Live Design International (LDI) 2024

Sharing excerpts, insights, and exercises from their upcoming book (published in spring of 2025) Allen Branton and Sharon Huizinga will discuss lighting design process for the evolving world of live events outside of traditional theatre dance and opera, including concerts and tours, awards shows, sporting events, benefits, comedy shows, corporate events, fashions shows, political events, and other instances where an audience comes to a location to be part of an occasion. These types of productions represent a majority of the opportunities available for people wishing to start a career in lighting design and technology. Most people interested in lighting and most people graduating from lighting training programs are going to work in the evolving world of live events beyond theatre. Part manifesto, part memoir and part lighting textbook, their book introduces the origins and history of live events, compares and contrasts where lighting design process for theatre, dance and opera differs from lighting design process for live events, and provides a step-by-step framework from which to approach productions in this environment, mixed with personal anecdotes, interviews, insights and case studies. The upcoming book is aimed at individuals (students and professionals) who already have an understanding of lighting design fundamentals and are interested in expanding.