Research Guides: Drama: Lighting Design

ABOUT Lighting Design

History of Theatrical Lighting with Jaymi Lee Smith
Professor of Lighting Design at the University of California Irvine, Jamyi Lee Smith, explores the history of theatrical lighting, tracing the development of lighting technology from the Greek and Roman eras through the era of electricity. Smith discusses the use of natural light, candles, chandeliers, and gas lighting to explicate not only the advances that lighting technology has seen, but to showcase how lighting design has been instrumental to the actor's performances, the scripting of plays, and the development of theatre.
Introduction to Lighting Design with Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz
Professor and Head of Lighting Program at the University of California Irvine, Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz, explores the fundamentals of lighting design, emphasizing the choices a successful lighting designer must navigate and the two roles that the designer must occupy as both craftsperson and artist. Alcaraz delves into different lighting technologies, showing how the computer is a tool that designers must learn to use fully to their advantage. Though technology is invaluable, Alcaraz discusses how technology is only the beginning of a lighting designer's work, diving into how multifaceted collaboration and a deep understanding of script is required.
My West End: An Insight Into Working as a Lighting Designer
Lighting Designer Prema Mehta takes us behind the scenes of Simon Dormandy’s A Passage to India at the Park Theatre in London. Mehta explores how lighting is used to create atmosphere, signal scene changes and support the overall narrative, and highlights the importance of making brave choices when using colours on stage.
On Lighting: Peter Mumford
Peter Mumford was the Lighting Designer on Richard Eyre's award-winning revival of Ibsen's Ghosts. Peter sheds light on how a Lighting Designer works in collaboration with the rest of a theatre company, describes how technological advances have changed the industry, and discusses his thoughts on establishing a career in a field that wasn't formally recognised until the 1950s.
Practitioners on Practice - On Lighting Design: An Interview with Geraint Pughe
As head of lighting and sound at Mountview Academy, Geraint is responsible for rearing a whole new generation of creatives and production teams, providing fantastic insights into the formative stage of the profession. Geraint has created designs for over 100 shows in his 30+ year career and is able to lyrically fuse the creative and the technical as he speaks about rain and snow and fire and the reality of working as a technician in theatre
Practitioners on Practice - On Lighting Design: An Interview with Natasha Chivers
Chivers discusses having designed lighting for site-specific venues from warehouses to wastelands, explains her desire to demystify technology, and explores the differences between lighting for theatre and for dance. She explains the role of light beyond basic illumination, from simply making things look good to actively manipulating an audience and the real-life artistic embodiment of rose-tinted glasses. Natasha specifically discusses her work on Terence Rattigan’s Deep Blue Sea , George Orwell’s 1984, and Shakespeare’s Globe’s 4-hour-long reworking of the Oresteia.
Practitioners on Practice - On Lighting Programming: An Interview with Victoria Brennan
Victoria explains that she considers there to be two broad camps of programmer and how they are usually brought onto a project by a lighting designer, making it a hard role to break into as a freelancer. She discusses the importance of a sense of humour and a personable approach to what can easily become a very isolated role, and why preparation is often undervalued, underrated and neglected, but entirely essential.
Practitioners on Practice - On Projection Design: An Interview with Rod Maclachlan
Projection designer Rod MacLachlan discusses the multidisciplinarity of his craft and how his sculptor’s background has shaped the way he approaches all ‘kinetic objects’, including actors. He talks through the process of creating a pause in the rapidity of the way we see things and constructing a multi-faceted viewpoint, through which to realise the true curiosities of an object or building.

This is a selection of physical and digital books available through UCI Libraries. Use the following subject searches in the library catalog to find other similar materials:

