Eddie Raymond is a board member for Behind The Scenes and will speak about the importance of sleep in two sessions in the Behind the Scenes Wellness Lounge on the LDI show floor.
Live Design: Can you describe yourself in less than 50 words?
Eddie Raymond: I served as ACT’s scene shop foreman/technical supervisor and was instrumental in the rebuilding of the Geary Theatre after the Loma Prieta earthquake. Among other activities in the field I have been a construction coordinator and special effects mechanic at Industrial Light and Magic. I am the past chairman of Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA), and was a founding member of the IATSE Crafts Advancement Program committee, am a member of the ETCP Council, and was co-chairman of the ETCP Entertainment Rigging program. I have been an OSHA outreach instructor and am a weekend musician at a coffee shop in Pacifica.
LD: Please give a brief overview of your training/education/career path.
ER: I received my teaching credentials from UC Berkeley in 1975, and then became a stagehand with IATSE Local 16. In 1981 I began what became a 35-year journey with the local's apprentice program. In 1998 I went to work full time as the training director and recreated the apprentice program and the local's ongoing training programs. He's been an OSHA outreach instructor and co wrote the original versions of the IATSE OSHA 10 and 30 courses.
LD: Please describe your most recent project.
ER: in 2018 I became interested in learning more about the effects of long hours and short sleep were having on our industry. It led to the creation of the curriculum he now enjoys teaching. The subject is universal in the industries and the class has sparked meaningful discussions about what we can do to address the problem.
LD: What has been the biggest challenge of your career to date?
ER: Helping to steer the American Conservatory Theatre after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake closed the theatre for six years. I was the company's technical representative during the planning and construction, the scene shop foreman, and responsible for transforming other spaces to meet the need of our ongoing productions for those six years.
LD: What is your advice for people just getting into the industry?
ER: Be a sponge! Learn from everyone and chase your passion. be kind to others and to yourself.