Crew Assignment

All Tech Crew roles are advertised to all members using our internal system AdamRMS for a period of at least one week. When a role is published, it will also be advertised on the Tech Crew Discord server and in the weekly newsletter.

After the position closes, the Tech Crew exec will review the applications in their next meeting and provisionally assign each role. After confirmation that the applicant is still willing to take the role, the exec will communicate the allocation to the show/hire's production team and inform all other applicants that they were unsuccessful.

Any questions regarding crew assignment can be sent to [email protected]. Applications can also be sent to this email, or updates/withdrawals of existing applications on AdamRMS.

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Please note that unless a special arrangement is made with Tech Crew (e.g. for special circumstances such as Improv at Fringe), any Tech Crew members working on a show or event do not require to purchase membership to the respective society. Any required MRFs can be submitted on their behalf by the event's production team or the society's treasurer.

Applying for Roles

You can apply for roles by browsing the Opportunities Page and creating an AdamRMS account (you can find the Tech Crew business code on Discord). Alternatively, you can email [email protected] to apply, update an application or withdraw an application.

Role applicant tips:

• If you're not sure if you should go for a role, apply anyway! Most of our roles are open to inexperienced members, and help is always available.
• Tech Crew exec will read any details entered into the application, but this is not mandatory! If you are new and feel like the exec may not know your previous experience, you may find it helpful to add a brief summary here. Equally, if you would like to prioritise a certain role over others, you can also enter this here (or email the exec).
• Feel free to ask other members of Tech Crew or the Tech Crew Exec if you have any questions or want any clarification on the role or show. Most people are contactable over Discord or in person, or you can email exec at [email protected].
• If you would like to work ("co") with another person, this is a possibility as long as there is a clear separation of responsibilities. Mention this in your AdamRMS application or email the exec for more information.

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Remember that all of the Tech Crew exec are also students - and may even be you next year! Do feel free to contact the exec with any questions even if they seem small, but equally please don't harass or send multiple messages regarding role allocations if things are taking a while.

Producer/Show Guidance

Roles for your show will be advertised internally after we have been made aware of them through a meeting, email or hires form submission. Please note that this can often take several weeks (e.g. a week to discuss and advertise your roles, a week for applications and a week to assign and confirm roles) so the earlier that you contact us, the better. For certain venues such as the FAB studios which require a technical induction, this must be done even earlier.

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Whilst we will do all we can to ensure that you have a team for your show, please note that this is on an application and voluntary basis and so there may be cases where there are no applicants for a certain role. This chance can be reduced by:

• Advertising our technical roles amongst your communities and social media. This could be particularly effective for less technical roles such as Stage Manager, Assistant Stage Manager and Set Designer.
• Providing a detailed technical vision and description for your show so members have a clear idea of what they are applying for.
• Perhaps the most important: having an interesting technical vision. Whilst you may only want one sound effect and a couple stage washes, this is not as exciting to a technical designer or operator who will simply just apply for a different role or show. This is particularly important when there are multiple packs competing for one slot.

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For WAC shows, technical roles must be advertised and allocated through Tech Crew, even if historically these have not been filled or if you have a preference for a certain designer. This is to ensure the equal opportunity and welfare of all of our members, and may also be required in your society's constitution. The only exception to this rule is if this has been discussed with exec in advance, and you have written confirmation.

If you have any questions or have preferences for or against certain members us, please email us at [email protected]. You may also contact the Welfare Officer directly in the event of any welfare concerns.

Assigning your own technical roles may result in:

• No technical support from Tech Crew (including support with other crew allocations or assistance during get-ins or get-outs).
• Not having access to Tech Crew storage locations (such as the DC cupboard) or resources (such as tape or safety equipment).
• Your technical designers or operators not being covered under Tech Crew insurance.
• Voiding any show or society discounts on our price list if using our equipment.

Please contact us at [email protected] for any further information.

Drama Collective (DC) Show Allocation

The Drama Collective (DC) constitution states the following:

1. A pack must meet with the president of Tech Crew, at least 4 term-time weeks before final Pack submission where academically possible.
2. Tech teams must be allocated by Tech Crew, including all members of the Lighting, Sound, Management, Set, and Video departments.
3. Up to 2 of these team members can be allocated by Pack teams, bypassing the Tech Crew allocation process, at the approval of a simple majority of Tech Crew exec.
   1. These team members must be allocated before the meeting with the Tech Crew president.
   2. These team members must have Tech Crew membership.
   3. Approval of these team members may be subject to conditions, set by Tech Crew exec.

Crew Assignment Policy

The Tech Crew exec will assign show and hire roles according to the following guidance:

Warwick Arts Centre (WAC) Shows

Article 8 of the Tech Crew Constitution outlines the following rules for Warwick Arts Centre (WAC) shows:

1. The assignment of roles for WAC shows is at the sole discretion of the Tech Crew Exec.
2. No member can be a Head of Department more than twice in ten consecutive calendar weeks (i.e., a term).
3. No member can be a Head of Department more than four times in our academic year.
4. Once a member is assigned a leadership role on a WAC show, they become ineligible for any leadership role on a WAC show that would occur within two weeks of the completion of the show they were initially assigned to.
5. An exemption to the above roles can be made if:
   1. The Welfare Officer has a discussion with the applicant and is satisfied.
   2. The Equal Opportunities Officer is satisfied that this does not unduly deprive other members of opportunities.
   3. The Exec approves this exemption by a simple quorate vote (the Equal Opportunities Officer may veto an exemption on rule 2 or 3, and the Welfare Officer may veto an exemption of rule 4).
6. A Head of Department refers to Lighting Designer, Sound Designer, Stage Manager, Set Designer or Deputy Stage Manager (but not Technical Manager).
7. A leadership role refers to all the above roles in addition to Technical Manager.

Hires

Hire role allocations is handled by the Hires Manager, and is not formally subject to any of the WAC show assignment rules defined above. However, this will often be informally handled by the Tech Crew exec in a similar way to WAC shows (especially for larger hires).

Equal Opportunities

The Equal Opportunities officer is responsible for ensuring that all Tech Crew members have an equal opportunity to be assigned to Tech Crew shows and hires.

Note that this does not mean that allocations will be done regardless of experience, but that throughout the academic year or time at Tech Crew, each member should have had a reasonably equal opportunity to be assigned the roles that they wanted. For example, whilst someone new to tech may not be assigned Lighting Designer for a theatre show compared to someone who has previous experience with a studio show, someone with prior lighting experience would equally not be assigned every WAC show at the expense of other inexperienced Tech Crew members.

Welfare

The Welfare officer is responsible for ensuring the overall welfare of all Tech Crew members, including through the roles they have been allocated. For example, this ensures that an applicant does not take on an unreasonably high number of roles within a short space of time which could lead to excessive stress, poor mental health or neglecting your degree.