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Exploring Trades and Occupations

Technical Staff for Artistic Production

On this page

  • Job description
  • Advancement and mobility
  • Hourly wage
  • Job prospects for 2024-2028
  • Sectors of activity
  • Training and requirements
  • Main skills and characteristics
  • Personality profiles (RIASEC)
  • Additional information

Job description

These individuals coordinate various aspects (sets, makeup, lighting, sound, etc.) related to artistic production (movies, television series, shows, etc.). They work for:

  • Television and radio stations
  • Recording studios
  • Film and video production companies
  • Concert, theatre, and dance promotion companies

Environment

  • Controlled ambient temperature
  • Climatic conditions
  • Equipment, machinery, tools
  • Odours
  • Nontoxic dust
  • Humidity
  • Hazardous workplaces
  • Noise
  • Fire, steam, hot surfaces
  • Electricity
  • Falling objects
  • Vibration

Main tasks

Stage Managers

  • Coordinate the work of technical staff (e.g. camera operators).
  • Give the signal to announcers, actors, and performers when recording or broadcasting productions.

Head Grips

  • Supervise stagehands, head electricians, and stage production workers.

Head Stage Electricians and Lighting Engineers

  • Assemble, operate, and repair electrical equipment (e.g. lighting fixtures).

Stunt Coordinators

  • Design and coordinate special effects (fires, explosions, accidents, etc.).

Makeup Artists

  • Apply stage makeup or special effects to actors and performers.

Costumers

  • List the costumes needed for a production based on the script.
  • Ensure the acquisition, fitting, and maintenance of costumes.

Decorating Workshop Managers

  • List the sets needed for a production with reference to the script.
  • Participate in the development of specifications for the construction of sets.

Heads of Props and Decorations

  • List the props needed for a production with reference to the script.
  • Seek and provide necessary props for rehearsals and performances.

Advancement and mobility

  • Some of the positions in this group may be held by different people depending on the size of the production or the size of the studio.

Hourly wage

The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.
Minimum
$20.00
Median
$30.00
Maximum
$60.00

Job prospects for 2024-2028

Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.

Job prospects for 2024-2028

Job prospects

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available

Total jobs for 2023

All of Québec

5,000

All of Québec

na

Gender distribution

All of Québec

Not available.
45% Female
55% Male

Not available.
  • 45% Female
  • 55% Male

Job types

All of Québec

Not available.
Full time
Part time

Not available.
  • Full time
  • Part time

Yearly wage on 2020

All of Québec

$73,000

All of Québec

Other characteristics

All of Québec

  • None

All of Québec

  • None

Sectors of activity

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Information and Cultural Industries
    NAICS 51
    47% of jobs
  2. Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
    NAICS 71
    14% of jobs
  3. Public Administration
    NAICS 91
    7% of jobs
  4. Educational Services
    NAICS 61
    5% of jobs
  5. Computer Systems Design and Related Services
    NAICS 5415
    4% of jobs
  6. Others
    23% of jobs

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Information and Cultural Industries
    NAICS 51
    47% of jobs
  2. Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
    NAICS 71
    14% of jobs
  3. Public Administration
    NAICS 91
    7% of jobs
  4. Educational Services
    NAICS 61
    5% of jobs
  5. Computer Systems Design and Related Services
    NAICS 5415
    4% of jobs
  6. Others
    23% of jobs

Training and requirements

Formation

Most training programs are offered in French only.

College

ACS in composition et effets spéciaux pour vidéo numérique
Code : NWY16
DCS in techniques cinématographiques et télévisuelles
Code : 589C0

Placement rate: 82.7%

12.3% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
ACS in techniques spécialisées en production scénique
Code : NRC12

Also required

  • Experience in a support or assistant position in film, broadcasting, or the performing arts.

Stage Manager

  • Presentation file.

Makeup Artists

  • Portfolio demonstrating creative ability.

Sometimes required

  • Training program for makeup artists working in film, broadcasting, and the performing arts may be required.

