Mark Mahaney
| Howard M. Brandston |
Brandston has never been shy about sharing his opinion, and this has served him well as he has carved out one of the most prolific careers in architectural lighting design. His interest in lighting started with theater. In grammar and high school, he was actively involved in productions, but soon discovered that his talent lay behind the scenes developing sets and lighting. As a college student in the theater department at Brooklyn College, he excelled in designing lighting sequences for shows. Lighting equipment and controls were still somewhat rudimentary, and Brandston was fueled by an innate curiosity that dared him to imagine what lighting could do that might not have been done before. One such instance for a production led him to call theatrical lighting expert Stanley McCandless, who in turn invited him to his office to discuss the project. Brandston designed and built the projector that he used for the show, but the more important outcome was the relationship he built with McCandless. After graduation, Brandston became McCandless’s assistant and the world of lighting opened up.
Click here for the 2001 Hall of Fame interview with Howard M. Brandston.
Click here for an interview with Brandston on the subject of education.
