Essential Reading

[mumbles]

Habing just finished reading 'Stage Lighting' by Frederick Bentham, I would say that I found it useful if you're working purely with conventionals. Beyond that, and with regards to control it is a bit outdated, and dont even think it has anything about DMX, but for the fundamentals, it seems to be a good book to read.

 

Also, I liked concert sound and lighting systems by john vasey when I read it a while back, as it gives an oversight of everything, from lights to rigging, but was still in depth enough to teach me soemthing, especially on the sound side though.

 

EDIT: heres the link to the john vasey bookhttp://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0240803647.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

[gareth]

How ironic that you should asccuse Fred's book of being "a bit outdated with regards to control systems"! In his day, Fred was truly ahead of his time when it came to lighting control development - click here.

 

For anyone interested in the history of theatre lighting, Fred's autobiographical book is an excellent read - http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/1904031072.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg.

Also, a similar book by Michael Northen - http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/1840240385.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg.

[mumbles]

Well, as I have the second edition printed in 1962, the control chapter a bit irrelavent nowadays (unless someone who reads this is still using rheostat dimmers, with the windy handles :P ), but the rest of the book is a useful thing to read if you can get hold of a copy of it.

[Ynot]

Habing just finished reading 'Stage Lighting' by Frederick Bentham, I would say that I found it useful if you're working purely with conventionals. Beyond that, and with regards to control it is a bit outdated, and dont even think it has anything about DMX, but for the fundamentals

To be perfectly honest, the ART of lighting design, especially for a relative beginner, has nothing really to do with intelligent fixtures and DMX knowledge. Whilst both are most certainly the tools available in these modern times, what I believe many so-called modern LD's lack is the basic ART - that is how the piece should LOOK at any given point in time. And that is what the classic bibles such as Reid & Pilbrow set out to teach. I've seen some dire pro productions as well as countless am-drams where there has obviously been little thought to the basic tenets of lighting design that I've cringed. Sometimes outwardly as well!! :P

 

Reid's book was the first I got my hands on back in the seventies, and yes it's out-dated in terms of the lantern stock and control equipment, but the principles behind the basic kit is exactly the same now as it was then. those same principles even exist in moving lights - the difference lies only in the fact that you can change the properties of the lanterns without having to be AT the lantern. When you appreciate that, even ML's become simplistic!

[mumbles]

To be perfectly honest, the ART of lighting design, especially for a relative beginner, has nothing really to do with intelligent fixtures and DMX knowledge

Yes, and Mr Bentham's and Mr Reid's book are good for the basic skills needed, in knowing how to light a stage, eg explaining side, front, top, back and foot lighting, and so why I said that any beginner should read one like this first. However, I only know how DMX works by reading about it. Practice is the most improtant thing to become a good LD, but a book is the best way to learn what the lights do.

 

Any book printed today will have a chapter about DMX, and by the end will be straying into intells at the very least. By saying it didn't go into DMX etc in my first post, I was suggesting that its a good book for a beginner, but not something that will go into the details of modern lights. If as a beginner you are working in a venue with patt 23s etc then it give some good ideas for someone without any experienc of how you can use the lights, and as such is an incredibly good book for a beginner to get his/her hands on.