Lighting Design
Program Philosophy
The lighting program at SCPA is a Career Technical program. Students will learn through a series of classes that challenge the student both mentally and physically. Securing a career in the field of entertainment lighting requires students to be both fit of mind and body. For every one lighting designer there are tens to hundreds of people fulfilling the needs of the designer.
SCPA provides the students with in-house experience in all areas of lighting. Students operate all equipment for all the shows from lighting board; follow spot, dry ice machines, fog machines, hazers, and stage practicals.
I encourage and work with the theatrical community to use our students outside of our school productions. Several students have skipped post secondary education and began working in the field of lighting immediately after graduating from SCPA.
We educate by doing and by making mistakes. Making mistakes is a valuable part of educational process.
Arts Assessment
The introductory class and the Lighting 1 class usually involve a hands-on project (psycho-motor skill). Two or three weeks into a semester I will give out the project to be completed. Some are take home, but most are tasks to be completed in front of instructor with a time limit to gauge mastery. Lighting 2 Design students are giving scripts or music and students must complete a written design or program lights to the music.