For Zach Blane theatrical lighting is not merely an effect, but an acting role in its own right. Like any actor, he says, lighting should exude its own emotional force, as it contributes to the overriding narrative of the play. Considering himself a “Dramaturgical Storyteller” rather than a “Lighting Designer,” Blane weaves his lighting tightly […]
He has been called the “heir to Pavarotti.” Dazzling crowds with his immaculate, crystal clear voice, he is universally regarded as “one of the greatest tenors in history.” Still, even as his celebrated career has taken him from La Scala to Royal Albert Hall, Juan Diego Florez has kept his heart in Peru. So, when […]
Designing lighting displays for buildings is a tricky business. On the one hand, the illuminated structure should stand out, captivating all who see it with its dazzling colors and patterns. On the other, it is the edifice, not the illumination, which should be the star of the show. Achieving this balance requires the designer to […]
This London based designer has been involved in lighting three Olympic ceremonies, an equal number of Nobel Peace Prize Concerts, a Eurovision Song Contest and countless other major events involving massive rigs. Still, when he’s searching for inspiration, he envisions a dark stage and imagines adding one light at a time. This elemental approach, which […]
You’ve worked a lot of concerts and music festivals, as well as shows by artists at corporate events. Do you approach the two jobs differently from a lighting standpoint? “I do look at corporate show and festival lighting differently, because they are two different animals. All corporate events, including their shows by national artists, tend […]
We confess that we had to double check our gear list when we saw Victor Zeiser’s work for Animals As Leaders’ summer tour in support of their Top Ten album The Madness of Many. The constantly changing colors, myriad of gobo patterns, intense strobing and multi-level crossing beams that transformed the stage couldn’t be coming […]
Can you convey a complex mood using only a single light source? This is the challenge that the Resident Lighting Designer of the New York City Ballet presents to first time students at the classes he teaches at Boston University, where he heads the lighting design program. Although the question may startle some students, it […]
After 12 years, 19 Number One singles and untold touring miles, AMC Entertainer of the Year Jason Aldean isn’t about to take his foot off the pedal. The dust had barely settled from his 2016 “We Are Here” tour back in January, when he announced plans for his current 33-city “They Don’t Know” road show. […]
From tucking a small LED wash inside a scenic element on stage, to using battery powered uplights to bathe great columns in a rainbow of colors, designers have never had more options when it comes to choosing wash light fixtures, or devising ways to use them. Ford Sellers, Senior Product Manager at CHAUVET Professional sorts […]
Like many in the entertainment lighting business, Tim Messina has watched the growth of pop up broadcast studios with interest. The owner of Events United, Messina has provided fixtures to network TV stations before, in addition to lighting festivals and concerts that featured recording stars like the Black Eyed Peas. Still, Messina wondered what it […]
Fashion shows are stepping out beyond the runways of New York, Paris, and Milan. Once the province of the haute couture set, they have become popular fundraising events for charities everywhere, creating new opportunities for lighting designers who work far from chic style centers. Justin Haas, owner of AMP’D Lighting and Audio Visual has built […]
Visionary….the word that came up quite often when we told other lighting designers that we would be interviewing Peter Canning. The Prime Time Emmy Award winning Dublin-based designer has earned the widespread admiration of his peers for bravely pushing ahead into new technologies and incorporating them into groundbreaking designs. While many others were gingerly testing […]