# College for a Light Designer



## kevinz (Oct 11, 2009)

Hello,

I an currently a junior in high school and I would like to go to college for light design. My parents have decided that we should start touring some colleges this year and I was wondering if any of you know of any good schools for this, if so please help me out. I'm already thinking about B.U, N.C.S.T.A, and UArts, so if anyone knows about any other good schools or whether or not the ones mentioned are any good, I would really appreciate advice.


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## LightingPenguin (Oct 11, 2009)

Do a search for colleges and read the education section, there's plenty of discussion about colleges
Especially this thread: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/education/14281-technical-theater-schools.html

Also, I believe there's a CA about where CB members went to college, check that out as well


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## mstaylor (Oct 11, 2009)

Wyatt gives you good advice, just remember not to limit yourself to a narrow carreer path too early in college. Learn about all aspects of tech including lights, set building, sound, video and stage managing, among others.


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## cbenjes (Oct 11, 2009)

Check out Towson University in Maryland.


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## LightingPenguin (Oct 11, 2009)

http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/...controlbooth-member-college-demographics.html


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## Nate1714 (Oct 12, 2009)

Depending on your needs/wants: College search is something you need to think a lot about. How are you going to pay for it, how much "work" are you going to do on the shows?, How far from home are you willing to go, ect... A lot of state schools are good in theatre no matter where you are. They will teach you the basics and from there you can eithre hone your skills in grad school or in the professional world. Most schools (from my experiance) wont let you design till your a Jr. or Sr. many even wont at all (because its reserved from teachers or Grad students). Also realise that Yes I went into college to be a lighting designer but those costume design classes did help a lot and thats true with everything about theatre, its all realated and tied together. Work hard and if you have questions just ask!


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## Jinglish (Oct 19, 2009)

*Looking for a lighting design college*

I'm working on my college applications now, and I'm wondering if you guys had any advice on choosing a college for lighting design. These are the schools on my list to far:

Definitely applying:
Cornish
UM Missoula
University of Washington
UN Las Vegas

Might apply:
Western Washington University
San Diego State University
Southern Oregon University
Linfield College

Cornish's program sounds great, but I think I might go for a BA instead of a BFA and minor in something like Computer Science or Sociology. I'm trying to stay on or near the West coast if I can. Any suggestions?


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## ReiRei (Oct 24, 2009)

I've been considering CalArts, I haven't heard anything bad about it and it has a program specifically for light design.

Not so much on the Southern Oregon University for technical theatre. I'm friends with people who go there, I've worked with people who went there, and I live near it. I _haven't_ heard good things about it.


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## Jinglish (Oct 24, 2009)

ReiRei said:


> Not so much on the Southern Oregon University for technical theatre. I'm friends with people who go there, I've worked with people who went there, and I live near it. I _haven't_ heard good things about it.


Yeah, I know someone who's going there too (he's majoring in Theatre Arts but concentrating on acting). He doesn't know about their tech program yet, but their IT department is utterly incompetent. Since I might minor in Computer Science, that's a bad sign.

Also, does anyone have thoughts on the tech programs at Purdue, Rocky Mountain College, and UT Dallas?


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## museav (Oct 24, 2009)

Jinglish said:


> Also, does anyone have thoughts on the tech programs at Purdue, Rocky Mountain College, and UT Dallas?


It's been many years and I was not a Theatre major, I was an Engineering major, but I found Purdue's programs quite interesting. They do not have an undergraduate Theatre Technology major, rather a Theatre Major with a Theatre Technology minor. However, they have undergraduate and graduate programs that let you combine Theatre and Engineering for those so inclined. For example, they offer an MFA program in Theatre Engineering and a BS program in Theatre Engineering Studies (the Acoustical Engineering BSE program can also include numerous Theater courses, which is how I was involved).


