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W. James Tetlow, ASTC
Principal Consultant, Lighting Designer
  • B.F.A. Carnegie-Mellon University
  • American Society of Theatre Consultants
  • Illuminating Engineering Society
  • Showlight International Committee Member
  • Themed Entertainment Assoc. TEA
  • National Association of Television Arts and Sciences
  • International Cinematographers Guild

Mr. Tetlow is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and has been working as a lighting designer and consultant for television, theatre, and architecture since 1975. He was the co-founder of Nautilus Entertainment Design Inc., and is currently a Principal Consultant and Lighting Designer.

He is a member of the American Society of Theatre Consultants, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, International Photographers Guild #600, The Illuminating Engineering Society, and the Showlight International Committee Member.

His awards include a 1990 Emmy Award for the lighting of “Sesame St.”; a 1987 Monitor Award for “Courting”, an original studio drama; and a 1985 Monitor Award for a music video with Jim Henson's Muppets. Additionally, he has received two other Emmy Award nominations and three other Monitor Award Nominations.

Live television credits include The 1992 “Democratic National Convention”; The 1984, 1988 and 1996 “Republican National Conventions”, the “Daytime Emmy Awards”, the NBC “Olympic Broadcast Center” in Barcelona, and The “Miss America Pageant” and seven years of the “Miss Universe Pageant” from locations around the world. Other television credits include such diverse productions as “The Tonight Show”; “Sesame St. at the Metropolitan Museum of Art”; The “Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular”; “Life Magazine's 50th Anniversary Special”; and the world premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's “Requiem” for the BBC.

Live special events include the Hong Kong and Macau Handover Ceremonies, numerous Presidential Inaugural Balls, the World University Games and the “Singapore 25th Jubilee Spectacular.”

He has served as lighting consultant to the Commission on Presidential Debates and has lit every debate from 2000-2020.

Architectural lighting design projects include both the interior and exterior lighting of the Silver Star Hotel & Casino in Philadelphia, MS, special architectural feature lighting onboard the Holland America ship “Rotterdam IV”; and the Fountain of Angels in Carthage, Missouri.

Unique projects include the redesign of the architectural lighting of the Senate Chamber and the House Chamber in the United States Capitol, and the lighting consultation for the restoration and video upgrade for multiple House and Senate Hearing Rooms.

In 1993 and 1994, Mr. Tetlow consulted for Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, providing lighting training and design services for new studios and upgrading current facilities.

In Las Vegas, he has designed the lighting for “Night Dreams” at the Dunes Hotel, relighting of selected scenes in the “Folies Bergere”, and the 10 year run of “Enter the Night” at the Stardust. Similar projects include the production of “Beyond Belief” in Sun City, South Africa and numerous productions onboard various ships for Carnival Cruise Lines.

Mr. Tetlow has also worked extensively as a lighting designer on corporate videos and live theatrical productions for such clients as General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, Daimler-Chrysler, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Michelin, Polaroid, IBM, and an interactive live/video presentation with Mummenschanz for AT&T.

Exhibit lighting designs include the entire General Motors exhibit for the years 2007 -2013 for the Detroit Auto Shows, Hewlett Packard exhibits at CES and at ITU, IBM and Apple exhibits at COMDEX, an AT&T exhibit at EPCOT, and temporary exhibits for Porsche, Universal Pictures and Sony HDTV.