History Main / TechnicianVersusPerformer

* In ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'', Mike is the Technician to Sulley's Performer. Mike is incredibly knowledgeable about scare tactics but doesn't have the appearance to be a good scarer. Sulley's natural abilities impress the teachers and others at first but he barely studies and lacks the technical aspects of scaring children. This ends up as a deconstruction: Mike knows what to make of every situation, he knows what scares to give to each child and how to milk information out of every profile, but his lack of practical ability ultimately makes it pointless for him to even try. Sully has a good technique, but he only has that one technique, which doesn't work in every situation, and when it doesn't work, he's left totally unprepared. They can't really do anything having only a single one of these capacities. Ultimately, with Mike's help, Sully studies hard and grows to be a more versatile scarer. As for Mike, he is unable to overcome his physical inability, but his dedication to the craft allows him to become a fantastic coach. And as this work is a prequel to ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'', [[ForegoneConclusion it is known that the economic demands will change]] and eventually Mike and Sully will eventually switch places as field agent and coach.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ballerina}}'': This is the basis of the conflict between the main character and [[TheRival her rival]]. Félicie has no technical skills whatsoever, coming from an OrphanageOfFear with no training, but loves dancing to the bottom of her soul. Camille knows technical dancing inside and out, but only dances because her StageMom forced her into it. [[spoiler:Félicie wins the final competition because Camille says she deserves to -- Félicie can learn the technical skills she currently lacks, but Camille can't replicate Félicie's passion.]]

* ''Film/FreddyVsJason'' pits the titular two slasher movie villains up against each other: [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]] is the Performer, using his DreamWalker powers to create spectacles of his victims, while quipping all the while. Contrastingly, [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason Voorhees]] is the Technician, forgoing talk as he bluntly kills his own victims with whatever he has on hand, usually [[MacheteMayhem a simple machete]].

* ''Literature/StarshipTroopers: This is Johnnie's observation of two of the senior officers during basic training:

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10499318/14/Plucking-Strings Plucking Strings]]'' Naruto is the performer to Kankuro's technician in puppeteering. Naruto is self-taught and uses completely custom puppets that go against a lot of the design of Suna puppets, such as his inability to create functioning human-like legs. Kankuro uses standard issue puppets he has been taught to maintain and use for his entire life. Naruto views his puppets as partners to work with while Kankuri views his as tools.

Contrast the VillainyFreeVillain and OpposingSportsTeam. If one of the pair is actually evil, this can overlap with HammyVillainSeriousHero, where the hero is [[TheAce a disciplined expert]] and the villain is freeform and eccentric. Could also be seen as a form of SnobsVsSlobs, with fastidious technicians who pay attention to detail as the {{foil}} for performers who believe in doing what comes naturally. In a military or combative setting, this dichotomy may form the basis for OpposingCombatPhilosophies, along with SoldierVsWarrior.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'':
** While both Ruby and Weiss have received combat training, Ruby is a child prodigy who fights impulsively and on instinct, she's therefore brash, immature and used to fighting alone. Weiss is highly trained, with a formal, academic approach to fighting; she values proper form, organization and planning in general and fights with precision and calculation. Weiss demands a leader she can respect and Ruby is forced to learn how to be a mature, responsible leader who develops proper battle strategies and methods of communication for her team. Weiss, meanwhile, has to learn how to be a good support fighter, who provides most of the skills that Ruby needs to execute her plans, and who learns to complement Ruby's weaknesses with her strengths.
** Discussed between Weiss and Winter with regards to how they use their Semblance. Although Weiss initially focused on proper form, once she settles into Team RWBY, she starts prioritizing inventiveness and creativity. Using her glyphs and summoning ability constantly for a range of effects, she will augment Dust assaults and enhance movement, often combining them with ballet moves to pirouette or look like she's ice skating instead of running. Winter, in contrast to Weiss's Huntress-style flair and flexibility, is a military officer who always functions according to strict discipline and self-control; she isn't a flashy fighter and uses her Semblance sparingly, sticking to simple, pragmatic acts, such as augmenting a physical strike or summoning only when she has to. In Volume 7, Winter comments that Weiss's technique is still "maddeningly sloppy" but accepts that she has learned how to make that work for her. Weiss accepts it as a compliment.

