Live Design Concert Master Classes in LA December 11 & 12, 2010

Mark your calendar, Live Design is holding another series of Master Classes this winter in Los Angles, the Live Design Master Classes.  Similar to the Broadway Master Classes that were held on the east coast in the spring, Live Design has organized classes on the west coast.

Join creative consultant Jeff Ravitz and a faculty of top designers for two-days of sessions on concert lighting and projection applications and techniques. Get inspired. Get great information. Get a chance to network with the best designers on the concert stage today. Get a look at cutting-edge lighting, projection, and staging technology. Get insight into this exciting aspect of the entertainment business!

Two noted speakers at the LDMC will be Anne Militello, president of Vortex Lighting in LA and the head of the graduate lighting department at California Institute of the Arts. Joining Anne will be legendary concert lighting designer and author Jim Moody.  Mr. Moody is the head of the Technical Theatre Program, technical director, and lighting designer for The Theatre Academy at Los Angeles City College.

n addition to the Concert Master Classes, LDI and Live Design invite you to join them for Backstage Disney Day on Friday, December 10—featuring the new World of Color spectacular—and a full Technical Training Day on Monday, December 13 with hands-on training including moving lights programming on a cutting-edge Avolites console; and media server programming on the Green Hippo Hippotizer.

Just when you thought there was nothing to do during the long winter days, Live Design brings you yet another place to learn and experince all things related to concert lighting.  What are you waiting for, head over to registration and book your seat for the Live Design Concert Master Classes!

The 2010 Broadway Lighting Master Classes Coming to a Close.

With all intentions of writing while I was in New York for the Broadway Lighting Master Classes hosted by Live Design, I found I couldn’t find time while there. The classes were just so wonderful as I mentioned in my previous post on day one, day two was just as awesome.  I could have certainly found time during a break between classes or during lunch, but there were just some many great attendees to talk to and share our love of lighting. In fact, the conversations were so wonderful, some of us almost missed the start of a couple of the classes because we lost track of time.

Then there was lunch.  We had almost 2 hours to eat and visit all of the manufacturers that were exhibiting at the Manufacturers showcase during lunch. I had to slam down the box lunch that was provided while still talking to some attendees and then making my way around the showcase to see all of the great products on display.  The two hours just seemed to fly by. There were a couple of new prototype’s on display and certainly things I have seen before, which I’ll get into more in later write ups.

At night, the education and talking didn’t stop until I finally closed my eyes to get some sleep.  Talking with fellow attendee’s and manufacturers, seeing FELA! on Broadway rounded out the first day after classes ended at 5:30pm.  Getting back to the NYU dorms late and having to get some sleep for more learning the next day was in order.

The next day was just as great as the first day at the Broadway Lighting Master Classes.  It is so interesting to hear how different designers approach lighting design and over come some of the challenges they face.  Understanding the different approach’s to designing really helps to understand that there is no set way to accomplish what we try to do. Each designer has their own methods which work for them and shared them with the class.

I am so grateful to Live Design for inviting me to the Broadway Lighting Master Classes this year!  I had an unbelievable time learning, and meeting new people and of course, talking with Broadway lighting designers.  I would highly recommend the BLMC to anyone that has any interest in lighting design and understanding how the Broadway designers do what they do.  As Jules Fisher said in his opening speak, the BLMC is not just about learning, but connecting with others for the advancement of lighting.

Stay tuned for more of my coverage of the Broadway Lighting Master Classes.  I have a bunch of photos to share from the last two days and some great videos as well.

The Broadway Lighting Master Classes Start TOMORROW!

The Broadway Lighting Master Classes start bright and early tomorrow morning.  Have you registered to attend yet? The next three days will be action packed with all kinds of lighting goondness with talks, discussions, collaborations, training sessions and demo’s. If you are a lighting geek like me, there is no reason to miss this. Some of the biggest Broadway lighting designers will be on hand talking about their craft and sharing their wisdom and secrets of the trade.

Thanks to Live Design, I will be on hand covering the show with limited coverage during the next three days as I want to take every word in that they are saying.  After the BLMC, I’ll have a complete recap of the event and if I am lucky, some great talks to post.  If you follow iSquint on twitter, be sure to look out for the hashtag, #BLMC2010.  I’ll be updating twitter through out the day along with some of the other students in attendance.

And yes, I do have “No Sleep till Brooklyn” stuck in my head now!

Live Design’s BLMC Right Around the Corner – I’ll be there, Are You?

The Live Design Broadway Master Classes are right around the corner.  Have you signed up yet?  What are you waiting for?! There are three different Master Classes to attend in New York City at the New York University.

Broadway Lighting Master Classes – May 25 – May 27

Broadway Sound Master Classes – May 21 – May 23

Broadway Projection Master Classes – May 24th

Live Design has graciously offered me a seat in the back of the class to cover the Lighting Master Classes and I am so excited!  This will be my first BLMC and it is expected to be a good one.  As part of the coverage, Live Design arranged for me to talk with Broadway lighting legend, Mr. Jules Fisher.  When I heard that, I about fell over. It is not to often that you have a one on one conversation with such a prestigious member of the industry.

It is a gathering of leading Broadway lighting designers in an open forum to discuss and talk about the conceptual idea’s behind lighting.  Rather then focusing on the new products and technologies on the market, the panel discusses and techniques and approaches and gives students a chance to ask questions and converse with such well known lighting designers like Jules Fisher, Don Holder, Brian MacDevitt, Peggy Eisenhauer, Peter Kaczorowski, Beverly Emmons, Clifton Taylor and Wendall K. Harrington.

Talk about a who’s who in Broadway Lighting Design! The BLMC kick off first thing Tuesday, May 25 with An Approach to Stage Lighting in the morning, Lunch and the Manufacturers Showcase at Noon and then on to LED versus Tungsten with Don Holder and the afternoon with 2009 Tony Award winning lighting designer, Brian MacDevitt and Visual Aids.

I am really pumped up about Tuesday evening, the BLMC students get to attend FELA! and then have a sit down with Robert Wierzel after the show to ask questions. How awesome is that?!

Wednesday brings Music in Lighting: Ebb and Flow lead by Peggy Eisenhauer, the mid day session with Peter Kaczorowski.  After Lunch and the Manufacturers Showcase, Beverly Emmons and Clifton Taylor talk to the class with The Color Lecture. Wednesday wraps up with What Every Lighting Designer Needs to Know about Projections, lead by Wendall K. Harrington.

Are you not convinced?  The Broadway Lighting Master Classes are action packed with tons of information and total lighting geekery!  I am thrilled to death to be attending the BLMC.  I hope to see you there! The BLMC is just a week away and there is still time to sign up.  Visit the registration page on LiveDesign.com. Get more information about all three of the Broadway Master Classes by visiting www.livedesign.com.