In Conversation with Theatre Technology student, Billy Boarman Powell
In Conversation with Theatre Technology student, Billy Boarman Powell
From Video Engineering to Sound Design, we caught up with Theatre Technology student, Billy Boarman Powell. We discuss why they chose London, the fast-paced life of studying at Guildhall and the range of external specialists helping to build up their industry contact list.
Why did you choose to study at Guildhall School? And why did you pick your degree pathway?
I thought that Guildhall offered the perfect balance of teaching content compared to other drama schools - for example, one place might make you specialise in a discipline immediately, and another place might give you an overview on the entirety of Production Arts, but Guildhall hit the sweet spot on what they offer.
Can you tell us what it is like studying in London? What are some highlights and benefits of living in the City? Do you have any tips for students thinking about moving here?
London is a brilliantly accessible place to live, since there’s so much to explore, if you take it slowly. Being a student at one of the best Music and Drama schools in the country means that you get frequent opportunities to make contacts around London, and are able to experience working in large spaces, like West End theatres, numerous venues, and professional studios.
Our Theatre Technology students are always super busy, can you tell us about some of your recent projects?
I’ve spent the past six weeks as a video engineer on the Milton Court Video Projects, and I have to say, I haven’t learned anything as fast as I’ve had to learn video. We began the allocation working with critically acclaimed Lighting Designer Andi Watson, and the following week, we were introduced to the composer, Tom Guthrie. Following this, we met some incredibly talented aerial artists, Will and Sophie, and all through these weeks, my fellow engineer and I have had to overcome so many different challenges, which have enabled me to apply myself to tasks in ways I didn’t realise was possible.
Currently, we are in Tech rehearsals for Moving Screens, which is a massive project for our Digital Design & Production students, and we’ve had to learn an infamously challenging software over two days, known as D3. The project is going really well, and from the videos that we’ve seen, it’s going to be a stunning showing.
What have you learnt from this experience so far?
Whilst learning D3, a video software, we’ve got to know two professionals, which has been instrumental in the success of the project, one of whom was a Guildhall graduate. Having a basic understanding of this software in particular can really help spur a career in the production industry. Similarly, having these two professionals as contacts now means that we can occasionally get in touch and see if there are any opportunities for us to shadow.
What are you looking forward to next on your course?
For this year, I’m looking forward to my first allocation on Sound, since I believe it is the thing I’ll enjoy most out of all disciplines. It’ll also be my first time properly working in Silk Street Theatre, which will be the largest stage that I’ve worked on, ever.
For the rest of my course, I am very much looking forward to beginning my Graduation Project, which is a third year allocation in which we take something that is very interesting to us, and make something from that interest. It’s a brilliant way of exploring something that is personal and exciting to you, and is exhibited for whoever would like to see it.
