I must give you a slight back story on myself to help connect all of the dots. In 1955 I was born with Poland's Syndrome, an anomaly which did not allow me a left hand. Being an only child as well, my parents just hovered over me and I really kind of lived in this little bubble of love and kindness. My parents also provided me with strength and determination in my young life and I have never viewed myself to be any different.
In grammar school I was a good student, but I had problems with the teachers more than the students because of my hand. One teacher actually said to me "ten years ago they put people like you into institutions". Yikes, what a thing to hear from someone that is supposed to be nurturing you. But I guess that he did teach me that I needed to stand up for myself.
At fifteen my cousins took me to a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young concert and the lighting just blew me away. Later that night at home I told my parents that I wanted to be a lighting director. Over the next year I read books and articles on lighting design, the career of Jean Rosenthal was a big inspiration to me. I also went to concerts, befriended and picked the brains of the great lighting directors of the day, Mike Tait comes to mind, he lit the band Yes and he was very open in speaking with me about the craft. By the time that I was sixteen I received a $5000.00 loan from my parents, with the money I purchased theatrical lighting and along with a friend built a lighting console. And for the next two years I lit anyone that would have me. Then at eighteen I went to Photography School and by the time that I was twenty-two I was touring the world as a lighting designer/director.
The culmination of my thirty plus years of practical experience, combined with my studies in photography led me in the year 2000 to work as a HD camera operator, director and writer. Since that point I have completed over one hundred productions.
In grammar school I was a good student, but I had problems with the teachers more than the students because of my hand. One teacher actually said to me "ten years ago they put people like you into institutions". Yikes, what a thing to hear from someone that is supposed to be nurturing you. But I guess that he did teach me that I needed to stand up for myself.
At fifteen my cousins took me to a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young concert and the lighting just blew me away. Later that night at home I told my parents that I wanted to be a lighting director. Over the next year I read books and articles on lighting design, the career of Jean Rosenthal was a big inspiration to me. I also went to concerts, befriended and picked the brains of the great lighting directors of the day, Mike Tait comes to mind, he lit the band Yes and he was very open in speaking with me about the craft. By the time that I was sixteen I received a $5000.00 loan from my parents, with the money I purchased theatrical lighting and along with a friend built a lighting console. And for the next two years I lit anyone that would have me. Then at eighteen I went to Photography School and by the time that I was twenty-two I was touring the world as a lighting designer/director.
The culmination of my thirty plus years of practical experience, combined with my studies in photography led me in the year 2000 to work as a HD camera operator, director and writer. Since that point I have completed over one hundred productions.
No comments:
Post a Comment