Sebastian Nelley, Mitchell Luckll, Jared Quiling (obscured), Angus Dellwo and Will Reid man the sound and lighting stage. Photos courtesy of Deni High teacher Ryan Heffer and the NSW Department of Education.
The spotlight may have been on the performers, but a group of Deniliquin High School students proved the real magic of a live show often happens behind the scenes.
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After three days of intensive training at the Deniliquin Town Hall, students put their newly developed technical production skills to the test during last week's Deni Highlights performance.
The workshop, delivered through the NSW Department of Education's Entertainment Industry Mobile Training Unit (MTU), gave students hands-on experience in audio, lighting, vision streaming and stage production using industry-standard equipment.
Eleven students from Years 7 to 10 and four teachers spent the week learning everything from setting up lighting rigs and vision systems to managing live production cues.
For Year 9 student and stage manager Brittany De Travers, the opportunity aligned perfectly with her career ambitions.
“I took on a job filming games for the Deniliquin Rams with a company, and was given a proposition to (learn with the MTU) and jumped at the opportunity,” she said.
“I said, 'Yes, this is right up my alley and it's something I love to do'.”
Working backstage during the performance, Brittany was responsible for helping coordinate cues and communication between crew members.
“We had a communications headset, and I had a monitor and a laptop with cues and the vision of what they seeing,” she said.
Lighting and sound for teacher Matt Kiley and the student band was designed and operated by the program participants.
“I think the night went really well and it went quicker than rehearsals. I don't there's anything I would have changed or improved.”
The experience has further cemented Brittany’s plans for a future in the creative industries.
“I've always wanted to go into the film industry and I am hoping to go to university for film.”
Also among the students helping bring the production to life were Year 7 students Will Reid and Will Turner, who both worked on lighting and vision operations.
Will R said his interest in live entertainment drew him to the workshop.
“I like live concerts, though I have never seen them before and only have seen them on TV. I thought it would be interesting to do lighting,” he said.
Throughout the week he learned how to create and operate lighting sequences.
“You have to pick the colour you want and put them into a lighting console and then you push a lever and it turns the lighting on.”
Will T said the program had given him valuable new skills.
The experience may even prove useful in his future career aspirations.
“I thought it would be a good program to do and thought I could learn a lot out of it," he said.
“I learned about different camera shots and how to set up the vision gear."
“I've always wanted to be a teacher. I could help teach people how to do all that stuff I learnt.”
Deniliquin High School head teacher of Creative and Performing Arts and Technology Matt Kiley praised the students for the way they handled the pressure of a live production.
“From a stage production perspective, I thought the students were awesome,” he said.
“It's the first time they have undertaken anything like this and to be thrown into the deep end of learning from how to set up the equipment and then operating it all within three days is sensational.
“They had to face the pressure of operating all that equipment with a show on stage and handled it so awesomely."
The workshop also provided students with a glimpse into the VET Entertainment Industry course, helping build pathways into future study and careers in the live production and entertainment sectors.
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