Light Talk with The Lumen Brothers

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk about everything from Cue Server to Director Talk. Join Ellen, Dennis, Steve, and Stan as they pontificate about: News from Dallas and Bobby Hale; The futility of lighting black drapes; The production design of "The Studio"; What Ozzy really thought of Spinal Tap; Apple's "For All Mankind"; How to understand "Director Speak"; Workin...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK with The Lumen Brothers and Sister, as part of our "Young Designers Series", the Lumen Family interviews Production and Concert Touring Designer Cort Lawrence . In this episode, Cort, Ellen, Steve, Dennis, Zac, and David discuss: Working with immersive video screens in design; Using AI in design development; Programmers and designers using AI to scan audio tracks to f...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK with The Lumen Brothers and Sister, as part of our "Emerging Young Artists Series", the Lumen Family interviews Broadway Lighting Designer Colleen Doherty. In this episode, Colleen, Ellen, Steve, Dennis, and David discuss: The Prime Time Emmy cinematography and lighting winners; Trump's Emmy; Starting as a performer in Florida; Undergrad and Graduate School Days; Gett...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK with The Lumen Brothers and Sister, the Lumen Family interviews Lighting Entrepreneur and "Geezers of Gear" podcaster Marcel Fairbairn. In this episode, Marcel, Ellen, Steve, Dennis, and David discuss: Being the Poorest guy in Wellington;  GearSource; Musical roots; The "Rock Mass"; Early days at Martin; Crazy parties; PAL 1200 and RoboScan stories; Ticket Bots; Dinin...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk about everything from Mystery Budgets to Missing Professors. Join Ellen, Dennis, Steve, and David as they pontificate about: Vectorworks says: "Thanks for the invite... but...."; The differences between an Assistant and Associate Lighting Designer; What do you do when your Superstar lighting professor is rarely at school; Knowing wh...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk about everything from Rising  Vectorworks Prices to Dennis' Lighting Injustices. Join Ellen, Dennis, Steve, and David as they pontificate about: Dancing in the Dark; The new Sphere Wizard of Oz show; Extensive uses of Gobos; Creating a stained glass look on a window; Paying attention to the playwrights' lighting notes; Designing the...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk about everything from Being Attracted to Triangles to The Village People. Join Ellen, Zac, and David as they pontificate about: New time for "Light Talk at LDI"; Zac's new appointment as one of USITT's Digital Media Commissioners; Making the world safer for projections; Lighting Zones; Odds vs. Evens; Striving for a "Hot Center"; De...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK with The Lumen Brothers and Sister, the Lumen Family interviews Lighting Programmer/Designer and Tech, Matt Schiller. In this installment of our "Young Designers' Series", Matt, Ellen, Steve, Dennis, and David discuss: Getting started right out of high school; Telling Mom and Dad that you are going on the road; Doing the PRG Internship; Touring with Diddy; Safety issu...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK with The Lumen Brothers and Sister, the Lumen Family interviews Lighting Designer Mextly Couzin. In another installment of our "Young Designers' Series", Mextly, Ellen, Dennis, and David discuss Mextly's amazing and meteoric career. Mextly describes her fearless journey from earning a Pure Mathematics degree to designing her first Broadway show. Tons of wise words and...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk with stage designer and Professor of Scenic Design at San Francisco State University, Michael Schweikardt. Join Michael, Ellen, Dennis, Steve, and David as they discuss the Passing of Legendary Theatre Artist Robert Wilson; and The ever-changing landscape of budget, enrollment, workload, and expectations that are affecting the futur...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk about everything from The "Ellipsoidal of Death" to  Poking Pigs. Join Ellen, Dennis, Steve, and David as they pontificate about: Upcoming deadlines; The Billy Joel documentary; How should a resident lighting designer or assistant prepare for a visiting guest designer;  Our favorite lighting fixture; "Shower Curtains Can Be Your Bes...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk about everything from Creating the Illusion to Remembering Ozzy Osbourne. Join Ellen, Dennis, Steve, and David as they pontificate about: David and Snoot's wedding report; Our memories of Ozzy; Royal Castle burgers in a box; Tomorrowland fire; How to choose your colors while using subtractive and additive mixing; Remounting shows an...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk about everything from Facebook Lighting Group Wars to Getting Drunk in Catalina. Join Ellen, Dennis, Steve, and David as they pontificate about: David's upcoming wedding; The Brouhaha occuring with lighting groups on Facebook; How to get more attention from your lighting professor; Undergraduate students in graduate classes; "Extra...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk with lighting designer and author Brad Schiller.  Join Brad, Ellen, Dennis, Steve, and David as they pontificate about: David and Snoot's European Adventure; The Virgin cruising experience; Studio School of Design's live classes; Brad's first experiences with light; Brad's new position at GLP; Brad's Showlight lecture; Sticking ligh...

