Awards & Training

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DWR Lighting Wokshop offers basic background for industry newcomers

Tue, 02 Aug 2016 12:17

Duncan Riley and Dave Whitehouse


DWR Distribution recently held a Basic Lighting Workshop in Johannesburg, presented by Dave Whitehouse and Gareth Chambers.

The two-day course was condensed into a day for the event, emphasising the definition and objectives of lighting design, examining core principles, like visibility, composition and mood, and giving an overview of where to start, the science of light, as well as health and safety.

“Because the industry companies are so busy, they don’t’ have time to teach students and guys going into the industry the basics,” Whitehouse said. “All this course is, is a bridging course between what they’ve picked up second-hand and what the theory behind it is.”

“We get a lot of guys doing this course who are either just coming into the industry or they’re interested in going into the industry and it’s kind of taking a step back and looking at the basics again, because they go to a job and they just do that job, but they don’t know why they’re doing that job.”

According to Duncan Riley, owner and director at DWR Distribution, industry training is very important in South Africa.

“There is such a need for training in the country,” he said. “There are so many passionate people in the industry, but many don’t know the basics and there are very few places where they can go for short, one day courses.”

What is also very important for a course like this one, according to Riley, is the fact that it is not related to a specific product.

This training course also marked the last time Whitehouse presented a course before his departure from DWR Distribution.

“Leaving is a sad thing for me. Though Mike and Gareth will be carrying on the training after I’m gone I have really enjoyed running the course and training is one thing I’m going to miss, because I have a passion for the industry and I want people to start off on a good footing,” Whitehouse said. “Many of the attendees have been thrown into the deep end in the industry and if this course gives them something to work from, then I walk away happy.”

According to Riley, Whitehouse’s departure is not only a loss for the company, but also for the South African entertainment industry as a whole.

“I met Dave back in the early 1990s, when he was still working at Calite with my father, so we always worked together and we always knew each other and we started our professional relationship from there,” he said. “He has been such an amazing part of this team. Not only are we going to miss his skillset, but most of all we’re going to miss his amazing personality and what he is for the industry.”





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