The Art of Light on Stage: lighting in contemporary theatre by Yaron Abulafia
ISBN: 9781138913653
Publication Date: 2015-09-14
*physical & ebook*
The Art of Light on Stage is the first history of theatre lighting design to bring the story right up to date. In this extraordinary volume, award-winning designer Yaron Abulafia explores the poetics of light, charting the evolution of lighting design against the background of contemporary performance. The book looks at the material and the conceptual; the technological and the transcendental. Never before has theatre design been so vividly and excitingly illuminated.
Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was: the lighting & stage design of Andi Watson by Thom Yorke (Introduction by)
ISBN: 9780811874588
Publication Date: 2011-03-16
*physical book*
Lighting and stage designer Andi Watson has masterminded the visual experience of Radiohead's concerts for over a decade, uniting the band's music with installations that reference everything from Cocteau to Dan Flavin to The Matrix. This book brings together Watson's extraordinary designs, highlighting his work with Radiohead as well as others
Contemporary Dance Lighting: The Poetry and the Nitty-Gritty by Carol M. Press; Vickie J. Scott
Call Number: *Physical book*
ISBN: 9781032130491
Publication Date: 2022-08-01
Contemporary Dance Lighting: The Poetry and the Nitty-Gritty dynamically guides students toward aesthetically, creatively, and skillfully becoming lighting designers for dance in the 21st century. The book is organized in three parts, covering everything from the aesthetic considerations of lighting for dance to the tools and technology designers use to create compelling artistry.
Contemporary Performance Lighting: experience, creativity and meaning by Katherine Graham (Editor); Scott Palmer (Editor, Series edited by); Kelli Zezulka (Editor); Joslin McKinney (Series edited by); Stephen A. Di Benedetto (Series edited by)
Call Number: *Physical book*
ISBN: 9781350195158
Publication Date: 2023-02-23
This is the first major collection of critical responses to performance lighting and includes contributions from award-winning lighting designers, researchers and artists. Showcasing recent examples of work - with case studies of lighting practices in Britain, Europe, the US and China - combined with theoretical and analytical approaches to practice, this will enrich your understanding of the role and potential of light in performance and related creative practices.
Dance and Light: The Partnership Between Choreography and Lighting Design by Kevin Dreyer
ISBN: 9780429290695
Publication Date: 2019-08-28
*ebook*
Dance and Light examines the interconnected relationship between movement and design, the fluid partnership that exists between the two disciplines, and the approaches that designers can take to enhance dance performances through lighting design. The book demystifies lighting for the dancer and helps designers understand how the dancer/choreographer thinks about their art form, providing insight into the choreographer's process and exploring how designers can make the most of their resources. The author shares anecdotes and ideas from an almost 50-year career as a lighting designer, along with practical examples and insights from colleagues, and stresses the importance of clear communication between designers, choreographers, and dancers. Attention is also given to the choreographer who wants to learn what light can do to help enhance their work on stage. Written in short, stand-alone chapters that allow readers to quickly navigate to areas of interest, Dance and Light is a valuable resource for lighting design classes wishing to add a section on dance lighting, as well as for choreography classes who want to better equip young artists for a significant collaborative partnership.
Light Fantastic: the art and design of stage lighting by Max Keller
ISBN: 9783791343716
Publication Date: 2010-04-20
*physical book*
Max Keller is a magician with artificial light. His work has transformed theater productions across Europe and America, from Berlin and Salzburg to the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and his stunning effects with color and space continually set new standards. Principally designed for lighting specialists, this richly illustrated volume documents the fascinating use of stage lighting in such a comprehensive and lucid style that it is of equal interest to all theater buffs.
The pictorial language used by a lighting designer is as differentiated as that of a painter. Its success depends not only on the appropriate use of the technical possibilities available, but also on the artistic qualities of such specialists as Max Keller. In Light Fantastic, the author divulges his extensive knowledge and experience, explaining natural light phenomena, the history of light in the theater, and Goethe's and Runge's research on the theory of color as well as technical details, from the fundamentals of optics and projection to the different kinds of lamps, lights, and spots and other lighting equipment. More than 500 plates, technical images, drawings, and stage photos highlight the stunning effects achieved in various spectacular productions, ranging from opera and ballet to rock concerts.
Performance Lighting Design: how to light for the stage, concerts and live events by Nick Moran
ISBN: 9781350017085
Publication Date: 2018-09-06
*physical book*

