Award winning lighting designer Patrick Woodroffe, OBE visited the College recently to talk to students on the BA (Hons) Lighting Design programme about his hugely successful and varied career.
Patrick is a Honorary Fellow of Rose Bruford College and a strong supporter of the Lighting Design programme, guest lecturing on the course as well as offering placements and internships for students on a range of projects.
Over the last forty years in the world of contemporary music alone, Woodroffe has lit artists as diverse as ABBA, AC/DC, Bob Dylan and Lady Gaga, Depeche Mode, Elton John, Raquel Welch, The Eagles, Stevie Wonder, Take That and the Rolling Stones!
The work has led to performances in some highly unusual places, from the Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janiero, where The Rolling Stones played to the largest audience ever assembled for a rock concert, to The White House in Washington where Paul McCartney played to President Obama, and Buckingham Palace where the Queen celebrated her Golden Jubilee with a concert in the grounds of her house.
As well as live performance lighting Patrick has also lit a highly eclectic collection of special events including international music festivals, couture fashion shows, industrial trade presentations, charity dinners and national inaugurations. In 2012 Patrick was the lighting designer for the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the London Olympic Game.
In film Patrick has worked with many different directors and producers including Martin Scorsese on the Rolling Stones feature Shine A Light. His work was featured in Michael Jackson’s This is It, the film of the ill-fated tour for which he also conceived and designed the lighting.