Contents
Foreword to the Third Edition
Foreword to the Second Edition
Foreword to the First Edition
Preface Are We Legit Yet
Author's Page
SECTION I BACKGROUND AND ORGANIZATION
1. The Birth of Rock and the Rise of the Concert Lighting Field
Concert Lighting Begins in the United States
The San Francisco Light Show
Other Cities and Venues
Fill more East
Fledgling Lighting in England
Moving to Larger Venues
The End of Bill Graham's Fillmores
Melding Forms
Lighting Becomes Big Business
Mergers and Buyouts
Casinos
Purpose Built Concert Amphitheatres
LEDR evolution
Expansion Beyond the Concert Format
The Concert Lighting Designer/Director
2. Tour Personnel and Unions
Road Crew Duties
3. Business
Freelance
Company Employee
Direct Contact
Pay
Per Diem
Equipment Costs
Contracts
Authorized Representative
Contracting the Crew
The Contract Rider
Rider Items
The Importance of the Rider
Follow-up
The Promoter's View
Small Production—Low Budget
The Yellow Card
4. PreProduction
Types of Halls
Budget
Artist's Requirements
Stage Limitations
Crewing
Opening Acts
Prep Time
Rehearsal Time
Timing
Variety of Venues and Artistic Styles
5. The Design Stage
The Workhorse of Concert Lighting
Air Light
Moving Lights (Luminaires)
Other Luminaire Choices
Placement of Luminaires
Color
Circuiting and Dimming
Layering
Layout and Symbols
Hanging
Sample Light Plot
Color Changers, Moving Luminaire, and Effects
Variables
More Complex Designs
6. Cueing the Music
Cues, Song Punctuation
Picking the Console to Match the Cues
Find Your Looks
Cue Placement
The Cue Book
The Cue Card
Verbal Communications
Cueing Follow Spots
Summary
7. Road Life
Power Service
Follow Spots
Stages and Ceiling Height
Special Effects
Road Lifestyle
Transportation
An Established Field
8. Working Outside the United States
Carnets
Touring in the European Union
Touring in South America
Touring in Japan and Asia
Respect for Other Cultures
9. Risk Assessment and Safety
Specific Areas for Safety Concern
Fall Protection Systems
Failure of Structures
Seismic Concerns
Luminaires
Focusing
Power Hookup
Pyrotechnics
Smoke
Murphy's Law
Safety Problems: Corrections and Solutions
10. Finding Solutions
Problem Solving, Stress Management, and Interpersonal Communication
Decision Making
Design, Crew, and Equipment Failure
Dimmer Problems
Computer Problems
Being Prepared
SECTION II EQUIPMENT DESIGNED TO TRAVEL
11. Lighting Consoles
Hands-on Consoles
Consoles Dedicated to Moving Luminaires
Theatre Consoles
Hybrid Consoles
Specialized Consoles
Summary
12. Portable Dimming and Distribution Systems
Power Distribution Racks
Other Power Distribution
Multi Cable
Company Switch
Transformers
Portable Generators
Cable Reels
Cable Crossovers
13. Lighting Trusses
Truss Design
The First Trusses
Triangle Truss
Squareor Box Truss
Modern Truss Design
Engineering and Construction
Spans
Integration of Electrical Connections
Lighting Grids
Advantages of Portable Trusses
Building a Grid
14. Lifts, Hoists, and Roofs
Air and Cable Crank-up Lifts
Ram Lifts
Scissor Lifts
Truss Tower Lifts
Hoists and Rigging
Chain Hoists
Digital Remote Control
Load Cells
Safety First
Roofs
15. Moving Luminaires
The History of Moving Luminaires
Vari*Lite History
Current Developments
Cost and Availability
Morpheus Lights
Martin Professional
High End Systems
Robe Lighting
Production Resource Group (PRG)
Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)
ADB Lighting Technologies
The Future of Moving Luminaires
16. LED Units
LEDTechnology
Efficiency
Colors and RGB
Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)
Quantum Dot LEDs
High-Power LEDs (HPLED)
Power Sources
Advantages of LEDs
Disadvantages of LEDs
New Sources
Entertainment Applications of LED Technology
The LED PAR
Wash Luminaires
Moving Luminaires
LED Walls
17. Digital Lighting and Media Servers
Adding the Control of Visual Media to Lighting
Digital Light Developments
Media Servers
Media Server Capabilities
Content
18. Conventional Lighting and Accessories
The PAR Family
Fresnel
Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlight
Cyclight and Farcyc
The New Beam Projectors
Audience Blinders
Follow Spot
DMX Iris
Shutter
Fat Lights
Color Scrollers and Changers
Strobes
Moving Yoke
Projectors
Blacklights
Flame Effects
Color Media
Gobos and Accessories
Man Lift
Personal Accessories
19. Smoke and Pyrotechnic Effects
Smoke
Haze
Fog
Fans
Pyrotechnics
20. Protocol, Control, and Ancillary Enablers
Protocol
Ancillary Enablers
Interfaces
21. The Designer's Workbox
Software Programs
The Visualization Process
Visualization Programs
Visualization Studios
Other Tools in the ToolBox
22. Festivals, Fairs, Racetracks, Amphitheatres, Casinos, and Local Lighting Equipment
Festivals
Fairs and Racetracks
Amphitheatres
Casinos
Local Production Equipment
The Advantage of Local Lighting Vendors
SECTION III DESIGNING WITH TOURING EQUIPMENT
23. Master Designers
Paul Dexter: The Heaven and Hell Tour
Questions
Richard Pilbrow: “A Tale of Two Cities”, A Broadway Musical
Questions
Andi Watson: Radiohead In Rainbows Tour
Questions
Jeff Ravitz: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band MAGIC TOUR (2007–2008)
About Jeff Ravitz
Questions
24. Designers Perspective: Art vs. Business
Answers From Four Designers
25. Artist's Perspective
What to Expect
Engaging the Artist
Establishing a Relationship
Handling Rejection
The Artist's Perspective
Kevin Cronin, Lead Singer, REO Speedwagon
Establishing Ideas
Ronnie James Dio, Lead Singer, Heaven and Hell and Dio
Establishing Ideas
Gil Moore, Vocalist/Drummer for Triumph
Establishing Ideas
26. Music Video, Film, DVDs, and Long-Form Production
Film versus High Definition Video
Film
Video
The Debatable “Look”
Lighting Considerations
What the Camera Sees
The Cutaway
Monitors
Balancing Foreground with Background
Key Light
The Close-up
Creating Background
Audience Lighting
Accommodation
Long-Form Concert Videos
Live Video
SECTION IV THE AFTER-WORD
27. Postscript: Looking Back
Where is Concert Lighting Technology Headed?
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