RedOniBlueOni rivalries where the two are rivals in the same field often feature this with the blue oni as the Technician and the red as the Performer. Since blue types are often [[LonersAreFreaks loners or social misfits]] who put a lot of importance on their one extraordinary ability, having their red counterpart outperform them (even if only in the mind of the audience) [[RivalTurnedEvil can lead to some nasty results]] or [[FreakOut a breakdown]].
Alternatively, Alice and Betty can form an OddFriendship, each of them gaining something from the association: Betty will learn to loosen up and rediscover the joy of her art, and Alice will learn how to do that one move. (There's also a good chance she will be Betty's OnlyFriend.) Can overlap with HammyVillainSeriousHero where the hero is a serious [[TheAce ace]] and the villain the eccentric.

Contrast the VillainyFreeVillain and OpposingSportsTeam. Could also be seen as a form of SnobsVsSlobs, with fastidious technicians who pay attention to detail as the {{foil}} for performers who believe in doing what comes naturally. In a military or combative setting, this dichotomy may form the basis for OpposingCombatPhilosophies, along with SoldierVsWarrior.

Alternatively, Alice and Betty can form an OddFriendship, each of them gaining something from the association: Betty will learn to loosen up and rediscover the joy of her art, and Alice will learn how to do that one move. (There's also a good chance she will be Betty's OnlyFriend.)

Alternatively, Alice and Betty can form an OddFriendship, each of them gaining something from the association: Betty will learn to loosen up and rediscover the joy of her art, and Alice will try and emulate Betty's dedication and practice.

Obviously, Alice's "originality" will vary depending on the art. She might be an imaginative writer who can't spell, or a painter of simplistic, cheerful paintings in an art school full of students obsessed with complexity. She may be the ice skater who zooms around the ice happily, but can't quite pull off that tricky spin, or a musician that finds sheet music boring and likes to jazz it up with their own variations (with varying degrees of success). Whatever the scenario, the individuality that makes her "imperfect" is the same individuality that endears her to anyone watching.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'', Captain Li Shang takes command of the new recruits immediately after finishing his own education. He knows exactly how it should be done, but his instructions don't really 'take' without a dose of inspiration from Mulan. In combat, he tries to stay with the tried-and-true while Mulan improvises; when he sees the effectiveness of her way, he balks at first but eventually adapts.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'': The rat Remy ([[PeoplePuppet via Linguini]]) is the Performer to Colette's Technician. Remy's [[TheNoseKnows heightened senses]] allow him to experiment with mixing flavors and improvise his dishes. Colette, on the other hand, insists on sticking to Chef Gusteau's tried-and-true recipes. Over the course of the movie they start to learn from each other: Remy taking Colette's advice on how to work in a professional kitchen while she learns to trust his instincts and experiment with flavor. By the end, they've become a highly successful team that knows how to play off each other's skill sets.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'': The rat Remy (via {{People Puppet}}ing Linguini) is the Performer to Colette's Technician. Remy's [[TheNoseKnows heightened senses]] allow him to experiment with mixing flavors and improvise his dishes. Colette, on the other hand, insists on sticking to Chef Gusteau's tried-and-true recipes. Over the course of the movie they start to learn from each other: Remy taking Colette's advice on how to work in a professional kitchen while she learns to trust his instincts and experiment with flavor. By the end, they've become a highly successful team that knows how to play off each other's skill sets.

Obviously, the form that Alice's "originality" manifests itself in will depend on the art/sport she's involved in. She might be an imaginative writer who can't spell, or a painter of simplistic, cheerful paintings in an art school full of students obsessed with complexity. She may be the ice skater who zooms around the ice happily, but can't quite pull off that tricky spin, or a musician that finds sheet music boring and likes to jazz it up with their own variations (with varying degrees of success). Whatever the scenario, the individuality that makes her "imperfect" is the same individuality that endears her to anyone watching.

Generally the narrative will follow Alice (who sometimes has TheGift, but not always) rather than the diligent technician. When Betty is the protagonist, her story will emphasize that driving herself to be as good as she can be [[ToBeAMaster is a worthwhile goal]], or [[ItsTheJourneyThatCounts that she can strike a balance between enjoying where she is now and working to be even better]].

