All kinds of lighting design software are available today, the benefits of CAD and visualisation tools are undeniable. On Stage Lighting regularly hears from first time lighting designers including BTEC students, asking the best way to draw lighting plan. This article looks a the basics of planning a lighting design and the real purpose of drawing a good stage lighting diagram.
*Note that there are CAD video resources at the On Stage Lighting YouTube channel, including tutorials on Vectorworks and AutoCAD.
Rob Sayer HND PGDip FHEA is a Senior Lecturer in Technical Theatre Production, mentor, and consultant in stage lighting and education. As a professional lighting designer, Rob designed and programmed theatre performances, music festivals and large corporate events for blue chip companies while travelling all over Europe. With a background in theatre, he combines traditional stage lighting knowledge alongside fast moving lighting and video technology in the world of commercial events.