AUDIOVISUAL TECHNICIANS ARE THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM
by Nicholas Voss
After assisting a young and pretty, but very green, meeting planner through a series of logistical issues she told me it was a pleasure to find an AV technician so helpful. She went on to say that it is generally believed AV technicians are arrogant and difficult to work with. I replied, “Most polymaths are.”
The general perception most people have of audiovisual technicians is warranted. We are haughty and, at times, condescending. Indeed, we ought to be more careful for the Good Book says “Pride goes before destruction.”
But what would you expect of someone who, having supported events ranging from science to politics and concerts to Super Bowls, had worked hand-in-hand with leading authorities in any given field? The AV technician’s learning spans every subject known to man. The knowledge and expertise that is gained by technicians who sit through conference after conference, listening to the greatest minds on any given topic, goes far beyond what can be attained in university. A seasoned AV pro has the ability to collaborate with nearly any expert or on any subject you can think of.
I was in my early twenties when first realized that I had fallen into an ocean of knowledge. Upon discovering that people were paying $1,200 (plus travel expense) to attend a marketing conference, I thought it would make sense to listen intently and find out what the brouhaha was all about.
Surprise and great pleasure ensued, and upon discovering that from this one event I gained sufficient knowledge to dialogue with other marketing experts with whom I would develop a lasting work relationship in the future. A marketing director for AT&T told me I was the only AV technician he had ever met who truly understood sports marketing. Our relationship lasted many years. He hired me to stage events at All Star games, Super Bowls, and the Olympic Games all over the country. In certain circles I became a leading authority on staging sporting events even though, initially, I knew nothing about sports or marketing!
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AUDIOVISUAL TECHNICIANS FORM PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE WORLD’S MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE
One of my first jobs as a young, twenty-something live event technician was to run TelePrompTer for the Vice President of Marketing at AMC Corporation (in the 1980s it was one of the Big Four car companies before it was purchased by Chrysler). I did not realize it at the time but the presenter was a real newsmaker. The night before his grand speech before automotive analysts, Marketingman and I worked late into the evening polishing his speech. In the course of rewriting the talk he grew weary and developed writers’ block. Wanting to go to bed, I started making suggestions that eventually crept into his presentation. The day after the meeting, I was in the resort gift shop when I saw an article in the Wall Street Journal quoting him, using some of the language and ideas I had introduced into his speech.
Only a few year’s back I was the media operations director for The Moody Church in Chicago. It’s a fancy title, but basically I was in charge of audiovisual. One of my responsibilities was to act as travel aide to Dr. Erwin Lutzer. I would go with him to speaking engagements to set up interviews and manage his book table. We were in a North Carolina stadium doing an apologetics conference when a man representing one of the largest religious broadcasting networks in America made it known that he was ready to do Dr. Lutzer’s interview.
“What interview?” I asked.
“The one Erwin promised me before the event!”
“I’m sorry. Dr. Lutzer already left for the airport. You’ll have to get someone else.”
Frustrated, Radioman shouted back: “Then you’re doing it. I’ve already announced to the audience that we would be having an interview with Erwin Lutzer. Right now, you’re the closest thing we got … and ohhh … one other thing: we go live in two minutes.”
There was not much I could do since I was surrounded by hundreds of people and could not escape. Caught up in excitement, I went on the program and answered the man’s questions the best I could. When I returned to Chicago, Dr. Lutzer complimented me on a job well done and for representing him accurately on the topic of apologetics. I am not sure how I could have done otherwise. Having read all his books and heard him speak so many times on a variety of subjects; I knew all of his views thoroughly. This episode led me, the lowly AV guy, being assigned to answer Dr. Lutzer’s mail and becoming his sounding board on many topics.
It should surprise no one, then, that AV technicians who work in churches know a thing or two about theology. Spending hours – days rather – editing video and audio clips, hearing sermon after sermon (sometimes three in a single morning) will lead to some of it rubbing off on you.
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AUDIOVISUAL TECHNICIANS ARE EXPERT BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS
The etymology of the word “hypocrite” comes from the Greek ὑποκρίτης. It was originally used as a technical term for a stage actor; the Romans, some say, were the first to regularly apply it to politicians. AV technicians know how to work with both kinds of hypocrites: actors and politicians.
