) these show have a lot of people working to get all the lights working.
L2 – ALD
The Book The Assistant Lighting Designer’s Toolkit does a great job explaining the life of an ALD. In the book Anne McMills also talks about the roles and responsibilities of being a LD and ALD. Read some of the book Here. A good L2 is there to assist the L1. They also work with the stagehands to get all the lights hung and wired.
It’s not what you do once in a while that makes you successful,
it’s what you do consistently. – Anthony Robbins
Skills That Freelance Lighting Designers Need
Likability, Trust, Credibility. These skills can be learned. You just need to put in the work. Get up earlier so that people can Trust you will show up on time. Smile at people so they might Like you more. If you agree to do a job. Do it.
Learning how to work with difficult people is a Skill everyone should learn. When I first read – How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (Amazon Link) I was amazed. That little book has a lot of great information. This Skill is a tool that will help you get the job done.
Building Trust and Credibility
You might not like it but you are in Sales.
You are trying to get people to buy what you are selling. In other words.
You are trying to get people to want to work with you.
People will buy from people they trust.
Companies will hire people they trust.
Here is a list of Dos and Don’ts to help you build Trust.
Likability
Are you likeable? Do people like working with you. Everyone can have a bad day but if you are always a jerk. Most people will not want to work with you. I personally get nervous working with people that might upset the client that we are working with. I think you can be a half ass tech with a good personality and find more work than you can handle.
Tips to be more Likeable
- Smile
- Make Eye Contact
- Be Open – Non Judgmental
- Be Positive
- Listen
- Use a Person’s Name
- Be Helpful
- Use Please and Thank You
- Laugh
- Work Hard
- Be Flexible
- Show Enthusiasm
- Put your Phone Away
Be A Nice Person
You are going to work with all different types of people. Be polite and respectful to everyone you meet.
- Skip the political talk.
- Don’t date people you work with.
- Leave religion out of the conversation.
- Something that is funny to you – might not be funny to someone else.
Work With People/Companies You Like
The nice thing about being Freelance is you get to pick who you work with. When a company calls you don’t have to say yes. If you have a issue with a client (Company or Organization) of the production company.
You have the option of saying no to that event. ex. if a political party is having an event and you strongly dislike that party- you can say No to that event. But if you say Yes – be professional and keep your opinions to yourself at work.
Each Lighting Designer is Different
If you are L2 or a stagehand on a setup. You might think the L1 is doing something wrong but maybe they have a plan. Ask If you have questions. Story – I had an argument with a stagehand about power. The lighting plot had every thing marked an labeled. These lights get plugged into these circuits. Simple. He did not like the plot and was trying to wire it more efficiently. We had plenty of circuits.
Later that day I needed to reset a fixture. And it was not where it was suppose to be. It took some time to find what breaker it was on. The L1 was not happy. The Stagehand also keep talking about how – he would not put those lights there. It was not up to him or me to decide where the fixtures went. It was on the plot.
Be Helpful
Be nice to people – help them lift cases if they need help. Move cables out of their way. But don’t forget you have a job to do. Don’t help hang a video wall if the lights are still in their cases. Note- IF you are a stagehand – do what ever the crew lead tells you to do. When you are new to a group – Jump in and help load/unload the truck.
If you are inexperienced ask question and help out. I saw a new person run the lift gate button and 3 times – He started moving the lift gate before people were ready. We mentioned to him a couple time to let people know when the lift gate is about to move. No one was hurt. I no longer see him on shows.
9 Rookie Mistakes a New LD Can Make
Interested is Interesting
Getting Started as a Freelance LD
In part five of the book The Assistant Lighting Designer’s Toolkit Anne McMills talks about Working as a Independent Contractor. There are 3 different ways (maybe more) to find work as a LD. You could work for a union (IATSE) You could find employment at a company (Theater, Church, A/V company) or you could be Freelance (self-employed/Small Business Owner) Or a combination of all 3.
History About Me – I have been a Freelance LD for 12+ years – Self Employed for more than 16 years. 80% of my jobs are Corporate Events – 20% Fashion Shows and Concerts.
Years ago I worked in bars and clubs(sound and lights) – Rented out sound and lighting equipment – And was DJing School Dances, weddings and Sweet 16s. 1 in every 3 checks was bad. I was always fighting to get paid. Club owners and Promotes did not want to pay. I was taking any client I could get.
After reading Book Yourself Solid – I now apply the Red Velvet Rope Policy and Only work with clients I like. When you start out you are going to say yes to every thing. That is great – you will find out who you want to work with and who you do not want to work with. You will also figure out what types on Lighting Industries you want to work in.
Download the free Book Yourself Solid Workbook
As a Freelance LD – I need to find work to fill my calendar. As of now I have 6 – 8 productions companies that hire me. Some jobs are the same every year but most are different. Most of the time I am a L1 but I really like being the L2. My jobs are small – usually 100 fixtures or less.
Start with the Basics
– Email Address – Phone Number – Website – Business Cards – Instagram – LinkedIn
– Email address should be something professional. yourname@gmail or name@yourwebsite.com
– Phone Number – If some one calls you – call them back — If they text you – text them back
– Create a website – A Basic Free website is fine until you have more to post.