A practical guide to the art and technique of lighting for the stage, this book explains the complex mixture of craft, collaboration and creativity behind successful lighting design. The designer paints with light - revealing form and composing a living picture from collections of objects and bodies in a given space. This handbook for professional practice walks you through how to achieve this, from first concept to development of design ideas, planning to realisation and, finally, public performance. Now fully revised, this second edition of Nick Moran's Performance Lighting Design has been brought up to date to consider advances made in the technology used for lighting design for live performance. Alongside this, Moran introduces new concepts and ways of working; includes a section on analysing the finished design; and discusses recent research into contemporary lighting practice, addressing emerging trends, particularly for drama.
The Projection Designer's Toolkit by Jeromy Hopgood
Call Number: *ebook*
ISBN: 0367824116
Publication Date: 2021-12-22
The Projection Designer's Toolkit is an insider's guide to the world of professional projection design, serving as a reference for the planning and execution of each step in the projection design process. The text addresses the design process within the context of a professional projection designer's workflow, focusing on specific tools of the trade, best practices for communicating your design to collaborators, tips and tricks, determining budget, working with assistants, and more. Featuring interviews with some of the top names in the industry, the book offers an unprecedented insight into the professional projection designer's process across a wide range of fields, from Broadway and regional theatre to corporate design and music touring.
Projection Design for Theatre and Live Performance by Alison C. Dobbins
Call Number: *ebook*
ISBN: 9781003137207
Publication Date: 2021-10-06
Projection Design for Theatre and Live Performance explores the design and creation process of projections from a non-technical perspective, examining the principles of media for the stage in a manner that is accessible for both beginning designers and advanced designers dabbling in projections for the first time. This introductory text covers concepts and tools for designing, techniques to help readers tap into their creativity, and the core skills required of this field: problem solving, project management, and effective communication. Focusing exclusively on design and creativity, this book encourages individuals to leap into the creative design process before facing any perceived hurdles of learning everything technical about media delivery systems, cueing systems, projectors, cables, computer graphics, animation, and video production.
The Right Light: interviews with contemporary lighting designers by Nick Moran
ISBN: 9781137334787
Publication Date: 2016-10-07
*physical book*
Based on a series of interviews with some of the UK's leading theatre lighting designers, this book provides an insight into the creative process of lighting the stage. How do lighting designers decide what is the 'right light' for each moment of a production? What informs their choices? How do these decisions differ from opera to dance to drama?
The Speed of Light by Linda Essig
ISBN: 0325005087
Publication Date: 2002-10-01
*physical book*
Over the last twenty-five years, lighting design has undergone a series of radical changes. With the advent of computerized lighting control, automated lights, and a standard control protocol, lighting designers have acquired a set of tremendously powerful tools that allow effects never previously possible. Linda Essig has interviewed twenty luminaries of lighting design and engineering about these changes and how they have affected the art, science, and business of contemporary theatre. While discussing technical issues, these professionals let us in on the real nuts and bolts of their work: the problems of running an entire production from the back-up system, the politics behind the creation of standards, the extent to which gizmoization does or does not infringe on lighting as an art form.
Theatre Lighting Design : Conversations on the Art, Craft and Life by Emma Chapman and Rob Halliday
Call Number: *ebook*
ISBN: 9781350295964
Publication Date: 2024
This book provides an insight into the life of a professional lighting designer, through interviews with lighting designers at different stages of their careers plus a group interview with the designer and lighting team of the hit musical Billy Elliot. The designers featured are Neil Austin, Natasha Chivers, Jon Clark, Paule Constable, Rick Fisher, Richard Howell, Howard Hudson, Jessica Hung Han Yun, Mark Jonathan, Amy Mae, Ben Ormerod, Bruno Poet, Jackie Shemesh and Johanna Town.
Theory for Theatre Studies: Light by Dean Wilcox
Call Number: *ebook*
ISBN: 9781350374805
Publication Date: 2024
What properties of light can be manipulated for aesthetic effect? What role does the perception of the audience play in how stage information is received and processed? How do changes in technology affect methods or approaches to design and practice? This book is designed to introduce key ideas about light and to generate questions and perspectives that will encourage readers to explore light in the theatre more fully in their own critical and creative practices.
Towards Good Lighting for the Stage: aesthetic theory for theatrical lighting design by Marcus Doshi
Call Number: *ebook* and *Physical book*
ISBN: 9781032073323
Publication Date: 2022-12-27
Towards Good Lighting for the Stage: Aesthetic Theory for Theatrical Lighting Design explores the theoretical underpinnings of effective lighting design from conceptualization to live performance.
What is lighting design? : a genealogy of people and ideas. by Michael Chybowski
Call Number: *ebook*
ISBN: 9781003834793
Publication Date: 2024
Lighting design began in the West with the Renaissance, and each historical period since then has modified how and why light is used in performance, the methods for producing light, and the consensus around what its purpose is. Exploring each lighting design era and the basic components of lighting design, the book discusses how the central ideas of this craft developed over the past 500 years, what today's lighting designers are concerned with, and how lighting design contributes to performances.
Yesterday's lights : a revolution reported by Francis Reid
ISBN: 1904031323
*physical book*
Set to help new generations to be aware of where the art and science of theatre lighting is coming from – and stimulate a nostalgia trip for those who lived through the period Francis Reid covers the ‘revolution’ from the fifties through to the present day. Although this is a highly personal account of the development of lighting design and technology and he admits that there are ‘gaps’, you’d be hard put to find anything of significance missing.

