QolorTOPIX Podcast Episode 2: Brandon Stirling Baker

QolorTOPIX Light Conversations by City Theatrical

We have an amazing guest for our second episode of QolorTOPIX Light Conversations podcast: Brandon Stirling Baker!
Brandon Stirling Baker is an award-winning lighting designer working internationally in the areas of theatre, opera, and dance. His work can be seen on stages throughout the United States and abroad including Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Australian Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Opera Philadelphia, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Miami City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Dance Theater of Harlem, Philadelphia Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Semperoper Dresden, Staatsballett Berlin, and many others.
Baker is best known for his extensive collaborations with director and choreographer Justin Peck where they have collaborated on over 30 premieres world-wide since 2010. Baker’s recent collaborations include new works by Savion Glover, William Forsythe, Sufjan Stevens, Jamar Roberts, Michelle Dorrance, Pam Tanowitz, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Lauren Lovette, Tiler Peck, Shepard Fairey, Daniel Buren, Eva LeWitt, Marcel Dzama, Stephen Powers, Shantell Martin, and Benjamin Millepied.
In 2019, Baker was featured at the Guggenheim Museum Works & Process in a program dedicated to his work titled “The Choreography of Light”. He was appointed Lighting Director of the Boston Ballet in 2018, and is the recipient of the Knight of Illumination Award and Lotos Foundation Prize.
Mr.Baker studied at the California Institute of the Arts, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland and the Yale School of Drama as a Special Research Fellow in design.
QolorTOPIX Light Conversations podcast is hosted by City Theatrical General Manager Al Crawford. Learn more at www.citytheatrical.com/qolortopix

QolorTOPIX is hosted by the City Theatrical Marketing team. The podcast series will explore the lives of amazing practitioners of light, with the goal of discussing their careers, projects, favorite tools, and vision for the future of the lighting industry.

Chapters

1. QolorTOPIX Podcast Episode 2: Brandon Stirling Baker (00:00:00)

2. Introduction (00:00:05)

3. Bio: Brandon Stirling Baker, Lighting Designer (00:00:40)

4. Welcome, Brandon! (00:02:40)

5. Feels like home (00:04:00)

6. How did you start working in light? (00:04:40)

7. Lighting Artist (00:06:48)

8. When did you decide dance was for you? (00:07:25)

9. What's new and exciting to you? (00:10:10)

10. Can you tell us about lighting work outside of dance that inspires you? (00:13:20)

11. Are there things that you've dreamed about being available to you as a lighting artist? (00:15:40)

12. How to describe color? (00:17:50)

13. How are you embracing LED? Are there challenges? (00:20:15)

14. Naming Light Color vs Gel (00:23:20)

15. Quick Fire Questions (00:24:10)

16. QolorFLEX or the other stuff? (00:25:03)

17. Shout outs? (00:25:39)

18. Are you enjoying this career? (00:27:19)

19. Thank you! (00:28:45)