Stage Lighting Handbook

he Stage Lighting Handbook (6th Edition) is a fantastic introduction for anyone starting out in theatre or event lighting. It explains the basics clearly and covers everything from equipment and setup to creative design and safety. The writing is easy to follow, and it gives a solid foundation without being too technical or overwhelming. I really appreciate how it breaks down complex concepts into practical, understandable steps. Perfect for students, hobbyists, or anyone curious about how stage lighting works. A great reference to keep on your shelf — highly recommended!

Great if like me your interested in makeup and hair for theatre, gives a good basic understanding of how lighting can effect the other elements that make a performance

Great book that I wore out during my degree. It's a must for any theatre student.

It came in a great shape and been useful for me, the deliver came on time never was late. If you a lx designer should get this

Great product, great service and great process

I gave this book to my Lighting Designer of a recent production of HMS Pinafore that I directed in Switzerland. It was sincerely appreciated as a good basic guide to lighting in varying situations.

There is a danger when books become so popular that edition after edition follows without actually improving the product. Francis Reid repeatedly avoids this error by ensuring that while being brought up to date, the vital facts are not altered. The Stage Lighting Handbook (6th edition) is a piece of essential reading for both newcomers to the subject and seasoned professionals who just have to have the latest Reid offering on the bookshelf for completeness. In this update, the latest items of equipment are discussed and the topic of automated lighting is given a thorough airing. Reid has resisted the temptation to remove some more 'elderly' parts of the book and has left them in as they are still as relevant today as they were in 1976 when the first edition was published. I tried very hard to find something that I did not like, or even agree with, but in the end simply sat and read the whole thing from cover to cover and I am not ashamed to say I still keep learning from this well presented and very readable book. If you have an interest in stage lighting - this is an compulsory purchase. Paul Johnson, Great Yarmouth College

Great Large Book.

I keep trying out other books for new lighting designers because I often share them with my high school students who take an interest in lighting (it is not a design class, so I cannot teach these kids design during the class). I find that Reid's focus on the process of lighting a show and the principles at work makes this the best book available. For example, there is a chapter where he goes through the principles at work in making decisions about lighting by imagining that he only has one instrument and figuring out where and how to hang and focus it. Then he does this as if he has two instruments, then three, and so on. This kind of process-focused guidance makes this a great book for anyone trying to learn design by themselves.

This book is very useful for the people who is starting with lighting. The book explains how to do a lighting design for different events like: an opera, concert, play, musical, etc. and describes how the lighting angles can créate different effects. It also describe the different types of lamps and gives some tips for the design and cues.

I am doing the lights for concerts here in Japan and only because the boss asked me to. I had no idea what I was doing, but this manual inline with on the job training really enlightened me(cliche) I totally recommend this book to newbies who really want to put out a good light show.

I'm disappointed that this book does not take any new technology (LED) into account. Basic lighting technique is still good though.

I bought this book for my great-grandson, now eleven and just this year became part of his school stage crew. He has also started fooling around with the lighting system on my restaurant's stage. (28'3"pw 10'7"ph 6'6" cl to lip 27'11"pl to cyc 39' to grid- 21 double purchase lines 108 dimmers in rolling racks -- not much of a much I guess.) The only disappointment is that the book doesn't cover LED instruments, which are the "now" thing to the point I converted half the Source-4s on my stage in the last four months and will finish it by fall. My GGS has fallen in love with the book and and has learned much from it, and now astounds his teacher with his knowledge. I also bought him Automated Lighting by Richard Cadina which is an ideal companion book. I am now looking for a book that covers LEDs.