Robert Dickinson (Lighting designer)

Robert Dickinson (born July 25, 1954) is a preeminent lighting designer for television. His career, spanning decades, has focussed on awards shows, music shows, game shows, talk shows, and special events, which make up his over 1500 on screen television credits. In 1990 Dickinson founded Full Flood, Inc., a consortium of lighting designers and directors of photography for the multi-camera television industry. Dickinson has been involved with many high profile shows, including the Academy Awards, multiple Super Bowl Halftime Shows, multiple Olympic Opening Ceremonies, the 2010 Shanghai Expo, among others.

Dickinson was born in the UK before moving to Kansas at the age of two. Shortly thereafter his family moved to Southern California where he remains to this day. Dickinson's break into the industry came when joining the stagehands union. He quickly moved into lighting direction, working under industry leader Imero Fiorentino. His breakthrough show Solid Gold garnered him his first Emmy win at the age of 29, and was the catalyst that lead to an exploding career in Television Lighting.

In 2005 Dickinson was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University.

Dickinson pioneered the use of moving lights in television lighting design, starting with the 1983 Academy Awards. He is known for his "ceiling of light" approach, and the use of floor lights. On key lighting, Dickinson says: "I have a tendency to take risks. I don't key light in a predictable manner; I do it in an appropriate manner. "

Large Scale Events

• Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games Opening, Closing and Medals Ceremonies
• Shanghai Expo 2010 Opening Ceremony
• Five Democratic National Conventions: 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000 and 1996
• Opening Ceremony of the 2007 Special Olympics in Shanghai, China
• Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies
• Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic Games Opening, and Closing Ceremonies
• Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies

Awards Shows

• The Academy Awards
• The Grammy Awards
• The Primetime Emmy Awards
• The Daytime Emmy Awards
• The Tony Awards
• The Country Music Association Awards
• The Kids’ Choice Awards
• The American Music Awards
• The Academy of Country Music Awards
• The Golden Globe Awards
• The Billboard Awards
• The Comedy Awards
• The ESPY Awards
• The BET Awards
• The BET Hip Hop Awards
• The NFL Honors
• The Scream Awards
• The Kennedy Center Honors
• The American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award

Television Specials

• The Miss USA Pageant
• The Lincoln Memorial Inaugural Concert at Inauguration 2009: “We Are One”
• An Inauguration Celebration 2009: “The Neighborhood Ball”
• VH1 Divas
• VH1 Rock Honors
• Christmas in Washington
• Five Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows
• Thirteen Super Bowl Halftime Shows featuring such singers and musicians as:

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince, The Rolling Stones, U2, Aerosmith, ‘N Sync, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, Nelly, Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Savion Glover, Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, The Temptations, Queen Latifah, The Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman and Jim Belushi), ZZ Top, James Brown, Diana Ross, Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, The Judds and Michael Jackson

Television Series

• Conan on TBS
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show
• The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
• Duets

Installation

• The Shanghai Corporate Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010

Concerts and Music Events

• James Taylor “One Man Band”
• The Eagles “Hell Freezers Over”
• Harry Connick, Jr. World Tour
• Harry Connick, Jr. Live on Broadway
• Fleetwood Mac “The Dance”
• Celine Dion “These Are Special Times”
• Ricky Martin “One Night Only”
• Jessica Simpson “Tour Of Duty”
• Justin Timberlake “Down Home In Memphis”
• Willie Nelson “Willie and Friends”
• Harry Connick Jr. “Christmas Special”
• ‘N Sync “The Atlantis Concert”
• 'N Sync "‘Ntimate Holiday Special”

Live Events Adapted To The Screen

• Neil Diamond “Live At Madison Square Garden”
• Shania Twain “Shania Up! Live In Chicago”
• Cher "The Farewell Tour"
• Barbara Streisand’s Millennium Concert “Timeless”
• The Backstreet Boys “Larger Than Life”