Under the duress and preparation of public speaking people break down and the true inner person is revealed. The character of The Real Man is not exposed the moment the lights descend upon the talent. When applause fills the room, he receives it graciously – but this is not The Real Man who “humbly” receives his praise. The man on stage or on the screen is not real. This is why they call it “show business.” The genuine man is revealed backstage or during rehearsal, where fears develop. Experienced AV technicians know how to interact with and comfort The Real Man.
We are unlicensed armchair psychologists who understand conflict resolution, shyness, fear and a host of other human behaviors. Not only that, but we are able to adapt to a variety of scenarios. One minute we might be giving a pep talk to a dozen stagehands as to why it would benefit them to have our truck unloaded before lunch; the next minute we are negotiating space with the hotel staff. From there we are off to meeting with a powerful CEO in an attempt to convince her to change the PowerPoint backgrounds from white to blue. AV technicians have learned the art of persuasion in a variety of contexts.
We have more or less mastered herd theory long before Charles Mackay. AV technicians understand crowd psychology more than anyone else. We can tell you how a group will respond – in real time!
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AUDIOVISUAL TECHNICIANS KNOW THE NATION’S SECRETS
Headhunters take note: if you want to extract company secrets, don’t recruit their executive team. Instead you ought to hire their audiovisual technician.
My friend Neal Williams knew what the new Corvette would look like before the CEO of General Motors. How? He worked the meeting in which engineers and designers hammered out the plan for the new car. Another friend works at Sandia Labs in New Mexico where national security issues are charted and prepared for action. While the Osama bin Laden raid was taking place, you can be sure an AV guy was nearby.
When a new product is launched or a press conference is held or the latest scientific research is presented who you gonna call? An AV company of course.
If I had a dollar for every nondisclosure document I was asked to sign, I could make a down payment on a new truck.
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AUDIOVISUAL TECHNICIANS ARE EXPERT CULINARIANS
The audiovisual technician’s palate is well trained. Have you ever seen a skinny AV technician? If you have, he’s new to the business.
We eat in the finest resorts in the country. Any AV technician can hold his own if engaged in a debate over which Five Star hotel has the best cuisine.
Furthermore, those technicians working on staff at resorts receive free culinary classes simply by paying attention to the chef during site planning and BEO meetings. I recall many tips picked up along the way during my tenure at the Arizona Biltmore, Turnberry Golf Club, and other prestigious resorts.
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AUDIOVISUAL TECHNICIANS ARE EXCEEDINGLY RESOURCEFUL AND CAN FIX ANY PROBLEM THAT EXISTS
Equipped with nothing more than a Gerber tool kit, electrical meter, and gaffer’s tape, an experienced audiovisual technician can repair anything in record time. It is often conjectured in taverns around the country that the hit TV show MacGyver is based on the lives of Mike Guy and Randy Will, both highly respected pioneers of the audiovisual staging industry.
In the 1990s I somehow ended up on the Whitehouse Communications list of vendors. The Clinton Administration called me to stage events whenever they were in the Southwest. Initially, I provided sound and lighting. Soon they called me for almost any conceivable thing they needed: barricades, flags, and flowers. By and large they came to depend on me to solve a wide array of problems. Once, while working at the Grand Canyon, a strong wind changed directions and blew exhaust fumes from the TV trucks in the direction of the crowd. The Secret Service asked me to correct the problem. I wondered out loud, “What? Do you expect me to change the direction of the wind?” “Sure,” said the lead agent, “You can fix everything else.”
This story reminds me that at the same event the advanceman for the Democratic Party asked me to calculate how many people were attending the event. Members of the Press wanted to report how many people came to hear the President speak. It was a sloping terrace with nooks and turns. I walked the terrain and using the basic formulae to calculate the area of squares, circles, and triangles was able to determine total square footage. Dividing the total area by two (the area a standing person takes up), I reckoned there were at least 2,500 people at the event – exactly what was reported in the newspapers the following day. I later asked the DNC advanceman why he asked me to solve the problem. He joked that “everyone knows AV guys can do anything.”
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AUDIOVISUAL TECHNICIANS WERE PART OF EVERY MAJOR HISTORIC EVENT IN MODERN TIMES
When the John Glenn orbited the earth in 1962, an AV technician was around to provide technical support for spectators. Not surprisingly, AV technicians were there to end the Space Shuttle mission, too.
