Explore Production Pathways

LOCAL 33:
STAGECRAFT
(multiple pathways)

AUDIO/VIDEO SPECIALIST, CARPENTRY & STAGING, ELECTRICIANS (LIVE PERFORMANCE)

Stagecraft personnel are technicians who construct sets, lighting, audio, and visual systems for various stage productions, concerts, and live theater and television shows.

Specifically, this class introduces students to basic rigging, set lighting, audio, and set construction methods for game shows, soap operas, concerts and theater productions. Students will learn about crew dynamics, chain of command and proper protocols. After completing fundamental classes students will train with IATSE Local 33 Industry Professionals at the Hollywood Palladium in alliance with Live Nation. Candidates must not be afraid of heights and must be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs throughout the day. Local 33 is the only union that combines the skills of multiple other trades into one.  

LOCAL 44:
AFFILIATED PROPERTY
CRAFTSPERSONS

PROPS & CONSTRUCTION

Prop makers are the core of virtually all studio construction. On any sound stage or location, they are crucial in the effort to transport the imagination of the motion picture and television audience through time and space.

They might have to construct anything from a boat to a train, plane, or automobile; or a covered wagon, a rocket, a chariot, or even a submarine.

Propmakers work with wood, plastic, foam, rubber, and metal to build props and sets that are seen in production. Areas include basic carpentry, building sets and props, and gaining proficiency of the many tools utilized, including 3D printers, CNC machines and other emerging technologies.

LOCAL 44:
AFFILIATED PROPERTY CRAFTSPERSONS

- DECORATION -

GREENS, SET DRESSER, DRAPERY,
PROPERTY SWING PERSON

GREENS
Greens crews dress production sets with appropriate artificial and real plants. Students in this class will learn all aspects of this area, including small- and large-scale methods of dressing sets with plants, plant maintenance, and the importance of how plants contribute to telling a story. Students will learn about crew dynamics, chain of command and proper set protocols. Candidates must not be afraid of heights and must be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs throughout the day.

SET DRESSING
Once the physical walls of the set are constructed or the location has been chosen, set dressers are responsible for bringing in the surroundings and objects known as "set dressing” – furniture, rugs, lighting fixtures, and more, which contribute to telling the story and support the vision of the Production designer, writer, director and producer. This pathway teaches the entry-level skill requirements for set dressing. Students will learn about crew dynamics, chain of command and proper set protocols. Candidates must not be afraid of heights and must be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs throughout the day.

DRAPERY
Drapery craftspersons handle all drapery requirements for production needs as well as for studio facility work. This class teaches the entry level skills needed to assemble hardware and materials for window dressings to the specifications of the set decorator. Topics covered include installing, striking and storing all draperies and drapery effects, measuring material, sewing techniques, handling, and repairing draperies and drapery effects. Students will learn about crew dynamics, chain of command and proper set protocols. Candidates must not be afraid of heights and must be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs throughout the day.

LOCAL 80:
MOTION PICTURE STUDIO GRIPS & CRAFT SERVICE

Students learn what it takes to become a grip on the set of a television show or motion picture. Topics include all non-electrical lighting, rigging and rigging systems, all camera movement, dollies, tracks and booms, and building platforms and support stages safely. Grips are able to create movies in any type of condition or terrain. Students will learn about crew dynamics, chain of command and proper set protocols. Candidates must not be afraid of heights and must be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs throughout the day.

LOCAL 600:
INTERNATIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHY GUILD

CAMERA LOADER / DIGITAL UTILITY

In this class students learn camera loading / digital utility, the chain of command of the Cinematographers Guild, and how all positions within the camera department work together so that they will have the skills to move up in this field.

Topics include media management, camera types, lenses, filters, the importance of lighting, and camera angles. Students will learn and become familiar proper terminology and set protocols. This class culminates with a hands-on exercise that allows them to put into practice all of the skills that they have acquired. Candidates must demonstrate basic computer proficiency or complete a Hollywood CPR tech class supporting this discipline. Students must have excellent writing and communication skills, be competent with ever-changing technology, not be afraid of heights and be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs throughout the day.

PENDING: UPDATING CURRICULUM
LOCAL 695:
SOUND / VIDEO ASSIST/ VIDEO ENGINEERING

UTILITY SOUND TECHNICIAN

The utility sound technician assists the production sound mixer and the microphone boom operator with tasks including operation of an additional fishpole when needed, assisting with placement of microphone "plants" and actors' radio microphones, assisting with on-set wireless communications, and other tasks. Students will learn about all of the roles within the sound department with an emphasis on utility sound and how it fits within the chain of command of the sound crew.

LOCAL 700:
MOTION PICTURE
EDITORS GUILD

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Assistant editors primarily organize files for the editor, but must know all aspects of how to support the editing department. Students learn how to edit using Avid Media Composer. Upon completion of this course, they become Avid Certified users.

Topics covered include Avid MediaFiles folder, bringing a project from ingest through final cut, sound editing, color grading, emotional impact and storytelling. Additional software, such as Adobe Premiere and DaVinci Resolve, is covered as technology evolves, so that students are trained in the most up-to-date applications for the job.

LOCAL 705:
MOTION PICTURE
COSTUMERS

COSTUME MANUFACTURING, COSTUME FINISHING

Costume Manufacturing
Students learn the many types and textures of fabrics as well as the fundamentals of costume manufacturing from design to final output, utilizing sewing skills and other techniques.

Costume Finishing
Students learn on and off production responsibilities of the finished costumer for television shows, commercials, films, and new media projects, involving acquiring and maintaining costumes worn by principal and background performers. Topics include coordinating looks, managing costumes, pulling, organizing and handling the costumes, and the general operation of the costume department.

LOCAL 728:
MOTION PICTURE SET LIGHTING

SET LIGHTING TECHNICIAN

Students are introduced to the craft of studio electrical lighting. Topics include how to safely and correctly handle and operate lighting instruments, stands, mounting equipment, and power distribution systems and the basics of optical physics, lighting design, crew dynamics, film/TV production, set protocol, workplace safety and some special effects. Candidates must not be afraid of heights and must be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs. throughout the day.

LOCAL 729:
MOTION PICTURE
SET PAINTERS & SIGN WRITERS

Set painters specialize in making one kind of material look like another: they can turn foam into rock, wood into marble, and understand the nuances of wood graining and the mixing and matching of paint colors. Students learn how to prepare surfaces such as wood, metals, and plastics to be painted, as well as the tools and materials used in the preparation process, all types of paint, safe handling and storage of materials, weather and other environmental concerns, and the chain of command and set protocols for working within their department.