You will need to take several steps in a specific order to become an audio visual consultant. The first step is to obtain the proper technical training to set up and operate both audio and visual equipment. You can do this through formal education at a trade or vocational school or at a community college, or you can learn while on the job as an assistant, apprentice, or intern for a firm that handles audio and visual systems. Another step is to acquire extensive experience handling sound boards, visual effects mixers, switch panels, and post-production processes. Once you have the training and experience, you can become an audio visual consultant for hire.
There are numerous institutions where you can gain the formal education necessary to become an audio visual consultant. You can attend a trade school that focuses on audio and visual equipment, post-production training for movies and television, sound or visual engineering training, or a broad survey of courses covering all areas of audio visual technology. The program you choose may award a certificate, an associate's degree, or even a bachelor's degree in an area of audio visual technology. Many community colleges also offer certificate or associate's degree programs for sound and visual effects processing. To complete the bachelor's degree, you will be required to complete roughly 60 credit hours of lower division general education courses before completing the last two years of the program.
Another path that you can take to acquire the training necessary to become an audio visual consultant is to obtain an apprenticeship or internship with a company that handles some aspect of audio or visual technological production. For instance, you can become an apprentice at a company that performs visual effects processing for movies that have been shot but that need special effects work and improvements for clarity and durability. You can also become an intern for a sound engineer who handles the mixing of audio for various types of projects, including audio clips, music tracks, commercials, or television and movie dialogue. You should work as an intern or apprentice for as long as you need to learn every element of the process, every nuance of the technology, and other aspects of the audio visual field.
Once you have completed your training and gained the necessary experience, you can market yourself as an audio visual consultant. You will most likely develop an important network of contacts and associates in the audio visual field while in school and during your apprenticeship or internship. Use your network to find leads, and focus on clients needing consultation in the specific areas in which you specialize.