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## gafftaper (Oct 24, 2009)

Someone up there gave the advice of just go to a school with a big theater department where you will get to try a lot of different things. When you are done with your B.A. re-evaluate if you need to go to grad school or not. _The most important thing is to get a good basic education and to keep working. It's critical that you learn about all aspects of production, not just lighting. The masters isn't as critical as you may think._ It can help, but who you know, who you impress, and how hard you work can be just as important. For example, here in Seattle at one of the biggest theaters in the Pacific Northwest, the T.D. does not have a masters. He got a job doing summer stock in the scene shop and worked his way up from inside. I'm sure there were lots of people with MFA's who applied for the job, but in this industry a piece of paper doesn't beat hard work. 

Cornish has an interesting program. I've heard some say it's great. I've heard others complain that they feel the tech department is primarily just there to serve the music program. I'm not sure what I believe. I would ask to speak to some current students and ask them how they feel. 

UW (my alma mater although not in theater) is a great place to get that wide general experience because there are so many things going on. There are multiple theaters, lots of productions, and you can get involved like crazy doing lots of different things. Which is really what you want as an undergrad. 

Doesn't Southern Oregon have some sort of deal setup with Ashland? I don't know much about it but seems like I remember someone saying you get to do lots of great work with the Ashland people. 

Western Washington University, in Bellingham, has a good theater program too. 

Central Washington University, in Ellensburg, is a good example of a smaller school with a great program. I take summer classes there to keep my teaching certification up. I love the faculty there. It's the kind of place that has lots of things going on, but it's small enough that you can be involved in everything. As was mentioned above, bigger programs tend to be harder for you to get hands on experience. 

Also have you considered UNLV? They do some really cool stuff connected to the nearby Vegas shows. 

Pretty much the most critical thing is to try to talk with actual students about their experience. The department head and the recruiters will tell you anything to get you to enroll. Talk with students to get the truth of what it's really like.


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## bdkdesigns (Oct 24, 2009)

I can tell you that The University of Montana in Missoula would be a good choice. I'll be graduating from there with my masters this year but it is a pretty solid program for Lighting. As an undergrad, you would probably get a couple of opportunities to design shows as well as a few dance productions. The dance department here is really good as is the technical side of the department. Just last year the acting/directing had a huge turnaround and the department recruited in a lot of great people so it's been fun to watch. I've found that the department does a really good job at balancing design assignments to both grads and undergrads.


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## skienblack (Oct 24, 2009)

I am in a similar position, I am a freshman at University of Colorado Boulder, and I am planning on transferring. The program is not as involved as I had expected and the city seems to be a little to laid back for me.

I read about University of Montana's group, UM Productions in another thread, does anybody know of any other programs similar to this in the Midwest or east coast? That just would seem like an amazing opportunity to be involved in both a professional setting as you are learning in school.


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## bdkdesigns (Oct 24, 2009)

UM Productions is a lot of fun as well. I'm not really sure that there is anything like that in the country. Students are put in charge for pretty much everything with bringing in talent. We also have the Montana Rep based in house which provides even more opportunities, such as going out on their national tour.


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## skienblack (Oct 25, 2009)

Can anyone speak to the quality of education and the expierence someone would gain from DePaul or Loyola in Chicago? I want to study lighting design and technical theatre. I have a fair amount of expierence in both, I'll be a freshman. Thanks


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## NJLX (Oct 25, 2009)

I'm currently studying lighting design at Boston University(I'm a freshman). 
in our program, freshmen are required to work for lighting(hang/focus), technical production(scene shop), costumes, and paints/props, the goal being to experience a little bit of everything before you specialize. each student also has production assignments in their major, for example lighting/sound freshmen are boardops.

We also have the Huntington Theatre Company in residence.

If anybody would like more information, feel free to send me a pm.


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## lighttech11 (Oct 25, 2009)

My biggest piece of advice is to *Visit the colleges that you're interested in.* It may be a bit of extra cost in the end, and it may seem extraneous since you'll only be going to one of them. But you get such a better idea of what the school is like when you actually go there. 