President William McKinley was the first President to use electric media extensively. His inauguration was the first to be filmed. Today, Presidents cannot conceive of speaking at an event without first consulting White House Communications Agency (they’re AV technicians).
We’ve seen it all.
One could make a weighty argument that no large public event is even possible without the help and support of the lowly audiovisual technician.
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Audiovisual technicians are the last polymaths. If we did not die an early age due to the stress and rigors of our trade, we would know all things.
The next time you need research help, forget about Google – instead, ask your nearby AV technician.
Couldn’t agree more. AV tech of 15 years here. It’s quite poignant that you mention the end of the space shuttle program, because on Monday of this week, I was actually speaking with Greg Chamitoff about his requirements for a function. When he called to cancel the AV support and I arrogantly asked him if he was sure he would be ok to set up a TV and Bluray player himself, he replied “I’ve just finished putting the ISS together, a telly should be fine…”
Anyway, thanks for the “pick me up” it’s easy to forget our value.
I’ve recently started a site, the info you offer on this website has helped me tremendously. Thank you for all of your time & work. “You do ill if you praise, but worse if you censure, what you do not understand.” by Leonardo DaVinci.
Loved the article!
Nick!! Why have I never heard some of these stories before? I guess we should have hung out more. =)
Hope all is well! Great article!
I was wondering where I got my knowledge and vibe from, now I know…why and how I am an AV professional…
Exceptional article. I have been in the Industry for 20 years and I agree with everything that is in this article. Thank you for publishing this. Now if a few F&B Directors, Sales Managers, and Conference Managers would read this maybe they would stop pushing us to Discount our Services and find the real value in what we provide.
Amen
I’ve been an Av tech for the last 18 years in Australia. Couldn’t agree more!!!
I have to laugh. We do get the insider perspective on things. Wish I bought more Microsoft in the early 90’s.
Isn’t that the truth! I did that with a company during the recession, made enough to pay the bills when the work dropped off. Lucky.
True musings Nick! I started back in the late 70’s, when 2 projector dissolve units were a pretty neat idea (along with digital watches) I reckon that’s where it all started…if you didn’t have the solution, you made it! Multi-Image slide shows were complex affairs, & “percussive maintenance” helped on a lot of occasions, along with physically manning the show if something went wrong, & the audience & client were oblivious to what went on behind the screens to keep the show running!
Love to talk further… Lester (The Doctor) Jurott, Brisbane , Australia.
That has to be the best article about AV techs I have ever read. Being a veteran in the business and the geek in school there was not much that I could not relate to. I remember way back when doing some medical continuing education courses that the company commented to me after the 5th meeting that I probably had mode credits than the doctors did.
As a veteran of 25 years as an AV Technician, I know this article is good. Thank you so much. I would like to print it out and put it up in my office so everyone else knows as well
Dave Mostert
South Africa
Awesome post! I have been an audio visual technician for seven years and love it because I am always learning new technologies and making customers say “Wow” after they see what goes into creating a multimedia event production and the end audio visual result. The company I work for is an audiovisual rental, event lighting, stage rental, and event services company in Dallas, TX and without av technicians there would be no company.
Valuable points that are rarely considered. Finally someone said it.
Kudos to my old friend Nicholas hippopotamus
what to say. Everything you people said about av technician. We are proud to be as av technician
I already knew all this…didnt you??? AV Techs…..Yes, We Rule .
Were you the man behind Electrosonic’s ‘Giddings Experience’?
Reblogged this on ALSS – Advanced Lighting & Sound Solutions and commented:
AV Techs Rule!
I could not have said it better!
Fantastic This is great and what a great way to explain what we do.
Thank You.
Right on the money, Mr. Voss!
Nick,
A well written example of a dysfunctionally functional industry. Just the evolution of technology alone that we witness first hand is an impressive proclamation. I started doing shows in paper tape readers. The world of electronic dinosaurs haunts my synapses. Too bad we cannot cleanse this nonsensical rubbish and useless information out of our skulls only to make room for more useless information. Touche old friend for maming sense of this crazy life.
Good article. My son is an AV tech.
We are the Wizards behind the curtain.
Thanks for the well written praise for all my brethren who toil the long hours and create the magic.
This is sooo true!!!!
You forgot about getting free drinks at the nearby pub, when you calibrate the old Sony 1272 projector in time for the Super Bowl. (I did it a couple of times).