– Business Cards – You are meeting new people that you want to connect with. Make it easy for them to contact you. Business Cards are still important to have. I like Moo.com
– Instagram is your picture resume. Follow other LDs – Follow other people in the industry
– Create a LinkedIn account – Add people you know – Connect with me here
Reminder – Do not post pictures without permission. Some companies have a No Picture Policy. Others want you to post and to tag them in the picture. Ask and find out if it is OK to post.
Reminder – Do not post pictures of other peoples work. If you do – give credit to the LD.
People are going to search for you – Give them something to find.
Find Companies to Work With
Google – Make a list of companies in your area that you might want to work for. Check them out. Find out what people are saying about them. If you have A/V, Theater or Production friends – Ask Them if they have done work for them and which companies they like.
Look at the company’s website and social media. Figure out if it is a company you want to work for. I revisit my list once a year and add new companies and cross of ones I do not want to work with.
Skills That You Need to Learn
Figure out How to do things and How not to do things. You can learn from every one you meet. Modeling is one of the best ways to learn. Model successful LDs. They can be people you know, people online or people that put all their ideas in a book.
Here is a small list of Lighting Resources – Youtube channels, podcasts, books. A bunch of people want to teach you things that they have learned. There is a ton of information from people doing the job that you are also doing.
Know when to ask questions and when to just work. Ask questions but do not be annoying. During the middle of setting up a rig is not the time to ask a LD – “How did you get started in lighting?”
Learn about Common Stage Directions – Stage Right Stage Left
Don’t forget to pass on the information you learned to other people in your field.
Your First Freelance Lighting Job
Stagehand
Your first stagehand job. Read Lighting Dos and Don’ts A week before the event confirm the location and Time. If you have Questions Ask. Arrive extra early. Figure out where to park. Look for people wearing Black. Look for a loading dock and a truck. You will need some stagehand tools.
L2
Do the same and listed above. ^^^ And if you want to be a good L2 you should read The Assistant Lighting Designer’s Toolkit I have a preview of the book Here it is not the whole book but it is good reading
L1
Before you say yes to a job – you need to know that you will be able to do it. You really only get on shot. If you can’t get the lights to work. That company will never call you again for L1 work. They might not call you again for anything.
In this article I talk about Your First Corporate Lighting Job It is true – people do not tell you how to do this job – you need to figure it out on your own. Work with other people and learn all that you can.
Story – I was working for a guy years ago. I called him up and asked him what time the show was. He told me he was going to use a different LD for the event because the other LD had his own lights and controller. I was a little surprised – I did all of his other shows that year.
The new guy was also cheaper. Cheaper and he had his own lights. I thought maybe I was doing it wrong. The day of the show – they called and asked if I could help the new guy get His lights working. The new guy is no longer an LD and I no longer do shows for that company.
A Couple Last Tips
Know what to wear to a Lighting job – What are Show Blacks?
A Full day is 10 hrs – Some days can be 12/14/16 or 20 hours. Plan ahead – Bring snacks – Something to drink – This is what I bring – My Lighting Tech Kit
Here are a couple tips to help you Become a Better LD
When a Company contacts you about a job – reply back quickly. If they Email you – Email them back. If the call you – Call them back. Don’t reply to an email with a phone call . Don’t reply to a text with a phone call. I like something in writing. I hate when people tell me a call time over the phone. Right when I hang up I forget.
Talk about Rates before you do the work. Story – I worked an event 5 days – 16 to 18hr long days. After the event I sent in an Invoice. I got a phone call informing me that it was 5 day rates with no over time. So instead of 80 or 90 hours – it was 50 hours. Even before this phone call – this was by far the worst show of my life. And then it was way less money than I planned.
Rates – Don’t ask Freelance LDs what they charge But you can ask them what they think You should charge.
Billing – I think you need to charge what you are comfortable with. If you think you are doing $$ work Then Charge $$. Charge what you are worth. Don’t just charge $$ because you heard this other person charges that much.
Invoice no more than 3 days after a event. It looks like you are unorganized if it takes you weeks to bill.
Book Yourself Solid – Networking – Referrals
In this article I talk about how to Get More Lighting Job Referrals
Conclusion
Lighting is a lot of fun. I like to think of my life – like a person constantly scrolling thru Instagram – Each post you see is a different day for me. One day Corporate Meeting for a Fortune 50 company – Next day a Fundraiser for a Large Non Profit – Each day is something different. Each LD you meet can list 100s of events that they have done. All the famous people they have worked with or for.
When you meet someone new. Try not to talk about ALL the past shows you have done. People don’t care. And they probably have done more events and bigger events. This will not help you get hired more. Don’t Name Drop. If they ask what shows you have done in the past – tell them. But keep it short. Don’t pull out your phone and show picture after picture of all the great events you have worked.
Just don’t do it.
When you meet new people – Just be nice – Get to know them – Be helpful – Ask Questions
This alone will get you more work.
Be on Time – Have a good Attitude – Treat people with Respect
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Ryan Conlon is a highly experienced Corporate Freelance Lighting Designer with two decades of dedicated work in the entertainment industry. With a passion for creating captivating lighting experiences, Ryan has contributed his expertise to numerous corporate meetings, stage productions, concerts, and events throughout his career.