I'm currently a Freshman at University of Arizona's Theater School, and I love it. I'm very happy with my choice. I was considering Depaul, Cornish, Otterbein College, University of Cincinnati, and U of A, and I think I went to visit all of them. It cost me some extra money, but I'm so glad that I did it. For example, I was really interested in Cornish and I was thinking that it would be the one for me, but I went to visit and found the program disappointing. I would agree with the statement that the tech department seems like its only really there for the music department, or just to support the acting and dance programs in general; not to be a program of its own. So even though it cost some extra time and money to visit, I discovered that it was a place I did not want to go to. 

*So visit the colleges!* It will make your decisions much easier.


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## ReiRei (Oct 25, 2009)

gafftaper said:


> Doesn't Southern Oregon have some sort of deal setup with Ashland? I don't know much about it but seems like I remember someone saying you get to do lots of great work with the Ashland people.



If by Ashland you mean the Oregon Shakespeare Festival then yes. I'm pretty sure that if you are going to college at SOU then you are eligible for internship at OSF. However, you have to have two years of college under your belt to be able to apply for an internship.

Also, I volunteered at OSF one season, was hired on for their green show this past season, and now they're pushing me to the Stage Ops people. SOU is definitely not necessary to get into the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. It's more of who you know there.

I was talking to my supervisor a while ago about theatre colleges and she looked me in the eyes and told me to stay away from SOU.


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## icewolf08 (Oct 26, 2009)

skienblack said:


> I am in a similar position, I am a freshman at University of Colorado Boulder, and I am planning on transferring. The program is not as involved as I had expected and the city seems to be a little to laid back for me.
> 
> I read about University of Montana's group, UM Productions in another thread, does anybody know of any other programs similar to this in the Midwest or east coast? That just would seem like an amazing opportunity to be involved in both a professional setting as you are learning in school.



The Theatre department here at the University of Utah is pretty good. It isn't big, but they do good work. Their focus is mainly in acting, stage management and design. Students here also have the opportunity to intern and work for us at Pioneer Theatre right on campus.

As for east coast schools, you might look at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY (my alma mater). It is a great program, good size, lots of opportunities. They have great faculty and you can focus in any aspects of design, tech or acting. I have talked about IC many times before, so a quick search should turn up more of my thoughts.


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## dramatech (Oct 27, 2009)

I graduated from the University of Utah, with a major in TV production, and a minor in technical theatre. It was a great education, but that was in 1966, so it probably has very little of the same program. Still a great campus, and if you like snow skiing, you will love it. Oh by the way Alex, I was threre when they built the Pioneer theatre, but most of my experience was at Kingsbury Hall.


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## Spookz (Oct 27, 2009)

skienblack said:


> Can anyone speak to the quality of education and the expierence someone would gain from DePaul or Loyola in Chicago? I want to study lighting design and technical theatre. I have a fair amount of expierence in both, I'll be a freshman. Thanks


[Writing this as I sit in tech.]

I don't know much about Loyola (I really should get around to seeing one of their shows so I can get a better understanding of the quality theatre they produce..) but I can tell you about DePaul! 
I'm a second year in DePaul's Lighting Design program, and I can't tell you how much I love it here. They don't hesitate to throw you into a show and get you involved. All LD and Theater Tech majors are required to help hang, focus, and strike certain shows in addition to their regular production practice. We're given three shows a year to work on, and I guarantee you'll leave with plenty of experience under your belt. There's a lot I could say, but I'm not sure if you have any specific questions I can answer... and I should refrain from letting myself ramble too much. I will say that you'll gain many ties to the larger world of theatre right off the bat (ex. Kevin Depinet, who worked on August Osage County, teaches Technical Drawing 1).

Feel free to throw me any specific questions about the program.

Like others are saying, _visit the schools_! It adds more cost to the already pricy process of applying to colleges, but it really helped solidify my decision.