I do that here in Orlando! I have four bars i can go to and get a free beer or three for doing a little something around there.
Reblogged this on Amador Lighting Design.
Agreed, until pyrotechnicians arrive
Except when they’re not guys.
Excellent article. I certainly love this website. Thanks!
I’ve traded wisdoms and shared trade insights with a dazzling array of the worlds finest individuals, from master jewellers to multi-medalling olympians, from military generals to Prince Charles, from global CEO’s to Ranulph Feinnes, I’ve offered illumination on the pressing matters of the day and been rewarded with memories I’ll be proud to relive when I draw my dying breath, secure in the knowledge that they will too. It’s like we’re the web onto which the fibre of life is sewn… it’s like without the AV tech, the parts would remain, but the soul would be absent…
Reblogged this on bekahLIME and commented:
someone shared this in the MRC group. I like this 😀
I believe that we AV technicians we are the luckiest people in the world, we getting payed to learn new things and to meet great people presenting them!
Reblogged this
For the most part this is true. We can do almost anything. MacGyver is a little twerp compared to us.
The ones who always say “it is what it is” are defeatist and usually unwilling to go the extra steps to ensure a good show. Then there are those of us who will obsess over signal quality. 🙂
Intersting… especially the culinary note considering after spending almost twenty years in the industry, I am now attending Le Cordon Bleu Culinary College!
My reply to most: “My mind is filled with an immense amount of garbage knowledge.” At the same time, that which has stayed has been a savior. We can do more, with less, than most. Yet so many people have no idea what we do for a living.
A fellow tech once told me his three rules:
1. The show always works.
2. I always get paid.
3. No one ever dies for the show.
Rules that have served me well for over 40 years.
One other thing which merits comment; In what other business can you conduct a verbal “handshake” with a complete stranger to meet at a predetermined time and place as long as a year out and then with no further contact, meet as scheduled? Then after executing your part of the show, depart with an unwritten agreement to be paid a month later. I have done this 1,000+ times over almost thirty years with 100% success. That’s a high integrity industry.
This may or may not be true – but it’s a pain in the butt trying to find an extension cord long enough to keep your AV. tech. plugged into an A/C supply that will give them the distance to be useful.
My dad started me in the biz at the age of 6 coiling camera cables at WMAL (WJAL, now)in 1959. He could not get the new cable jockeys to understand the figure 8 coil and he brought me down to the studio to show them. I have worked with most every projector, control system, early multimedia, sound system, video etc and on some rather major national and international events. Met some incredible people and expanded my medical knowledge tremendously as many of our clients were the medical conferences on everything from gynecology and obstetrics to mortuary science. Birth to death.Worked on history making events and seen some incredible “not for public release” items.
I would say that Pro AV is truly a unique business.
I do know more about eye surgery than I ever wanted to know.
Brilliant! As a producer director I know the value of talent. Great post!
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Stand & Deliver! This piece is the God’s Honest TRUTH of what I have been doing in the biz for over forty years. I have done greenery orders for special events & productions I’ve done, as well as assisting with the catering needs as I used to be a sous chef when I was young.
My creedo is … “Is there something I can assist you with?” on my contracts. That vision of customer care goes a loooong way!
Happened upon this article! Love It!
Good information and great post. I like the website, and am sure to keep returning.
Brisbane audio visual technician
I spent 5 days, 8 hours a day on a cardiac surgeons convention, and most of time was spent reading echo cardiograms. Later that year, my mother had a heart attack and I pointed out an error the doctor made while interupting the echo. Needless to say, he didn’t thank me.
Thank you. Now I know how to explain my job to my son. Usually I just tell people I’m the man behind the curtain. I love my job because of all the things you said. One thing you left out is the brotherhood/sisterhood of techs. You will never find a more loyal group. Dedicated to the show and each other.
A fine read on a worthy profession. As far as the culinary section, I’ll add most AV technicians have also experienced the worst of craft services. I’ll bet none have avoided food poisoning over the course of a creer.
after 48 years as a AV Technician i can attest to every thing you have said .i have did shows with eight presidents , traveled the world doing shows and even at the age of 78 i am still requested for shows
Love this article. I was always dumbfounded when other techs told me “oh I never listen to the presentations!” I’ve had the privilege to witness some of the world’s greatest thinkers, politicians, business leaders, doctors, sports champions, even Nobel Laureates and still find myself quoting many of them decades later.