# A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, Second Edition



## dvsDave

Greetings;

[imgr]http://covers.elsevier.com/200/9780240811413.jpg[/imgr]I'm very pleased [not to mention pretty relieved] to announce that "A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, Second Edition" is now shipping and available for purchase.

While Focal Press requested that the second edition to be 25% new or different material, things got a little out of hand. This new edition expands the original 300 page text to 488 pages. There are over sixty new topics, twenty new forms, and fifteen new drafting presentations.

One advance marketing copy put it this way:

“The first edition of PG2SL followed the process and explained one set of methods used to create and apply paperwork that culminated in a fully mounted lighting design for the musical Hokey. This second edition pulls back the wizard's curtain to reveal the step-by-step processes involved in the creation and realization of that lighting design. Shelley expands his focus and provides his diacritical analysis into the methods and processes that take place to create the light plot and a lighting design in the first place.”​
On Friday, October 2, Focal Press established a 20% discount code for the book when ordered through their website. Visit Focal Press: A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, 2e - Book, order the book, and when checking out, enter the following Promotional Code: YT007 (that’s Y-T-zero-zero-seven). This offer is good until the end of October.

Thanks,
Steve Shelley ([user]MrTemplate[/user])


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## bdkdesigns

I might look into getting this, it sounds like they improved it a lot from everything I've heard. And of course, it's a Focal Press book which in my opinion, is the best publisher of theatre books


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## BDS0111

Yes!! You should purchase this book! I have not seen this new edition yet, but I will be picking up a copy shortly. I read this book years ago when the first edition came out and it was a great read!


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## rochem

Wow, awesome! The Shelley book has always been one of my favorite books on lighting, partially because of how it covers every aspect of a design, from conception to opening night. Definitely picking it up!


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## BDS0111

Don't forget to use the discount code mentioned in the original post to get 20% off!!!


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## bdkdesigns

BDS0111 said:


> Don't forget to use the discount code mentioned in the original post to get 20% off!!!



Does anyone know if Focal Press allows you to double up discounts? It would be nice to add in my USITT discount as well.

I do own the original book but another remake that Focal Press has slated for an April 2010 release that I'm excited about is the Automate Lighting book. Or of course, there's Cadena's other book that I consider to be a must own, the Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician and Technician book.

Focal Presses focus on providing quality books is admirable.  My former teacher has two books published by them so I am familiar with their entire process. They definitely strive for a quality product and I can understand where Shelley is coming from in his statement.


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## davefromfocal

Hi bdkdesigns,

Currently we don't allow doubling up of discounts, use the one that gives you most off! 

We *really* appreciate all your kind comments. You may want to check out Focal Press: Theatre to see our other theatre books. I can't confirm anything, but the discount code _may_ work for other books too 

Dave - Focal Press


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## tomed101

I was attempting to buy this book through the Australian site as the US site will not ship to Australia, and on the AUS site the price is $90... And to make matters worse the promotional code does not work on that site either... I think I will have to hold off on this purchase. Is it really worth $90?


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## BDS0111

That does sound pretty high Tomed101!! What about amazon.com??? Do they ship to you or do they have locations there?? I've never really looked into their international operations! Is that $90 US or Australian? Lets see what Dave from Focal Press, the publisher of the book, has to say? Maybe he can help you out!!


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## tomed101

That is $90 Australian but that is still quite a lot (close to $80 USD at the moment). Amazon had it for $49.00 USD excluding shipping. It's a pity not to be able to use the 20% off promotion though.


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## BDS0111

Yeah, that does stink not to be able to use the discount. The amazon price isn't too bad though. How much is shipping to AUS?? Seems like it would come out to be at about or less than what it would be if you were able to get the 20% off of the AUS price! Still a decent deal considering!


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## tomed101

I have discovered shipping is only $5 USD to Australia bringing the total cost to $55ish USD. Thats not too bad and I might look closer at it when I have a bit more cash. Being a broke uni student sucks sometimes.


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## BDS0111

Not to bad at all... It is a good book...


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## MrTemplate

Hi folks; Time flies when you're having fun. The 20% discount code for A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, 2e is about to run out on Saturday night, October 31st, 2009. To get the discount, go to Focal Press: A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, 2e - Book, order the book, and when checking out, enter the Promotional Code: YT007 (that’s Y-T-zero-zero-seven). 

Hope you all had a great October because mine just flew by!

all the best,

Steve Shelley


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## derekleffew

For whatever reason, Amazon has recently issued a $19 price reduction.
Amazon.com: A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, Second Edition (9780240811413): Steven Louis Shelley: Books


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## derekleffew

The following quote was copied here from the thread How do i figure out the size of my school auditorium?:

rochem said:


> I've had my new copy of the second edition lying around for the past few weeks as I haven't had time to actually crack it open. Last night I finally found a few minutes and quickly looked through to see what was new. His "Define the Performance Facility" section is brilliant!.



