Given its power to add depth and texture to the mood on a stage, it isn’t surprising that the work of this multi award-winning UK designer has been singled out on more than a few occasions by theatre critics. However, it often isn’t Zoe Spurr’s technical skills, as impressive as they are, that are the […]
True to the mission of this column, this legendary designer shared five of the lessons he’s learned about lighting along the way in his career. And oh, what a career it has been! Morse’s close collaboration with Madonna and her set designer Bruce Rogers on the Drowned World tour in 2001 resulted in a seminal […]
If you were an astronaut looking back on planet earth from your spacecraft, the mystical, glorious, and humbling image that held you in awe would be dominated by two colors: the foundational blue of the seas that cover over 70-percent of earth, and the delicate white of the clouds that drift over those waters. There […]
Don’t use more than two colors on stage at the same time. This rule is about as axiomatic as “always pack an extra pair of socks when you travel.” Virtually every lighting designer follows it. Luke Edwards routinely does too… at least most of the time! The owner of Bear Bright Studios, Edwards believes that, […]
Design may be a close cousin of art, but in the end the two reside in two very different, though not dissimilar, worlds. Where art follows its own path, firmly in control of its destiny, design serves a more functional role, bringing the concepts of others to fruition. This Parnelli-nominated Brazilian designer certainly appreciates the […]
This column marks the first in a series of dialogues in which we ask preeminent lighting designers to share five insights they have gained over years of practicing the wonderful art, science, and craft that underpins our industry. Fittingly, we are inaugurating this series with Jeff Ravitz, a universally esteemed designer and Emmy Award winner, […]
In many ways, Finnish trio Apocalyptica draws power from defying expectations. After all, classically trained celloists who perform metal music with the pugnacious ferocity of a hardcore band aren’t going to follow convention! Well… neither did their acclaimed designer Mikki Kunttu, when he created the production for their recent EU tour. Fearlessly tearing up the […]
“A thousand years of torment in three minutes!” Falling In Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke shouted that out to the sold out crowd at Rod Laver Arena on March 14 right before the metalcore monsters from Las Vegas went into a fiery rendition of their hit “Watch the World Burn.” And oh, and what a rewarding […]
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. There’s safety in numbers. Hedge your bets! There is no shortage of advice, telling us that we should avoid finding ourselves in a position where we rely on only one solution with no alternative. After all, it is common sense, right? Well…not always! Fortunately for the fans […]
This globally acclaimed production designer often views his work in terms of painting a landscape. Looking at the sweeping beautifully flowing looks that he and his team at New York-based Yellow Studio have created for many of the world’s most iconic award ceremonies, touring artists, TV networks and corporate clients, one can indeed see the […]
On February 15, 2012, Danish metal masters Volbeat scored their first No. 1 Hit in the USA with “A Warriors Call.” Impressive? Yes! But it wasn’t yet time to celebrate. To be completely honest, the group still hadn’t yet cracked the elusive “Big Time” barrier on this side of the Atlantic. All that changed, and […]
Soothing sunsets, autumn leaves, gentle fields of grain. . . amber is there in many of nature’s most embracive scenes. No wonder this color has such an uncanny ability to wrap itself around an audience, drawing them into a uniquely transcendent space. “The amber of the moment,” author Kurt Vonnegut of “Slaughter House Five” fame […]