Anyone can do A/V, right?

[AVJames]

This seems to be the attitude of most people, most being anyone that has never done A/V.

 

bolted onto the IT dept, for some crazy reason.

 

I wouldn't expect a dedicated IT person to fault find and change a lamp in a projector that is 15ft into the ceiling. Ladders? not me mate, I'm IT. if its on a desk, no problem! (now how do you change this BULB?) hold on, its an LED!

 

One big melting pot is A/V and IT. that's what ive been told anyway!

 

You wait til all the A/V team are snowed in and there is only IT to EQ 3 hand held and 5 lapel mics. Oh, and just set up the mobile P/A system too!

 

is this the same in your institution?

[localzuk]

AV does take a specific skill-set - especially lighting and sound. Projectors are a much of a muchness though - just another computer peripheral to be honest.

 

Most schools I've come across have them under the banner of "IT", as AV requirements aren't significant enough to justify someone dedicated to it.

 

For audio, a lot of schools will rope in their music teacher for the audio side of it if the IT dept aren't proficient, or as was the case here before I arrived, a local firm did it for shows and the like.

[strawberry]

The thing is that most IT folk could do AV, if they were given clear instructions and budget to do so. I don't get involved because the teachers want unrealistic things so I have to send them to a pro A/V company because I can't deliver on the unrealistic expectations.

[AVJames]

Thanks Localzuk. you are right, in some ways. maybe with small projectors, which are becoming less of a maintenance issue with the LED range, no filters to clean or lamps to change. but then you have the "show" projectors that are around the 5000 Ansi lumens range that are used in the large lecture theatres and such. these need a little bit more care and attention. preventive maintenance too, just to keep them in tip top.

 

apart from all the printers, desktops and anything that has a computer built in, we are responsible for over 130 teaching rooms, all with a projector, amp, speakers, switchers, control panel etc. so a dedicated team is a must in this type of environment. maybe not for a primary school for instance.

 

as an installer, i used to install many of the same type of kit into each classroom. smartboard, projector, speakers etc and they are more reliant on this type of technology to keep the class educated.

 

most schools had service contracts with A/V companies to keep them all running. but the money is tight for stuff like this. Education projectors now days come with a 3-5 year on-site swap out.

[Scotbynature]

As Localzuk says, most school don't have the equipment to justify employing someone with dedicated AV skillset. We look after the projectors and speakers in the classrooms. If the bulb goes in the main hall then we hire in a company with scaffolding to change it. Our head of music is quite good so if there is ever a problem with the amps and mics in the hall he will fix them and also sets everything up for the end of year shows.

[AVJames]

Strawberry,

 

you are right, there are high expectations from teachers and staff. most think that a projector is a projector and a PC is a PC.

 

they expect them to do so much for their money.

 

I guess it does depend on the establishment that you are working in.

 

I have seen evidence that an A/V salesman sells kit to an uneducated manager and believes what he is told. he believes that a particular piece of kit can also do the washing up. unbeknown to him that its not fit for purpose and we are left we the monkey on our back and HAVE to make it work.

[AVJames]

Scotbynature.

Ive seen this quite a lot when i used to visit various schools to carry out install work.

 

the school relies on someone within the school (like the janitor or a teacher) that can also do other stuff. just as well, but ive also seen schools that do not have anyone and are so grateful when you go out of your way to help fix a portable P/A system or give them a set of audio cables etc. they can sometimes work with no budget and have to beg or borrow kit.

[hardtailstar]

I work in three primaries, I do all the AV stuff from changing bulbs to setting up speakers at the end of term for productions.

 

If the job is too big for me then I hire in a professional company.

[unixman_again]

If it has a plug on it, IT support it. End of story.

 

Where I work, we handle all of the projectors and speakers in the classrooms, but the A/V techie does the speakers and sound in the mail hall and in the drama studios. He also sets up sound for when we do outside events. These amps have far too many knobs for us IT types. There is one amp with loads of knobs (a Phonic 740) that we look after, which is in the lecture theatre. Basically you leave it alone and if someone has unplugged anything, you check the picture on the wiki and make sure it's connected up to match.

[caffrey]

I fit projectors all the way from sourcing the correct hardware / drilling the holes / fitting the mounts all the way up to commissioning. For example I sourced and fitted a full hall set up with speakers / amp etc. I also help with AV for assemblies although any production stuff I leave to the music dept. as I'm too anxious that something will go wrong!

[eyetea]

As unixman_again has said - if it's got a plug (and sometimes even if it doesn't...) it's my problem.

 

Here speakers / projectors in classrooms are completely classed as IT (Though if I have a big problem with amp/speaker setup in a classroom I'd rope in the music tech teacher who doesn't mind helping now and then)

 

My old boss was very savvy with A/V as this was what his degree was in - I can do the basics like set up the microphones / speakers for assemblies etc, and will be sitting in on the main theatre production this year to get more of a grip on that - however the main person that deals with that is the music tech teacher. (I could just about set up the sound to be played from the studio to the theatre, but then throw in belt pack microphones, lighting etc then I'm out of my depth).

