What do Audio Visual Specialists do?

An Audio Visual Specialist would typically need to:

• Operate and maintain audio and video equipment at recording studios and other locations; set up equipment to prepare for events such as meetings, television productions, sporting events, or musical performances; and remove it after the event is over.
• Work with a variety of recording equipment, as well as projectors, sound systems, video screens, and lighting.
• Work with the AV team to create or display media; evaluate the demands and constraints of the current project and organization, and adapt tasks to meet them.
• Store and transport audiovisual and lighting equipment safely as needed; maintain, diagnose, and repair the equipment
• Position the audiovisual and lighting equipment to allow for broadcasts and recordings; assure high-quality broadcasting by connecting, calibrating, and configuring the required AV technology.
• Control AV technologies with software, create teleprompters with scripts and check live feeds to assure transmission quality.
• Communicate with people on a daily basis, whether via phone, email or in person; produce weekly letters and notes
• When working at educational institutions, collaborate with teachers and other school employees, and with other departments and staff when working for organizations.

Standard Work Environment of Audiovisual Technician

Depending on the project or assignment, Audiovisual Specialists may operate indoors in a studio or office, or outdoors at a live entertainment venue. They might be able to work in a stadium, a large music venue, or an arena. They use a variety of AV technology, such as soundboards, microphones, cameras, lighting, and teleprompters. Travel to meet clients or to event locations may be necessary.

Work Schedule

Audiovisual Specialists are normally employed full-time, while part-time work is also possible. While a regular schedule is preferred, you may be required to work on weekends, nights, and holidays. A typical week will consist of 39-41 working hours.

Employers

Finding a new job may appear challenging. Audiovisual Specialists can improve their job search by soliciting referrals from their network, contacting firms directly, using job search platforms, attending job fairs, leveraging social media, and contacting staffing agencies.

Audiovisual Specialists are generally employed by:

• Recording Studios
• Video & Motion Picture Industry
• Radio & Television Broadcasting Industry
• Educational Institutions
• Government
• Museums
• Computer
• Historical Sites

Unions / Professional Organizations

Professional groups and organizations, such as AVIXA (Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association), are essential for Audiovisual Specialist who wants to further their professional growth or interact with other professionals in their sector or trade. Membership in one or more of these organizations adds value to your CV while strengthening your credentials and qualifications.

Workplace Challenges

• Occasional exposure to high noise levels during concerts and sound recordings
• Pressure to meet deadlines and to be exact and free of errors
• Repetitious physical tasks; cramped workspace occasionally, leading to awkward postures while positioning equipment
• The occasional need to place and operate AV equipment at great heights or in hazardous conditions
• High operating and legal project costs
• Skilled labour in short supply for installation
• The need to shift to software applications for deployment; miscommunication issues
• Difficulties in monitoring AV equipment availability, due to its diversity and complexity, with multiple kits comprising various items, including microphones, projectors, video walls, and lighting booms
• Difficulties in tracking equipment, especially manually or across multiple locations, and particularly for smaller parts such as cables and connectors
•  Risk of equipment theft and damage, particularly in terms of smaller inventory; project delays due to equipment damage during transit; costly and inconvenient to replace lost or damaged items on short notice; missed installation deadlines and lost revenue
• Unexpected equipment breakdowns since maintenance are typically done reactively only when needed, leading to unscheduled downtime, which hinders project completion, harms equipment health, and raises the total cost of assets ownership

Suggested Work Experience of Audiovisual Technician

Most Audiovisual Specialists require vocational school training or months of supervised internship followed by associated on-the-job experience.

An advanced internship as a creative venue technician or live event technician will help you get started in this field.

In an advanced apprenticeship as a smart home technician, you would install and set up digital equipment in people’s homes, such as sound and lighting systems, security measures, and home theatre.

Reading as much as possible about the profession and interviewing Audiovisual Specialists are two more significant approaches to exploring your interest.

Recommended Qualifications of Audiovisual Technician

For Audiovisual (AV) Specialists, a high school diploma is required, preferably with topics such as computer applications, any of the humanities, English, and global languages, as well as courses in public speaking. A bachelor’s degree in audiovisual technology or a similar discipline, such as digital media, is advantageous. Some employers favour bachelor’s degree candidates with majors such as audiovisual production, video production, multimedia operations, journalism, broadcasting, and communications.

Certifications, Licenses, and Registration

An Audiovisual Specialist’s proficiency in a skill area is demonstrated through work experience, training, and passing an examination. It can help you stand out in a competitive job market, carry a large salary premium of up to 18%, boost your prospects of progression, and allow you to become an independent consultant if earned from an objective and reputable company. By including a Code of Ethics, successful certification programs defend the public welfare.

AVIXA (Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association) accreditation and professional qualifications are frequently earned by audiovisual specialists. These credentials are accepted globally, and the certification is yours to keep.

Projected Career Map of Audiovisual Technician

To begin as an Assistant Technician, you should have prior expertise and training in broadcast and sound technologies, as well as electronics. You would be in charge of equipment setup as an Installer. You would advance to the position of Audiovisual Specialist.

With time and expertise, you may be able to take on the role of Project Manager, overseeing all parts of the audiovisual experience while adhering to time and budget constraints, or managing the entire audiovisual department. As a Technology Manager, you would oversee the everyday operations of a company or educational institution. You could pursue a career in lighting or sound design. You could potentially branch out and sell equipment and services.

If you want to branch out, you can work as a Designer or a Live Events Professional/Events Manager, where you can creatively enliven encounters in classrooms and board rooms, as well as at huge public events like football games and concerts.

You would install audiovisual equipment in people’s homes as a self-employed or freelance Audiovisual Specialist. Depending on the nature of your task, you may be able to broaden your function. Some clients may seek to recruit you as a member of their audiovisual team or delegate authority to you to handle their audiovisual needs, which would entail selecting and configuring relevant technologies and assuring their calibration for optimal operation.

Job Prospects

With a growing reliance on AV technology in a variety of disciplines, AV Specialists will further their careers by gaining experience and better academic credentials, as well as specializing in certain areas of audiovisual equipment or procedures.

Beneficial Professional Development of Audiovisual Technician

CPD will assist an active Audiovisual Specialist in developing personal skills and competency through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. CPD helps you to constantly improve your skills, regardless of your age, employment, or degree of expertise.

AVIXA (Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association) provides online and in-person training in a variety of AV technology and application areas. These cover general knowledge, installation, designing the AV facility and system, live events, networking & technology, technology management, project management & business best practices, and project management & business best practices.

Conclusion of Audio Visual Specialist

Through a combination of visual and audible stimuli, audiovisual specialists assist in creating a well-rounded sensory experience for the audience, one that draws attention, aids understanding, and stimulates participation. Schoolchildren, spectators at a show, or corporate executives at a conference may all benefit from the experience of AV Specialists. AV technology, applications, and equipment are diverse and tailored to meet a wide range of requirements. It takes AV experts’ skills and knowledge to put them to practical and successful use.

Advice from the Wise

The correct lighting setup can elevate your event from ordinary to outstanding. As an Audiovisual Specialist, you can choose the ideal strategy to assist your clients in hypnotizing their audience and making the event memorable for all stakeholders.

Read Also: How to Become an Audio And Video Technician?