In this episode of THE BEST OF LIGHT TALK, the Lumen Brothers and Sister welcome lighting designer Paule Constable to the show.   Join Paule, Anne, Steve, and David, as they discuss: The challenges to having a career and a family, Paule taking her flatmate's followspot job, The continuing fight for gender equality in the lighting industry, Superman's telephone box, Renewing your spirit, The hubris...

In this episode of THE BEST OF LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers interview "The Godmother of Projection Design", Wendall Harrington. Join Wendall, Zak, Steve, and David as they pontificate about:   Being the first projection designer on Broadway; "Stop Making Sense"; Trailblazing gender rights in the theatre; "They're Playing Our Song"; Video vs. Slide Projectors; Loving and missing Pani's; "The Who'...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, as part of our "Young Designers Series", The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk with lighting designer Paul Radasseo.  Join Paul, Ellen, Dennis, Steve, and David as they pontificate about: Wedding ideas; Favorite TV shows for lighting design; What Paul learned at Ithaca College; The decision to pursue broadcast lighting design; Getting into the business in NYC; First pro...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk about everything from The Tony Awards to Stinky Cheese.  Join Ellen, Dennis, Steve, and David as they pontificate about: Welcome back Ellen!; Report from Design Showcase West; Report from Showlight; Join the Club! Dennis makes a mistake!; Out of control submasters in broadcast lighting; External Validation; Comments on The Tony Awar...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister kick off their "Young Designers Series", focusing on the challenges that young designers face when starting their careers. Today they talk with lighting designers Kelsey Araghi and Keegan Webber about starting their challenges and successes in starting their careers in professional lighting design. Join Kelsey, Keegan, Dennis, Zak, Steve...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers talk about everything from High Testosterone to Horror Stories from the USA 829 Practical Exam.  Join Dennis, Zak, Steve, and David as they pontificate about: Report from the National Portfolio Review; Dennis' Lee Watson experience at the Union Exam; Transfering the lighting of stage plays from theatre to television; Projectors vs. LED walls in the...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers talk about everything from Annoying Assistant Directors, to the "LDI 2025 Light Talk After Dark Party". Join Dennis, Steve, and David as they pontificate about: Making sure Snoot is happy; Sister Ellen having fun at Showlight; National Design Portfolio Review and Design Showcase West; Classes you should take and other opportunities to learn broadca...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk about everything from Finding a Job on the High Seas, to Fireworks Shortages. Join Ellen, Steve, and David as they pontificate about: Clay Paky mergering with EK; Wild trade shows in Italy; Size matters; Researching your artistic "instruments"; Finding a summer job on a cruise ship; "For the Love of Thespis, can we just enjoy a nigh...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk about everything from Directors and Producers Altering Intellectual Property, to The Power of The Playwright. Join Ellen, Steve, and Stan as they pontificate about: Masking and Sightlines; Why are Americans terrified of Rakes?; European Paperwork; Edible Softgoods; and Who owns your work? Nothing is Taboo, Nothing is Sacred, and Ver...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers talk about everything from Tharon's Magic, to The Coming Death of Academic Freedom for America's Educators. Join Steve, David, and Stan as they pontificate about: The reduction of scholarships for Undergraduate Design/Tech students; The weeding away of support for higher education; How to create subtle lighting cues; The "TB Profile"; "Color with a...

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers and Sister talk about everything from Keeping your Atmospheres Beautiful, to Our New Color, "Olo".  Join Ellen, Steve, David, and Stan as they pontificate about: Girls on the Town!;  A new color no one has ever seen before;  New hope for Color Blindness; More news from Texas; Best technques for lighting an orchestra;  Lighting toilets in grand Cent...