Performing Arts Periodicals This link opens in a new window
A good place to go to find both scholarly journals and trade magazines in the world of theater. It indexes and has full text for periodicals like:

Art and Architecture Source This link opens in a new window
An excellent starting point for all visual arts research! This database covers all periods and media (historical and contemporary, decorative and commercial art, various areas of architecture and architectural design). It includes scholarship starting from the 1930s to the present, is international in scope.
IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new window
IEEE Xplore provides web access to full-text documents from some of the world's most highly cited publications in electrical engineering, computer science and electronics.

Inspiration

Lighting Design in Action & Archives

The Lighting Archive is a digital repository of original lighting design documents, such as plots, focus charts, and cue sheets. It includes things like the light plot for David Hersey's 1985 Barbican Theatre design for Les Mis. It includes archives from the genres of dance, opera, and theatre.

Theatrical Lighting Database is a co-sponsored resource by New York Public Library and The Lighting Archive. This is a fairly small resource, but it includes many of the lighting documents (plots, magic sheets, spot cues, etc.) alongside streaming interviews with the lighting designers themselves.

Effective Lighting - a playlist of archival recordings from Jacob's Pillow Dance concerts that draws upon performances in which lighting played a major role. Includes designs by Jennifer Tipton, Beverly Emmons, Tom Skelton, Mark Stanley, and others.

Images

Artstor * is a digital library with over one million images. Images are keyword searchable or can be browsed by geographic area, classification (e.g., decorative object, painting, fashion, etc.), and date. Majority of images tend to come from museum collections.

Digital Public Library of America - Cross searches many of the publicly available materials that have been digitized by libraries in the United States. You might be amazed by the some of the small town finds you find here... Definitely a great resource for finding historical photography from many different locations.

Smithsonian Art Collections lets you search millions of images of materials from the vast Smithsonian collections. Make sure you check out the many different limiters on the left side of the screen that let you narrow your search down more easily.

Color and Light

An introduction to color by Ralph M. Evans
*physical book*
Color and light -- The physical nature of light -- Light sources -- Illumination -- Colored objects -- The physics of everyday color -- Color vision -- The visual variables of color -- Perception and illusion -- Brightness perception -- Color perception -- The measurement of color -- The specification of color -- Color differences and color names -- Mixtures of colored lights -- Effects of illuminants -- Transparent colorant mixtures -- Paints and pigments -- Color in photography -- Color by art -- Design and abstraction
Good, Bad, and Magic Light (Color & Light)
*streaming video*
Join Michael Melford, a landscape photographer and expert in natural light, for a discussion on lighting fundamentals. Take a deep dive into the four kinds of light he specifically looks for"”diffuse light, side light, back light, and "magic" light"”in addition to the types of filters he uses to control the available light.
Light and Color in Nature and Art by Samuel J. Williamson; Herman Z. Cummins
ISBN: 0471083747
Publication Date: 1983-03-08
*physical book*
An introduction to the science of light and color and its applications to photography, art, natural phenomena, and other related areas. Explains the origin of phenomena commonly encountered in nature and art, emphasizing the physical aspects but also touching on aspects of physiology and psychology that directly influence how visual images are perceived. Covers the effect of mixing color, the notion of color spaces, how atoms and molecules affect light, how light can be measured, the effect of using a lens, and many other topics.
Light and lighting in people and portrait photography by Friedrun Reinhold
ISBN: 9783826691812
*ebook*
Light and lighting are essential for a well taken photograph. This may sound simple, but it’s what the true art of photography is all about. A photographer’s skill in handling the light and getting stunning results is especially important when it comes to people and portrait photography. Portrait photographer Friedrun Reinhold helps you to find the perfect lighting for your motif. From the basics of light to various aspects of flash and continuous light, this book provides an excellent overview of everything you need to know.
The Science of Color by Steven K. Shevell (Editor)
ISBN: 9780080523224
Publication Date: 2003-07-11
*ebook*
Focusing on the principles and observations that are foundations of modern color science and written for a general scientific audience, this book broadly covers essential topics in the interdisciplinary field of colour, drawing from physics, physiology and psychology. The book begins by tracing scientific thinking about colour since the 17th century. This historical perspective provides an introduction to the fundamental questions in color science, by following advances as well as misconceptions over more than 300 years.