Introduction
1) The Lighting Design Process
- The Process
- Art Reference, Inspiration & Communicating Ideas
- Lighting Design Paperwork
- Lighting Words & Phrases
2) The Lighting Rig / System
- The Lighting System – Patching and Connecting
- Dimmers, Watts and Fuses
- Fault-Finding
- Stage Rigging Positions
- Types of Lantern
- Using LEDs
- Electrical Practicals
- Tidy Rigging – Cable Coiling & Taping
3) Focussing Lighting
4) Colour
5) Texture & Effects
6) Plotting Lighting & Control
- LX Cues – for Theatre and Music Events
- Software Lighting Control
- Visualisation
- Controlling Lighting With Timecode
7) Running the Show
Campaigns
- Save Stage Lighting (2018)
History / Evolution
LSI: Heritage Pathways - Production Lighting (April 2024)
[External Website]
From Lighting & Sound International
Lighting People
Further Information:
- Lighting Practitioners
- Glossary of Technical Theatre Terms: Lighting (Beginners)
- Glossary of Technical Theatre Terms: Lighting (Advanced)
- Glossary of Technical Theatre Terms: Lighting (All)
- Lighting for TV and Film
- Theatrical Consumables
- The Lighting Team
- The Lighting: Bertholt Brecht
Bookshelf – Additional Interest
Stage Lighting for Schools, Colleges and Technical Institutes (February 1939)
[Archive Viewer]
From Roger Fox Collection
On Inertia - A History of Tracking vs Presetting in Lighting Controls (February 2021)
[1.17Mb PDF]
From David Bertenshaw Collection
Amazon Shop
2020
Productivity Through Wellness for Live Entertainment and Theatre Technicians
Buy at
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Productivity Through Wellness for Live Entertainment and Theatre Technicians
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2018
Performance Lighting Design: How to Light for the Stage, Concerts, and Live Events
Buy at
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Performance Lighting Design: How to Light for the Stage, Concerts, and Live Events
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2014
Entertainment Rigging for the 21st Century: Compilation of Work on Rigging Practices, Safety, and Related Topics
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Entertainment Rigging for the 21st Century: Compilation of Work on Rigging Practices, Safety, and Related Topics
Buy at
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Access Equipment |
| Aluminium Access Products Tallescope manufacturers [UK] |
| Genie Lifts and Access Equipment [Worldwide] |
| Slingsby Access ladders [UK] |
| Zarges Access ladders & towers [Germany & UK] |
Control Systems |
| RC4 Wireless DMX |
| RDM Protocol About the Remote Device Management enhancements to DMX512 |
Designers |
| Andrew Gardner |
| Ben M Rogers [London, UK] |
| David Hersey |
| David Howe |
| Durham Marenghi |
| Graham Walne [UK] |
| Luc Lafortune |
| Marcin Michna [Poland] |
| Natasha Katz |
| Patrick Woodroffe |
| Paul Pyant |
| Paule Constable |
| Richard Pilbrow Theatre Projects |
| Sean Hennessy [NY, USA] |
| Teegan Lee [Australia] |
| Tim Routledge [UK] |
Discussion Forums |
| in 1: the podcast The Lives of Theatrical Designers |
| Podcast: Casting Light |
| Podcast: Light Talk |
| Podcast: Light Talk with the Lumen Brothers |
| Podcast: Lighting Nerds |
| Podcast: Production Meetings Essential listening |
| Podcast: The Light Side Luke Stratton |
| Podcast: Theatrewolf History and Innovation in a wide range of technical theatre areas |
| The Blue Room Technical Discussion Forum [UK] |
Effects |
| Ellumiglow EL Wire Electro-Luminescent Wire [Oregon, USA] |
Equipment |
| 101 Uses for Gaffa Tape (Photo gallery) |
| 101 Uses for Gaffer Tape (List) |
| Ironclad Performance Work Gloves [Los Angeles, CA, USA] |
| Lighting Stencil from Stage Electrics [UK] |
| Pockit Utility holsters & accessories for your tools [USA] |
| Setwear Gloves, belts, bags [CA, USA] |
Events |
| LDI Show (Lighting Dimensions International) [Las Vegas, USA] |
Health & Safety |
| ESTA Fog / Smoke [USA] |
