Stage Lighting Design: The Art, the Craft, the Life [Hardcover]

Richard Pilbrow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

"Stage Lighting Design" covers the complete history, theory and - above all - practice of lighting design. It contains 450 black and white half tones, 60 colour photos and innumerable diagrams, lighting plots etc. "Stage Lighting Design" is arranged in four sections: Design: the basic principles, illustrated with reference to specific productions; History: a brief survey of the historical development of stage lighting; Life: interviews with 14 other lighting designers, plus notes on Pilbrow's own career; and Mechanics: a vast section dealing with all the technical data today's designer will need

Product Details

• Hardcover: 479 pages
• Publisher: Drama Pub (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896761398
• ISBN-13: 978-0896761391
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #456,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard Pilbrow

Richard Pilbrow is one of the world's leading theatre designers and consultants, a lighting designer and an author. In 1957 founded Theatre Projects in London, England, which has been responsible for over 1200 Theatre consulting projects in 70 countries. He has also been a successful theatrical, film and television producer. Richard was a pioneer of stage lighting design and theatre design consulting in Britain, whose influence has spread internationally. He was a co-founder of the Association Of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT), the Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) and the Society of Theatre Consultants (STC).

Richard is the author of A Theatre Project, with Foreword by Joseph Volpe (2011), Stage Lighting Design--The Art, the Craft, The Life with Foreword by Harold Prince (1997), US paperback edition 2000, reprinted 2002, 2008. UK paperback 2008. Also Stage Lighting with Foreword by Sir Laurence Olivier (1970), reprinted 1974, 1976; Second edition 1979, reprinted 1986, 1991. Reprinted in China. Also with Patricia MacKay, Walt Disney Concert Hall--the Backstage Story (2003).

In 2005 Richard was honored as Lighting Designer of the Year by Lighting Dimensions magazine. In December 2005, he was named as one of the ten visionaries among designers and artists, who were the most influential people in the world of visual design for live events. In 2011 Richard was awarded the prestigious Knights of Illumination Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Richard lives in Ridgefield, CT., with wife, Molly and Bearded Collie, Gidleigh plus two cats.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Information and inspiration, December 4, 1999

By 

Paul (UK and now Cincinnati, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stage Lighting Design: The Art, the Craft, the Life (Hardcover)

This book helped me make the decision to go for lighing design as a career .... the first half has the info most of us in the industry have picked up on stage but orders it very well, the second has many wonderful anechdotes from his and many others careers. Its the only lighing book I have found that one can enjoy reading again and again.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on theatre lighting anywhere, June 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Stage Lighting Design: The Art, the Craft, the Life (Hardcover)

I bought this last year, and it quickly became one of my favourite books of all time. It's well written, and is packed full of information. But that's only the beginning. Pilbrow has chucked in years of experience and anecdote, not only from his own extensive career, but also from many other excellent designers. Whenever I'm lighting a show, I take this book with me. In a way, it is my own lighting assistant. This is a must, not only for lighting people, but also directors and producers. And that is because this book endevours to emphasise the 'art' of lighting, and not just the craft.

And it's about time.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are in lighting you must read this book., October 29, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stage Lighting Design: The Art, the Craft, the Life (Hardcover)

This is the only book on Stage Lighting that I've come across that covers the whole spectrum of the possiblities of lighting. Mr. Pilbrow covers the range of knowledge you must have to be an effective designer -- everything from how to setup your paperwork and reports to the most esoteric of design concepts. My personal favorite couple of lines talks briefly on how you have to think about where to position the light board during rehearsals to either be in the middle of or to get away from the political center of power. There is no other author out there that can speak clearly about the evolution of lighting from oil lamp to Vari-Lite. Basically, living the life of a true designer is all about collecting visuals and techniques that intrigue and excite us and using and reinterpreting those ideas through our own personalities. With Mr. Pilbrow's book, you will never find a more comprehensive single source of those lighting ideas and techniques. Don't read the book because you have to. Read the book because it will make you a better designer.