Living the Lighting Life

Living the Lighting Life provides practical tools and advice for a successful career in entertainment lighting. Filled with real-world examples and documentation from the author and key industry experts, this guide gives readers a comprehensive overview of the lighting life.

Brad Schiller has over 30 years of experience in the lighting industry. Starting his career in the mid 1980's he has worked as a technician, programmer, and designer on many different productions. Over the years he has also been employed by High End Systems, Vari*Lite, and Martin where he has assisted with product development, training, and testing for many popular fixtures and consoles. Brad has experience with various types of productions including theatre, television, concerts, film, architectural, dance, and corporate events. Project favorites include: the 1996 Academy Awards, The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies, The Crystal Method, and Metallica. Brad's career has allowed him countless opportunities to work around the globe, and across diverse facets of the industry. At the 2005 LDI awards ceremony Brad was presented with the Technician of the Year award and described as "the programmer's programmer". He is also the author of Living the Lighting Life (Routledge 2021). A self-described "lighting geek," he has a deep-rooted passion for lighting that continues to drive him. Learn more at www.bradschiller.com.

Part 1: The Job 1. Lighting Positions 2. Lighting Genres 3. Lighting Skills 4. Organizational Skills 5. Working Requirements 6. Ethics of Lighting 7. Best Show Ever Part 2: The Career 8. A Growing Career 9. Attitude is Everything 10. Training and Learning 11. Promoting Yourself 12. Networking with Others 13. Keep on Moving Forward 14. Giving Back 15. Moving On Part 3: The Business 16. Types of Workers 17. Business Structure 18. Personal Business Paperwork 19. Business Operations 20. Tax Form Basics 21. Getting Gigs 22. Planning for your Future Part 4: The Creativity 23. Abundant Creativity 24. Creative Inspiration Part 5: The Lifestyle 25. Why we Do It 26. Work/Life Balance 27. Allure of Celebrity 28. Healthy Living 29. Time to Sleep 30. When it Stops Being Fun Part 6: The Travel 31. Travel is Work 32. Earn the Perks 33. Air Travel 34. Tour Busses 35. Hotel Living Part 7: The Interviews 36. Cory FitzGerald 37. George Masek 38. John Viesta 39. Robert Roth 40. Ron Schilling 41. Sooner Routhier 42. Steve Woods 43. Vickie Claiborne Part 8: The Survey 44. Respondent Backgrounds 45. Employment Status 46. Down to Business 47. Shared Advice 48. Wrapping It Up