Online community for technicians in Australia launched
Published: ASIA
AUSTRALIA: Experienced A/V technician Chris D'bais has created and launched a new social media website for technicians working in the Australian arts and entertainment industry called Technicians Crew Pass. Website managing director Mr D'bais hopes that the site will become ‘a place that anyone can feel that no question is too big or too small’.
‘It was after many years of being unable to store a central database of technical information that Technicians Crew Pass was born,’ explained Mr D’bais. ‘Having somewhere technicians working in the arts and entertainment industry can access updated information and be able to submit their own information for future use has been the main focus of the website. It's my hope that Technicians Crew Pass can bring information to the men and women that work behind the scenes. The aim is to help better the industry by having the most up to date information about what is happening in the industry right now, and by working with technicians from all over Australia, Technical Crew Pass hopes to be a the main source of technical information for the arts and entertainment sector. The site has been built on an open platform so each member will be free to add groups, join forums and upload links to useful sites and much more,’ he enthused.
Mr D’bais stated that he hopes ‘that in the future the website can become an industry body with a core group of members that can work together to drive change to better the industry for the future. I want it to be a place where site visitors can find all the tools and resources they need to ensure that they can complete their job in a more informed way,’ he added.
Commenting that feedback from the industry has been ‘very positive so far’, Mr D’bais explained that ‘both technicians and industry companies have been putting their support behind the site, and I have had many people asking how they can help and get involved. I have also had people from the UK and the US ask when they will have a local version, and I have already started work on UK Crew Pass. I hope that within 24 months I can link Crew Pass Australia with UK and US versions of the site’.
Mr D’bais started work as a lighting technician in the arts and entertainment industry when he was 15 years old, and when he was 16, worked full time in a professional arts theatre. After finishing school in 2000, he went on to work on many large arts and music festivals around Australia, and later worked for Arts Queensland at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts. He then took the position of head of lighting at The Events Centre Sunshine Coast, and was later promoted to the position of technical manager, then operations manager.
Mr D’bais then worked at The Arts Centre Gold Coast in the role of technical manager, and 18 months later was promoted to the position of venue operations manager. In 2010 Mr D'bais worked in London at the Kings Place as the head of audiovisual, where he was later promoted to the role of technical director. He held this position until returning to Australia in 2012.
The site is currently in the beta testing phase, but visitors are able to join and provide feedback until the end of August, with the official launch planned for October 2012.