Lighting operator
- 1. GC1: Job Roles in the Production Arts Industry LIGHTING OPERATOR The average salary of a lighting operator is the equivalent to $45,000. A lighting operator’s role on a production is to operate lighting during rehearsals and the actual show. They work closely with the director and sound operator in order to program certain lights into the desk and ensure the right combination of lighting is used for specific scenes, i.e to evoke a certain emotion through colour. They will keep cue sheets and a script to follow throughout the show to ensure correct lights are used at the right time. It is their responsibility to be alert at all times and to know the show well enough to know when a cue is coming up. They should also work with the lighting designer in order to create their vision when programming lighting. This will also help the lighting operator in terms of knowing which light with what gel is where. If a lighting operator doesn’t do their job correctly, it can affect the whole show. For example, the whole show would be affected if the lighting operator were to press the wrong cue and send the stage into blackout. A lighting operator’s day to day job would be watching the show’s rehearsals and learning the show’s script in order to familiarise themselves with the show so they can predict when a lighting change is about to occur.