| Health & Safety Executive [UK] |
| Online Sign Free Printable Safety Sign Maker |
| RU Safe? information and guidance about safety in small venues [UK] |
| The Yellow Book - ABTT Technical Standards for Places of Entertainment Safety standards and guidelines for venues. [UK] |
| Theatre Safety Blog |
History |
| Ancient Lights Vintage Lighting Equipment Hire [UK] |
| National Theatre panel of Lighting Designers discuss their craft [London, UK] |
| The Backstage Heritage Collection [UK] |
| The Lighting Archive invaluable archive of paperwork from designers such as Ken Billington and Jean Rosenthal |
| The Magic Lantern Society [UK] |
| The Strand Archive Information about equipment produced by Strand Lighting / Rank Strand / Strand Electric |
| Theatre Lighting Archive Video interviews from long-serving members of the lighting community in South Africa [South Africa] |
| Theatrical Lighting Database From the New York Public Library [NY, USA] |
Installation |
| Cable Organizer Cable Raceways [USA] |
| MTX Engineering Metalwork and Accessories [UK] |
Jobs |
| Gallowglass Event Crews in UK & Mainland Europe [UK & Europe] |
| Parents & Carers In Performing Arts [UK] |
| Mandy.com (formerly StageJobsPro) Theatre and Stage Jobs for UK Professionals [UK] |
Manufacturers |
| ADB Lighting Control and luminaires [Belgium] |
| Altman Lighting Inc. Luminaires [USA] |
| Artistic Licence LED fixtures & control [Middlesex, UK] |
| CCT Lighting Luminaires [UK ] |
| Clear-Com Headsets [USA] |
| Eartec Wireless Headsets [USA] |
| Glasson Electronics LED Festoon & Lamp Control |
| High End Systems Moving Lights [Texas, USA] |
| James Hutton Lighting F650 Fresnels, PC650 PCs and P650 Profiles [Birmingham, UK] |
| LEDJ LED products |
| Lee Filters Colour List |
| Luminex (IT Networks for AV) [Belgium] |
| MA Lighting grandMA range of lighting desks [Germany] |
| Robert Juliat Luminaires, Dimmers, Followspots [France] |
| Rosco Filters |
| Selecon (part of the Philips Group) Luminaires, Lighting Control [Worldwide] |
| Strand Lighting (part of the Philips Group) Luminaires, Lighting Control [UK/USA] |
| Strong Entertainment Lighting Followspots [USA] |
| Vari*Lite Moving Lights [Texas, USA] |
| Zero 88 DImming and lighting control [Wales, UK] |
Moving Lights |
| About the Moving Light Programmer blog entry from Ross Williams |
| RSC Lightlock Rigging automated lighting on easily movable or flown structures [UK] |
Practitioners |
| Josef Svoboda |
| Linford Hudson, Followspot Operator |
Products |
| Vari*Lite VLX Wash Light LED wash light [USA] |
Resources |
| Allan Chapman & James Insurance Public Liability Insurance etc. [UK] |
| An Introduction to Stage Lighting |
| Animated Knots [USA] |
| Crew Cover Insurance Public Liability Insurance etc. [UK] |
| Doodsons Entertainment Public Liability Insurance etc. [UK] |
| https://scenicandlighting.com/colorlab/ |
| La Playa UK Public Liability Insurance etc. [UK / USA] |
| Light Lab - Mulvaney Studios |
| Load-In International Live Touring Industry magazine [UK] |
| Matt Kizer Online Gobo Lab |
| Matt Kizer Online Light Lab Dance Lighting |
| Matt Kizer Virtual Swatchbook (Rosco) |
| Multipoint Suspension - not as easy as it seems Essential reading! |
| Theatre Digs Booker Touring Accommodation Finder [UK] |
| Wrightsure Insurance Public Liability Insurance [UK] |
Research |
| Colour Temperature |
| StageWork Resources about the backstage work of the National Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and Birmingham Rep [UK] |
Shows |
| Aida on Broadway - Natasha Katz goes Egyptian |
| The House of Dancing Water interview with Luc Lafortune |
Smoke |
| Antari |
| Look Solutions [Germany, Europe] |
| LSG Low Smoke Generator from Le Maitre Carbon Dioxide input required |
| LSX Low Smoke Converter from Le Maitre |
| Martin (Jem) |
| Rosco |
| Smoke Factory [Germany, Europe] |
| Theatre FX [USA] |
Software |
| Alien Stagecraft Tablet EOS Remote |
| AutoCAD Viewer |
