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Design Innovation Summer Institute – Lighting and Sound

Express ideas creatively through light and sound

Explore the art of light and sound for the theater

The Lighting and Sound Summer Institute is a two-week, UC credit-bearing intensive for students interested in lighting and sound for theater. This program provides opportunities to work with our faculty in classes such as Introduction to Lighting Intensity, Form, and Direction, Electrics Programming, and Drafting for Theater.

Students will learn the technical components of breaking down a script and the art of collaboration while gaining hands-on experience in curating research, communicating ideas, and expressing creative intent. This program is designed for a student at any level who seeks the additional discipline and training required for participation in an educational theater setting and a career in the entertainment industry.

Participation in this institute is open to pre-college students.

Fees and Payment Info

The program fee includes the unit fees for the UCLA coursework offered as part of the program and thus varies by UC student status. The program fee also includes the cost of UCLA Housing (for mandatory housing programs). In addition to the program fee, students are assessed other campus and administrative fees during the summer. This is a summary of fees that commonly apply to the selected student type.

Actual tuition and fees are subject to change by the University of California. Visit the fees, payment, and financial aid section for important disclaimer, as well as more details on fees, payment instructions, and information on delinquency, refunds, and financial aid.

 

Program Fee
$4,070.00
Registration Fee
$350.00
IEI Fee
$61.00
Document Fee (for first-time Summer Sessions students)
$50.00
Total Estimated Fees:
$4,531.00
* Fees only apply for certain student types

Meet your instructors

Gabriel Rodriguez

Instructor

Gabriel Rodriguez works as a Lighting Designer, Moving Light Programmer, Educator, and Mentor for both educational and regional theatre. He is currently working towards an MFA in Design for Theater and Entertainment at UCLA.

Previous credits include The Box at the Fox Riverside, Center Theatre Group, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Lewis Family Playhouse, Ruskin Group Theatre, The Pasadena Playhouse, Disney Cruise Line, Atlantic Theater Company, IRT Theater, Hudson Guild Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Public Theater / New York Shakespeare Festival, Ma-Yi Theater Company, 59E59 Theaters, The Geffen Playhouse, Shotgun Players, UC Riverside Theatre, Film, & Digital Production, Azuza Pacific University of Theater Arts, Pepperdine University of Theatre Arts, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and UCLA Theater, Film, and Television. www.designbygabe.com/

Rebecca Kessin

Instructor

A New York native, Rebecca Kessin grew up surrounded by the arts.  The daughter of a Julliard publicist, one of her earliest memories is sitting in the press row watching a modern dance performance.  After seeing the cast perform at the Tony Awards, she begged her parents to take her to see City of Angels.  Despite the show being slightly too mature for a seven year old, they did, and she was hooked!  Seeing the half color, half black and white set was the first time Rebecca realized that “stage magic” could exist.

As a teenager she was an active member of the Calhoun On Tour Theatre Company, a magnet arts program.  Rebecca continued her education at SUNY New Paltz, studying both theatre performance and design technology.   It was at New Paltz that she discovered sound design, and quickly recognized her passion and aptitude for the medium.  She graduated Cum Laude in 2004, and three months later moved across the country to begin her MFA at CalArts.  It was here that she began to understand sound design not just as utilitarian, but also an exciting narrative medium.  Rebecca’s CalArts friends and classmates (sometimes known as CIA Mafia) remain some of her most cherished collaborators.

After graduation, Rebecca remained in the Los Angeles area, relocating to East Hollywood and deciding to never deal with winter again.  Thirteen years later, the area is still her home.  In that time, Rebecca has established herself as a sound designer regionally.  She is proud to be a part of Los Angeles’s vibrant theatre scene.

When Rebecca is not in a theatre she enjoys traveling, especially anywhere with good diving spots.  She is an accomplished vegan baker and a home pickling enthusiast.  In 2015 she ran her first marathon, raising funds for Westside German Shephard Rescue.  Yes, she often does wear sunglasses inside.

Rebecca teaches at Los Angeles City College, where she greatly enjoys mentoring young designers.