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## theatreguy (Oct 28, 2009)

Not sure if I can be much help in this area but I have to say. If I ever had a college-trained LD walk into my theatre. I'm not sure if they would know what to do with themselves. It was a shock going from my college (MATC, Madison WI.) which had this huge stage, tons of lighting (3 electricals over the stage, 2 over the house with 2 electricals on each side of the house, etc...) all run off an ETC Expressions to where I am at now. 2 Electricals over the stage of 12 circuits each and one 12 circuit bar over the house all going into a 24 channel dimmer pack. I guess what I'm trying to say is, whereever you go, make sure you can get tons of "hands-on" so you know how to light a huge house or light on a shoestring. I've seen some LDs whose goals seems to be "its not working, I know we throw more lights at it!" which in some houses, that's easy. In others, you might not have the firepower to do that way, and you have to be, shall we say, more inventive to accomplish the desired effect with less lights.


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## Pie4Weebl (Oct 29, 2009)

I want to toss in my suggestion that you look into Webster University's Conservatory in St. Louis, MO. Great program, especially for lighting designers. The STL Rep is based in the same building so you will ALD for some amazing Pro designers and you will design as an undergrad. The town also has some great opportunities for college students if you get yourself out there. I haven't even graduated yet and I will be ME on a Cirque show for two weeks  your mileage may vary, but it is a great school worth checking out.


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## RichMoore (Oct 29, 2009)

I have to pitch Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi, because that is where I work. The theatre department is growing amazingly fast and the faculty is excellent. No super huge and fantastic theatre in which to work yet, but one is in the pipeline, two to four years down the road. Not much in the way of state of the art equipment, but if you can use the older stuff well, when you get your hands on the new stuff......you get the picture. You will get opportunities to work and show what you can do and you won't get lost in the crowd or fall through the cracks.

A nice little town on the Gulf coast of Texas and one of the easiest places in the country to get that most important piece of paper for working in our industry, the I.A.T.S.E. card. Regardless of the level of education that you receive, you are going to have to pay your real world dues and shove lots of boxes up and down ramps.

My $.02.


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## Esoteric (Oct 29, 2009)

As always I have to pump The Univeristy of Texas at Austin.

Awesome program where you get experience in scenery, costuming, lighting, electrics, technical direction, design, stage management, and rigging. You get basic experience in all of them as a freshman and then have a chance to specialize as you go on. For me it was lighting design, electrics, and rigging. You have to work a crew, for you it would be electrics and possibly a run crew. It has the largest moving light program in the country (second largest in the world), and you get to use them in a concert and theater setting. There are a myriad of theaters from a small lab theater to a black box to a large thrust, to a large procenium theater and you will get to work in all of them. You will work on shows from 24 lights on 12 dimmers with a 2 scene preset (in class) up to a 300 instrument show, with over 144 dimmers, and an Obsession II. In addition you will have a chance to work at a PAC with union electrics and in a union scene shop. You will have professors with experience on Broadway, internationally, at the regional level, in theme parks, major concert tours, the list goes on and on. You will get to work and gain experience also from a cadre of grad students.

A wonderful place to study theater in the classroom and in the theater.

Mike


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## Jinglish (Nov 1, 2009)

I can't say how much I appreciate all the advice, guys. It's great to hear from actual students and alums about the programs, especially since it's not practical for me to visit most of the schools I'm considering (although I did manage to get to Linfield, Oregon State, and UW).

I have to say that UT Austin sounds like what I'm looking for; I've only started looking into it now that it's been mentioned, but it looks like it's on its way to becoming my top choice.

Thanks again!


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## Esoteric (Nov 1, 2009)

I always say, do a ton of research. If you have any other questions feel free to post them or b/c me or email me and I will provide any information that I can. I loved it there and I have to say it prepared me in a way that few other programs can (I would say better than any program in the nation, but I am a bit biased).

As with all education, you get out of it what you put into it. They will not give you anything, you will have to earn your shots, but if you work hard, take your lumps, and abandon yourself to your work, you will get opportunities that you would not get anywhere else.

Mike

By the way, it is also located in the best city in the best state in the union.


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## skienblack (Nov 5, 2009)

Can anybody speak to some of the colleges in Chicago for LD/Tech theatre? I know as long as you get hands on experience and such, but I am curious to get professionals opinions. Thanks


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