| Autodesk AutoCAD |
| Autodesk Fusion 360 CAD Free for students & startups |
| Baxel Data - Cue Player Software for Windows |
| Bluebeam Markup, annotate and share drawings [USA] |
| CAD 4 Theatre CAD training [UK] |
| Capture Lighting Visualisation Software [Sweden] |
| Drafty App for lighting, sound & video designers [USA] |
| Entec USB DMX interface DMX output from computer |
| FollowSpot Manager |
| GarageCube LED and Video Mapping [Switzerland] |
| LD Assistant Lighting design & event planning |
| LD Calculator |
| Lightconverse Visualisation [UK] |
| Lightwright |
| Luxart Conception (Microlux software) |
| LX Free Free download for Mac from the maker of Maclux Pro |
| LX Series Range of LX software for Mac from the maker of Maclux Pro |
| Maclux Pro Mac LX design software |
| Mitti Video Cue Playback |
| Modelbox CAD drawings of UK venues [London, UK] |
| Modelbox Lighting Symbols Free download |
| Moving Light Assistant Paperwork |
| Omnifocus To Do List management |
| QLC+ (Q Light Controller+) Cross-platform lighting control |
| ShoFlo Collaborative Show Calling Software [USA] |
| SketchUp 3D modelling and design |
| StageHand Gel Reference |
| TimeLord - Media Timecode Player Optimised for use with grandMA2 |
| TurboCAD range 2D and 3D CAD |
| Vectorworks |
| Vibrio Lighting Control for iPad |
| Virtual Magic Sheet - West Side Systems [USA] |
| Vivien - Cast Lighting Event Design & Planning Software |
| WYSIWYG Lighting visualisation |
| Zacview Visualisation for theatres [Germany] |
| Projection Mapping >> HeavyM Easy Projection Mapping software [France] |
| Projection Mapping >> MadMapper Video & Light Mapping Software |
Suppliers |
| AED Group |
| Audio Light Systems [Edinburgh, Scotland, UK] |
| Barbizon Sales |
| DS Lighting Sales [France] |
| Flints Theatrical Chandlers Tools and Supplies [London, UK] |
| Full Compass Supplier [UK ] |
| Gear Source Europe Secondhand / Used Equipment [Kent, UK] |
| Lite-Trol Service Co Ltd. Service, Repair & Modifications to lighting [NY, USA] |
| OPTI Kinetics Truss |
| Planet DJ Lighting, Sound & DJ Equipment [NV, USA] |
| Pro Sound & Stage Lighting Sales [CA, USA] |
| SLX Lighting, Sound, Scenic Hire and Events [UK] |
| Stage Electrics Lighting & Sound Equipment Sales [UK] |
| TMB Electrical. lighting and rigging equipment |
| Total Solutions Group Trussing & Rigging [Birmingham, UK] |
| Ultralight Spares for Strand Lighting equipment [UK] |
| Effects >> Wildfire FX Ultraviolet effects [Los Angleles, CA, USA] |
| LED >> Brother, Brother & Sons LED lighting [Denmark] |
| Gobos >> Apollo Design Technology Gels, gobos, scrollers [USA] |
| Gobos >> Goboland Gobos [International] |
| Gobos >> Goboplus Gobos [UK] |
| Gobos >> Projected Image Gobos & Projection [UK] |
| Colour Media >> GAM Great American Market [USA] |
| Colour Media >> Gray Glass Devon Theatrical Lighting Filters [USA] |
| Colour Media >> Lee Filters [USA] |
| Colour Media >> Rosco Laboratories Rosco Supergel, Cinegel [USA] |
Unions / Associations |
| AAPTLE Alliance of Associations & Professionals in Theatre and Live Events [UK] |
| ABTT (Association of British Theatre Technicians) Training, Advice, Membership [London, UK] |
| Actors Equity [American actors and stage managers] [USA] |
| ALIA Australasian Lighting Industry Association [Australasia] |
| ALPD / A.L.P.D. - Association of Lighting Production and Design UK Association for students and professionals [London, UK] |
| BECTU Broadcasting, Entertainment & Cinematograph Trade Union (UK) [London, UK] |
| IATSE International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees [USA] |
| PAM (Portail des Arts de la Marionette) [France] |
| PLASA UK Professional Lighting & Sound Association [UK] |
| Skillset [London, UK] |
| USITT United States Institute for Theatre Technology [USA] |
Video Resources |
| Backstage at the Royal Opera House - The Opera Machine Full access to 21 cameras backstage for Act III of the Ring Cycle |