While I wouldn't use the term "brilliant," I will say it is very thorough and comprehensive. 
Something about the Second Edition just doesn't sit right with me. I don't think texts should be a narrative on how to light a production. It's no longer a "practical guide"; it's now an epic novel, and a _hokey_ one at that.


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## rochem

derekleffew said:


> Something about the Second Edition just doesn't sit right with me. I don't think texts should be a narrative on how to light a production. It's no longer a "practical guide"; it's now an epic novel, and a _hokey_ one at that.



You definitely make a valid point. At over 400 pages, it certainly isn't a "quick reference guide" - and taken by itself as an entry-level lighting book, it probably has very little to offer. I spent much of last night and most of today looking through the second edition, reading everything that was added or revised and refreshing my memory on some of the old material, and I really liked what I found. I think the reason why I really liked the first edition, and why I like the second edition even more, is that it fills a niche that no other book does. I have at least three or four books on my shelves which all tell me basically the same things about color theory, angle of light, using texture, plotting a show, and so on and so forth. However, the vast majority of the topics covered in Shelley's book are not covered in any other books that I have been able to read.

As I said, this probably would not make a good book for a brand new lighting designer, or for the guy who loves to light his community theatre productions, but doesn't want to go any further. Also, this book may not be as helpful to industry professionals who have been working at the highest level of the industry for years. However, for someone in my position, a student who has had only limited professional experience but hopes for more, this book is a gold mine. Shelley goes into great detail about creating a shop order and working with the shops, and he gives suggestions on how each type of system of instruments should be focused. He also writes from the perspective of having a paid crew and a large creative team, something that very few younger designers have experience with. Overall, his book is filled with the little tips that you probably don't think about, but that end up saving lots of time or frustration in the long run. 

Personally I like the idea of a single "narrative" with lots of information. I know that if I have any questions about how to format paperwork, or how to focus my head-highs to get the most even coverage, or really anything else about the "technical" side of lighting design, I can refer to this book. On the other hand, if I have a question about which colors will look best together, or what kind of instrument would give me the effect I want, I know to look anywhere but here. Shelley (probably intentionally) does not include any insight into how he actually designed this fictional show - and I am glad of that. There are many, MANY other texts which describe every intricate detail of plotting out a show, and I really don't need yet another one.

My negative thoughts on the text: While I appreciate the detail into which he goes when describing solutions to common problems, there are some instances where it's just a little _too_ in-depth. A perfect example: the "Masking Snafu" described on pages 308-315. While it is a problem that could easily arise, I don't think creating two charts and two to-scale section views is the best, most efficient way to solve the problem, especially when you're in the middle of a load-in and the crew is waiting for direction. There seems to be a number of these overcomplicated responses to relatively less complicated problems, although I suppose overcomplication is better than oversimplifying the issues and leaving readers confused. I also wish that he had kept some moving lights or scrollers or other non-conventional gear in the final plot, so that those topics could be addressed in the later chapters. As technology is advancing rapidly, moving lights are becoming more and more common even on small-budget shows, and having a conventional-only rig seems unlikely in the large-scale professional market in the near future. And finally, my biggest pet peeve is that he puts programs like Vectorworks and AutoCAD under the title of "Computer Lighting Design Software".


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## derekleffew

And a minor plot point/continuity issue--did I miss the part where the existing house console somehow morphed from an Expression1 to Expression3? Page 98, Page 184. I may have been in the washroom during that part.


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## rochem

derekleffew said:


> And a minor plot point/continuity issue--did I miss the part where the existing house console somehow morphed from an Expression1 to Expression3? Page 98, Page 184. I may have been in the washroom during that part.



I gotta tell ya Derek, I've always been mildly impressed by your ability to include relevant glossary or wiki links into a large percentage of your posts. But this one definitely beats them all.


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## derekleffew

Thanks. Comes from having no life and spending every waking moment on the Internet and reading theatre books. I don't recommend it.


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## masterelectrician2112

Anyhow... I just opened the package from amazon today! Can't wait to start reading it!


