Entertainment Tech Suggestions

[cplance]

I have 6 years as an entertainment production manager at a major park in Ohio. I have been trying to get in to Entertainment Tech at WDW for a few years and am becoming a bit discouraged. Now with the recently lifted hiring freeze and economic situation in Orlando, I am hearing more and more about Terps being employed an a semi-full time status. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get in to a full time position with entertainment tech? I have met with some people down there, and I get mixed messages about the posibility of this actually happening.

 

[mkt]

currently, there are NO full time positions for entertainmen techs... all they're using right now are Terps and Cross-U Cm's (CM's from other area getting temp positions as techs), on top of their current regulars

 

[cplance]

I can understand using Terps, but how can they use cross U CM's, are these techs from other parks, or are they other non-tech CMs? If so, how does IATSE allow this?

 

[mkt]

it's a temporary transfer, and those positions have all been put on hold, and cross U's are being sent back to their home areas.

 

[DisneyWorldGuru]

I was on stage crew at my high school. It was pretty much my life. This year i finish school (lighting major). i know one day I want to work for disney doing something to do with tech. theater. Now a member of of stage crew (a few years out of high school) got the job as head of lighting for walt disney world entertainment. I am not sure when he started, but he was hired either just before the freeze or just after. (he got the job that i dream of having). I am not sure if he is a member of IATSE but he has a lot of experience from reparing High End fixtures to knowing boards that range from Whole Hog to Expression (the main lighting boards that disney world uses). He told me he got the job because he used to work in entertainment as a character and he was in the right place at the right time.

Now I know they also have pro. interneships for stage techs. and I saw a website on it once, but lost it. I need to find that site for a friend, so if anyone has it, please post it here.

 

[Lhriangel]

Hmm I have that website somewhere .. I'll look for it tomorrow.

I have a friend who is in the same boat you are cplance, and he was on the College Program and won an award for his work at a themepark in FL.. he is just trying to keep watching as well.. that's all you can do.