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Good Lighting Books?


Mexi

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Are there any in particular people recommend? Its coming up to my birthday and parents want to know what to buy.

 

Ive got the old francis reid book, keep reading it. But I do feel it would be nice to read something a bit newer, and I really do need as much help as is possible.

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They're not new or by looking at my copy of the LX one *that* up to date, but the Phaidon Theatre Manuals are good back-to-basics reads. They do them in LX/Sound, Stage Management, Set Contruction, Costume and one other that escapes me right now. Look for lurid coloured covers :(

 

Jake

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These two by Neil Fraser are both good:

 

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/1861268572.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/071482514X.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

 

and it's always worth reading Pilbrow for some good yarns, but IMHO it's very expensive and more of a coffee table book that a teaching manual.

 

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0896762351.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

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There is a big thread on the BR somewhere....

If it's mostly involving moving lights and automated systems then I'd recommend:

 

'Automated Lighting: The Art and Science of Moving Light in Theatre, Live Performance, Broadcast and Entertainment' - Richard Cadena (2006)

 

Yup, that's the title!

Such a great book.

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Performance Lighting Design: How to Light for the Stage, Concerts, Exhibitions, and Live Events by Nick Moran. (ISBN: 9780713677577)

 

The author is the son of a friend but the recommendation is unbiased, honest.

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There are no good books on "lighting", if by that you mean lighting design.

 

There are some reasonable manuals on the current practice and usage of lighting equipment and systems in the entertainment/performance world. Most of those have been listed below.

 

Ric Knowles has written on this very issue in Canadian Theatre Review 107; my bloody PhD will be about it at some point - only about 50 000 words to go now.

 

If it were me, I'd get a copy of Wittgenstein's "Remarks on Colour" and think about them for a bit...

 

KC

 

Obviously, "below" in this instance means "above"..........dohhhhhhhh

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There are no good books on "lighting", if by that you mean lighting design.

For me 'Light Fantastic' by Max Keller is such a book. In contrast to most other books its not focussing all the way onto the equipment but is guidng the reader from color theories over into lighting desing. It's of course no manual for designing and pretty theatre and opera focussed, but if you get what Max Keller is writing than you cann easily adopt those learnings to all other fashions of lighting design. At least it inspired me not just for musicals and stage plays but also for permanent architectural installations and corporate events.

 

EDIT: The link displays shows the second edition which got some major updates compared to the first version.

 

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/3791336851.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg <---- Amazon UK link.

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Richard Pilbrow's Stage Lighting Design is considered the 'bible' by may lighting designers.

 

I would also recommend Neil Frasier's Stage lighting design: a pratical guide, as others have also done.

 

Nick Moran's Perfromance lighting design got a fantastic review in the latest ALD Focus magazine (a 'tour de force' and a 'mighty work' etc.) and I would very highly recommend it. For me, it has to be the most useful lighting book I have read to date. Although I would like to feel this is unbiased, Nick Moran does happen to be my tutor....

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