Main skills and characteristics

Skills

  • Reading comprehension
  • Critical thought
  • Coordination
  • Active listening
  • Operation analysis
  • Time management
  • Data collection
  • Oral expression
  • Judgment and decision-making
  • Result evaluation
  • Social perception
  • Solving complex problems
  • Active learning
  • Written expression
  • Mathematics
  • System analysis
  • Teaching
  • Financial resource management
  • Human resource management
  • Material resource management
  • Service oriented
  • Persuasion
  • Information processing
More Less skills

Abilities

  • Idea generation
  • Originality
  • Oral comprehension
  • Visualization
  • Written comprehension
  • Verbal skills
  • Speech clarity
  • Speech recognition
  • Awareness of issues
  • Deductive reasoning
  • Inductive reasoning
  • Near vision
  • Classification
  • Written expression
  • Information organization
  • Colour perception and distinction
  • Distance vision
  • Selective attention
  • Perception speed
  • Processing flexibility
  • Hand-arm stability
  • Basic numeracy
  • Digital dexterity
  • Manual dexterity
  • Mathematical reasoning
More Less abilities

Knowledge and attributes

  • Leadership
  • Autonomy
  • Capacity to work in a team
  • Knowledge of telecommunications
  • Versatility
  • Sense of initiative
  • Knowledge of computer science, digital and electronics
  • Creativity
  • Knowledge of communication and media
  • Knowledge of design

Interests

  • Direct, organize, and manage
  • Work in the arts, culture, music, or leisure
  • Create, design
  • Work in computer science or information and communication technologies (ICT)
  • Carry out research
  • Make, build, install
  • Work manually

Personality profiles (RIASEC)

Artistic
People with this profile prefer to express their emotions and thoughts through various art forms. They like to use their imagination.
Realistic
People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Conventional
People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
Additional information

Official name of the NOC 52119

Other technical and coordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts

Job titles

  • First grip
  • Floor director - broadcasting
  • Costume maker
  • Programming manager
  • Property master - broadcasting
  • Stage technician
  • Property master - motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
  • Unit manager - motion pictures and broadcasting
  • Studio administrator
  • Extra wrangler - motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
  • Head of wardrobe
  • Settings shop foreman/woman
  • Chief stage electrician
  • Chief lighting technician
  • Rigging gaffer
  • Gaffer
  • Wig hairdresser - motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
  • Production coordinator - radiobroadcasting
  • Broadcasting coordinator
  • Costumes coordinator
  • Program coordinator - broadcasting
  • Sports program coordinator - broadcasting
  • Wardrobe coordinator
  • Production coordinator - motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
  • Remote broadcasting coordinator
  • Presentation coordinator - broadcasting
  • Production coordinator - visual effects
  • Production coordinator - video games
  • Optical effects coordinator
  • Stunt coordinator
  • Stage assistant director
  • Film location manager
  • Exterior set manager
  • Lighting technician
  • Light board operator
  • Machinist-electrician
  • Set electrician
  • Studio electrician
  • Properties custodian - stage productions or motion pictures
  • Make-up artist and hairdresser - performing arts
  • Make-up artist and wig maker
  • Make-up artist - motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
  • Make-up artist - special effects
  • Radio program planner
  • Music program planner
  • Radio music program planner
  • Location manager - motion pictures and broadcasting
  • Animal wrangler - motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
  • Motion picture facilities supervisor
  • Staging supervisor
  • Script supervisor
  • Costume supervisor
  • Lighting effects chief technician
  • Production technician - motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
  • Theatre technician
  • Special effects technician
  • Telecasting technician
More Less job titles

Skill type

Art, culture, recreation and sport

Related occupations

  • Audio and video recording technicians
  • Broadcast technicians
  • Film and video camera operators
  • Motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and performing arts assistants and operators
  • Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers

See also

  • Glossary (PDF 229 Kb)
  • Québec emploi

Last update: January 29, 2026

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