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## MrTemplate

Hi folks; 

Steve Shelley here. First, Derek, i **think** you're absolutely correct. i say **think** only because i'd have to read huge chunks of the text again to figure out where i got crossed up; in the first edition, the house console was an Expression 1. in the beginnings of the second edition, the idea was to keep some of the movers after the cuts in chapter 6, so i changed the house console to an expression 3 to more easily dea with that programming--but after i submitted the manuscript 6 months late, they told me i was 150 pages over. in the melee [and without a hard editor] that anomaly fell through the cracks until it was caught by you. i'll mark it for correction in the next reprint. whenever that is....

and by all means, please let me know if you spot any other anomalies, misspellings, or just general bad grammar/concepts/whatever. without a hard editor, i was stuck putting this together by myself. and no matter what you think, after you have read the same thing five times, it all looks like mush.

to rochem, aka michael; the masking snafu was based off an ill-fated load-in into the Doolittle Theatre in LA, trying to put Patrick Stewart back onstage in his one-man Christmas Carol in four hours less time than we had at the Broadhurst in New York. and if you can tell me how to more quickly determine how to jenga the wrong masking in the right place in less than 30 minutes, while they're trying to lay the dance floor and you're trying to spike the stage, please let me know. 

as i state in the beginning of the book, what's included in the book isn't necessarily the best or smartest way to do any of this stuff. it's just the fastest way that i could figure out how to deal with the challenges placed in front of me at any particular time. in this second edition, i decided to include at least one real story of the load-in going south, in order to provide one way to deal with an immediate challenge. sorry if it didn't meet your needs.

yep, i wish i could have kept some of the more intelligent gear as well. but having to cut over a hundred pages, i had to make some hard choices. with luck, there will be the third edition to address all of this.

finally, sorry i commited the sin of listing both vw and autocad as "Computer Lighting Design Software". it seemed like a more elegant way of mentioning them, as opposed to "Place the Pillow Against the Brick Wall Before Using These Programs" topic listing.

please do post any other thoughts or comments you have. while i can't do much about the current edition, as i said, with luck there will be another edition. maybe then i can put the rest of the gear back into the final plot.

all the best,

shelley


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## DanAyers

Steve... 

Have you given any thought to providing those 150 pages as an online-only bonus chapter(s)?

A quick password like, the first word on page 247 gets you access to download the pdf... might make for a intersting read at little cost.

Dan


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## ptero

reduce


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## SteveB

rochem said:


> A perfect example: the "Masking Snafu" described on pages 308-315. While it is a problem that could easily arise, I don't think creating two charts and two to-scale section views is the best, most efficient way to solve the problem, especially when you're in the middle of a load-in and the crew is waiting for direction. There seems to be a number of these overcomplicated responses to relatively less complicated problems, although I suppose overcomplication is better than oversimplifying the issues and leaving readers confused.



Having had the pleasure of working with Steve on 2 occasions, I can testify that this is Steve's style. "Why make it simple" might well be his motto. 

He's one of those rare individuals who's constantly asking WHY ? and is always seeking to be more efficient and better at what he does. His ability to create paperwork also been refered to as one of the reasons for the rapid decline of the Amazon Rain forest.


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## MrTemplate

DanAyers said:


> Steve...
> 
> Have you given any thought to providing those 150 pages as an online-only bonus chapter(s)?
> 
> A quick password like, the first word on page 247 gets you access to download the pdf... might make for a intersting read at little cost.
> 
> Dan



hi dan;

initially the thought of an online download seemed like an viable idea. until i started editiing. sadly, the 150 pages are not contiguous; i cut chunks from research, chunks from the advance section, chunks from creating the prelim section and light plot, and so on and so on. even worse, i did it in two phases. at that point time was so short that it turned into triage. recreating what i started with is going to be daunting if they ever want to go for another edition. thanks for the thought, though. i'll keep it in mind when i run out of things to do. right now that's not very likely though.

all the best,

shelley


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## shiben

MrTemplate said:


> finally, sorry i commited the sin of listing both vw and autocad as "Computer Lighting Design Software". it seemed like a more elegant way of mentioning them, as opposed to "Place the Pillow Against the Brick Wall Before Using These Programs" topic listing.



Hey now. As a young person round here (college level), I have been using AutoCAD since my freshman year of HS, for me, using a paper and pencil to draft is a much more difficult and time consuming task. Although I can do it, given the choice I will be behind a keyboard to do most drafting. Hell, I can sketch on my computer using Sketchup about as fast as I can make things by hand (for similar quality). 

Overall, I have liked the book. As was mentioned above, it is useful to learn about the things that I dont learn in class, like what happens when the show is overbudget and you need to start cutting things, or how a shop might want a request to come in (as opposed to walking over to the meat rack and looking at what I have to work with), and other things like that. I have to ask tho, is it common practice in the industry to print everything multiple times? I tend to use paper as little as possible, and have dual 500GB backup hard drives running at all times for redundancy. It seems silly to me to try and wrestle with thousands of pages of paper when I can pull up every version I have ever created in whatever program I am using for paperwork. 

Also, the musical actually sounds like one I might want to see... Any chance of that being produced?


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