Product Description

A virtuoso in the field, Max Keller has set new standards of technical and artistic excellence. In this book he divulges his extensive knowledge of every aspect of stage lighting, from natural phenomena and the history of light in the theater, to Goethe and Runge's theories of color, to the fundamentals of optics and projection. This revised edition of Light Fantastic includes new images from Keller's most recent productions as well as completely updated information on optics, lamps, lanterns, projection and lighting consoles. In more than 600 stunning photographs and illustrations, the power of Keller's expertise shines through, making this a visually exciting and highly informative work for those involved in theater technology. An accompanying DVD features Keller's lecture held at institutions worldwide.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #64688 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-30
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 239 pages

Dramatics, January 2001
"What makes it stand out from the rest of the lighting books on the market is its sharp, full-color pictures."

Choice, July 2000
A painstakingly researched and copiously illustrated treatment of theatrical lighting design…An excellent sourcebook on lighting design."

About the Author
MAX KELLER is an internationally acclaimed designer and consultant for productions on some of the world’s most celebrated stages, including the Metropolitan Opera House, the Royal Opera House, the Salzburg Festival and The Munich Kammerspiele.

Customer Reviews

Awesome book!
I got this for my boyfriend for Christmas (he's the technical director for our theatre company) and he said it's a great book. I was hoping it would have more pictures of stages with different lighting designs (you know, like pictures taken during performances so you could see the designs in action), but a lot of the pictures are more technical -- diagrams and things. There are still a lot of really neat pictures though, and out of all the books I looked at getting for him, this is hands-down the best one I found. It's hard to find good lighting books, but I think most of the reviewers were correct when they said this is the best book on the subject, and well worth the money. It's also an attractive enough book that it can make a good coffee table book.

This is the best lighting book I have ever looked at.
Keller is an absolutely amazing designer. The photos in this book will open up your eyes to the realm of possibility of lighting composition as a fine art. The techincal info is extremely helpful and I would suggest all people who are interested in lighting design buy this book. There are better books out there on the theory of design, but not as colorful as this one, which makes it stand out for me.

Truly Beautiful Book....
Readers here should note that this is a book concerned with the "European Aesthetic" and techniques of Theatre Lighting.. not to say that it doesn't apply in the US - it does! - but it's not how "Theatre Lighting" is usually taught in the USA! But as I'm from Europe - I say, if you're REALLY interested in the full range of possibilities of theatre lighting, this book will OPEN your eyes to more options!! MUST read. Worth every penny. ChrisP.