At its best, this trope sings the praises of enjoying your talents and [[BeYourself being yourself]]; at its worst, it implies that striving for perfection means [[CreativeSterility you can never depart from form]] or [[MeasuringTheMarigolds just dance for the fun of it]]. Differs slightly from (but is related to) HardWorkHardlyWorks, where the technician is objectively better, but the BrilliantButLazy performer is more fun to watch, or gets acceptable results with a fraction of the effort. In this case, HardWorkHardlyWorks adds insult to injury by giving the cheerful slacker superior ''skill'' compared to those who actually practice. In a WeakButSkilled scenario, the technician may overcome a stronger performer through better training, or the performer may best a by-the-book technician by finding creative applications of technique.

Generally, the narrative will be in favor of the enthusiastic performer (who sometimes has TheGift, but not always) rather than the diligent technician, but that's not to say that the performer is always in the right. For some, honing their skills to be as best they can be [[ToBeAMaster is rewarding enough]], or [[ItsTheJourneyThatCounts makes the effort put into doing so all the more satisfying]].

At its best, this trope sings the praises of finding pleasure in your work and [[BeYourself being yourself]]; at its worst, it implies that driving for perfection means [[CreativeSterility you can never try something new]] or [[MeasuringTheMarigolds just relax and enjoy it]]. Differs slightly from (but is related to) HardWorkHardlyWorks, where the technician is objectively better, but the BrilliantButLazy performer is more fun to watch, or gets acceptable results with a fraction of the effort. In this case, HardWorkHardlyWorks adds insult to injury by giving the cheerful slacker superior ''skill'' compared to those who actually practice. In a WeakButSkilled scenario, the technician may overcome a stronger performer through better training, or the performer may best a by-the-book technician by finding creative applications of technique.

At times, Alice and Betty may cross paths with Cassie: a character who is both technician ''and'' performer. In this case, Cassie's background may overlap with TalentedButTrained ([[TheGift innate talent]] + hard work).

Alice and Betty can also form an OddFriendship, each of them gaining something from the association: Betty will learn to loosen up and rediscover the joy of her art, and Alice will try and emulate Betty's dedication and practice.

At its best, this trope sings the praises of enjoying your talent and [[BeYourself being yourself]]; at its worst, it implies that driving for perfection leads to CreativeSterility or the [[MeasuringTheMarigolds inability to enjoy art]]. Differs slightly from (but is related to) HardWorkHardlyWorks, where the technician is objectively better, but the BrilliantButLazy performer is more fun to watch, or gets acceptable results with a fraction of the effort. In this case, HardWorkHardlyWorks adds insult to injury by giving the cheerful slacker superior ''skill'' compared to those who actually practice. In a WeakButSkilled scenario, the technician may overcome a stronger performer through better training, or the performer may best a by-the-book technician by finding creative applications of technique.

If they can reconcile, DefeatMeansFriendship will take hold, and the girls will each learn from each other: Betty will learn to loosen up and rediscover the joy of her art, and Alice will try and emulate Betty's dedication and practice.

At its best, this trope sings the praises of enjoying your talent and [[BeYourself being yourself]]; at its worst, it implies that sticking to proper technique and a drive to improve leads to CreativeSterility or [[MeasuringTheMarigolds inability to enjoy the practice]]. Differs slightly from (but is related to) HardWorkHardlyWorks, where the technician is undeniably better at what they do, but they are contrasted with a BrilliantButLazy performer who is ultimately more fun to watch, or gets acceptable results with a fraction of the effort. In this case, HardWorkHardlyWorks adds insult to injury by giving the cheerful slacker superior ''skill'' than those around them who actually practice. Also similar to WeakButSkilled; similar in that there is a better trained performer against a stronger or more talented rival, but different in that the one with the best training wins, usually through cleverness and skill.

* Almost every game in the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' franchise, with Phoenix and Edgeworth being the main examples. Edgeworth (Technician) prosecutes cases as if the defendant is stone-cold guilty, with a humorless manner reminiscent of the style of his EvilMentor [[spoiler: Manfred Von Karma]], while Phoenix (Performer) starts with utter confidence in his client's innocence and works from there. Luckily for him, he’s usually right. Since they both 'win' if they find the true guilty party, they see each other as partners -- though Edgeworth always makes Wright prove his client's innocence to the satisfaction of his own exacting standards.