 

Before my boss left I was able to have a bit of in house training on our lighting rig (amounted to about 2hrs a month) and I can do a simple stuff like lighting wash / colours, but if they ask for moving heads I can't! (Occasionally have external bookings that ask for lighting).

 

I quite enjoy A/V as it's something a bit different!

[Oaktech]

I spent 6 years doing AV for a company - everything from changing plugs on lights to installing projectors and whiteboards in schools, to touring with Utah Saints, to teching the John Galliano show in milan. So, yeah I'm a pretty specialist AV chap, as well as having spent 10 years doing IT so I do agree with you.

[synaesthesia]

I will happily do absolutely anything. We do have some unreasonably high projectors here and we always have the relevant staff to help with those (site team, scaffolding etc) but anything else we will be happy to install ourselves where appropriate. There's very little we can't do between the IT team and the site team.

In the primaries it's pretty much the same if we can help it due to budgetary reasons.

[eyetea]

I will happily do absolutely anything. We do have some unreasonably high projectors here and we always have the relevant staff to help with those (site team, scaffolding etc) but anything else we will be happy to install ourselves where appropriate. There's very little we can't do between the IT team and the site team.

In the primaries it's pretty much the same if we can help it due to budgetary reasons.

 

My biggest bug bear with high projectors - We have a really high projector in our sports hall which is used for assemblies 2-3 times a week. Even though it's in a case sometimes if a ball hits it (accident or otherwise) it can misalign the projector just enough to look untidy when it's on the screen (projecting an inch off of one edge) Takes the premises team ~30mins to get all the scaf tower there and set it up for me to climb up, gently rotate it back taking all of 1 minute for them to have to take it down and put it all away - approximately an hours prep for 1 min of "work"!

[Chris_]

We deal with all of the AV here, classroom projectors and speakers to large professional projectors, video switchers, distribution amps and PA systems and stage lighting in our performance spaces. I'm employed as IT but I have prior background knowledge in these fields and I enjoy doing a bit more than just IT all the time so I don't really mind it.

 

The only annoying part is SLT think that we have equipment suitable for everything. We don't. They then wonder why a basic little 2 speaker PA can't be heard across the field on sports day...

[Andrew_C]

Defining "A/V is quite hard. Here, there were two of us tied to MFL who did "AV" for the non-science subjects, and another technician who looked after technology in science. Then IT was invented, and that dept grew to 4/5 people. Still 3 of us doing AV, and quite an involvement in IT. We recruited a dedicated theatre technician, and I moved to science.

 

IT have budget for projector maintenance and repair, but "delegate" the work in some cases. All in all, a muddle that sort of works day-to-day.

 

When it came to a £4m+ refit of the hall, did they talk to us? Is it a pigs-ear?

[AVJames]

im enjoying all your comments and you all are giving away some of your technical abilities withing the A/V side of things.

 

someone said "if it's got a plug (and sometimes even if it doesn't...) it's my problem"

 

totally agree and most of the time, people assume its A/V when its really Facilities Management that should be rewiring plugs of Henry vacs!!!

 

it is a very diverse department where i work as we are involved in everything that plugs in and uses leccy!

 

[AVJames]

Andrew_C

 

sounds familiar!

[AVJames]

Chris_

 

i agree. they spend a little and want a lot.

 

you don't pay £100 for a p/a system and expect it to work with U2 or Status Quo.

 

you wouldn't buy a Fiesta and expect it to break the land speed record!

[novastorm]

AV can be fun sometimes and its a good skill to know the basics.

[unixman_again]

to touring with Utah Saints

 

I wish I had done something as cool as that!

[DanTheLacky]

Chris_

 

i agree. they spend a little and want a lot.

 

you don't pay £100 for a p/a system and expect it to work with U2 or Status Quo.

 

you wouldn't buy a Fiesta and expect it to break the land speed record!

 

I knew that car salesman was lying!

 

We do the same here, we did have a fairly able teaching assistant in music that we passed our knowledge (and the instructions to the PA and lighting board) onto but when she left we seemed to have it fall back onto the IT department. Not many people want to learn or want the responsibility so they pretend they are not capable.

[PotNoodleTech]

"Av Team" ???

 

What is this we speak of? Does a mixing desk have a plug? Yes then its IT's problem

[GeekyPete]

Nothing is out of scope, I'll fix my stuff then I'll fix AV. I've even helped to fix the buildings Heating system.

 

It how you build a reputation. "Not my area, but I'll take a look" more often than not it ends you "you'll have to call out XYZ"

 

I do draw the line on going more than 8ft or so off the floor on ladders. Any more than that and they need to look at an access tower or get someone else to do it.

[MatZeRO]

We manage everything from speakers, servers, desktops, laptops, microphones, iPads, projectors. We do everything in house where possible, we fit projectors and smart boards, we ran all the cabling and installed a school wide Ruckus WiFi system. We even manage the phones.

 

We have a tower we build if we need to get to high up projectors.