I get asked, pretty frequently, to recommend reading resources for my line of work (entertainment live show design). Here you will find a constantly updated list of the books and I have found useful, across a variety of related subjects. They are grouped by category. Enjoy!
Creativity
The Accidental Creative – Todd Henry
Art Before Breakfast – Danny Gregory
The Artist Within: A Guide to Becoming Creatively Fit – Whitney Ferre
Brain Storm: Unleashing Your Creative Self – Don Hahn
The Collaborative Habit: Life lessons for Working Together – Twyla Tharp
The Creative Fight – Chris Orwig
The Creative Habit – Twyla Tharp
Drive – Daniel H. Pink
The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything – Sir Ken Robinson
One Little Spark – Marty Sklar
Start With Why – Simon Sinek
Steal Like An Artist – Austin Kleon
Taking The Leap – Cay Lang
General
Backstage Handbook – Paul Carter
The Business of Theatrical Design – James L. Moody
Careers in Technical Theatre – Mike Lawler
Digital Technical Theater Simplified – Drew Campbell
Stagecraft Fundamentals – Rita Kogler Carver
Starting Your Career as a Theatrical Designer – Michael J. Riha
Audio
Live Sound Mixing – Duncan R. Fry
Sound Check: The Basics of Sound and Sound Systems – Tony Moscal
Sound Systems: Design and Optimization – Bob McCarthy
Automation
Automation in the Entertainment Industry – Mark Ager & John Hastie
Mechanical Design for the Stage – Alan Hendrickson
Theatre Engineering and Stage Machinery – Toshiro Ogawa
Concert/Touring/Event
Access All Areas: A Real World Guide to Gigging and Touring – Trev Wilkins
Concert Lighting: Techniques, Art, and Business (third edition) – James L. Moody
Freelancer’s Guide to Corporate Event Design – Troy Halsey
Control/Data
Control Freak: A Real World Guide to DMX512 and Remote Device Management – Wayne Howell
Lighting Control: Technology and Applications – Robert S. Simpson
Practical DMX – Nick Mobsby
Show Networks and Control Systems – John Huntington
Rock Solid Ethernet – Wayne Howell
Costuming
Costume Design – Barbara Anderson & Cletus R. Anderson
Costume Design: Techniques of Modern Masters – Lynn Pecktal
Costume Designer’s Handbook – Rosemary Ingham & Liz Covey
Costume Craftwork On A Budget – Tan Huaixiang
Character Costume Figure Drawing – Tan Huaixiang
Design/Drafting
Autocad: A Handbook for Theatre Users – David Ripley
Computer Visualization for the Theatre – Gavin Carver & Christine White
Designer Drafting for the Entertainment World – Patricia Woodbridge & Hal Tine
Drawing and Rendering for the Theatre – Clare P. Rowe
From Page to Stage: How Theatre Designers Make Connections Between Scripts and Images – Rosemary Ingham
Fundamentals of Theatrical Design – Karen Brewster & Melissa Shafer
Scenic Design and Lighting Techniques: A Basic Guide For Theatre – Chuck Gloman and Rob Napoli
Showcase: Developing, Maintaining, & Presenting A Design-Tech Portfolio for Theatre and Allied Fields – Rafael Jaen
The Handbook of Techniques for Theatre Designers – Colin Winslow
Scene Painting Projects for Theatre – Stephen Shirwin
Electricity
Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician and Technician – Richard Cadena
Ugly’s Electrical References – George V. Hart
Wiring Simplified – HP Richter and WC Shawn
Lighting
Automated Lighting: The Art and Science of Moving Light – Richard Cadena
The Automated Lighting Programmers Handbook – Brad Schiller
Basics: A Beginner’s Guide to Stage Lighting – Peter Coleman
A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting (Second Edition) – Steven Louis Shelley
Stage Lighting Design: The Art, The Craft, The Life – Richard Pilbrow
Media Servers for Lighting Programmers – Vickie Claiborne
The Assistant Lighting Designer’s Toolkit – Anne McMills
Makeup
The Makeup Artist Handbook – Gretchen Davis & Mindy Hall
Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen – Todd Debreceni
Wig Making and Styling – Martha Ruskai & Allison Lowery
Rigging
Entertainment Rigging: A Practical Guide for Riggers and Designers – Harry Donovan
An Introduction to Rigging in the Entertainment Industry – Chris Higgs
Stage Rigging Handbook – Jay O. Glerum
Scenery
Stock Scenery Construction Handbook – Bill Raoul
Scenic Art for the Theatre – Susan Crabtree & Peter Beudert
Structural Design for the Stage – Alys Holden & Ben Sammler
Special Effects
Basics: A Beginners Guide to Special Effects – Peter Coleman
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