Dean Collins began his time in lighting & theater when he was 13, and has continued to foster that passion for another 15 years. He studied technical theater at both Grossmont College and University of California San Diego, being awarded the 2020 Stewart Prize for contributions to the program and fellow undergraduates. He has comprehensively studied 3D environments and how to apply current modeling tools and virtual spaces to create cost effective avenues for performance designers to begin work well before they ever enter a venue. This has even allowed for the ability to design a performance venue from hundreds or thousands of miles away. The next year he was able to help the San Diego Opera previsualize lighting and scenic design at an outdoor venue where time and budget were incredibly constrained. He has continued this endeavor even now, 4 years after the pandemic.

While in school, Dean worked for the local stagehand union IATSE 122 as well as for a majority of San Diego-based theaters, working as a designer, electrician and lighting desk programmer.

During the COVID era, Dean found a transition into electrical design and BIM management in architectural engineering. In that time, he was able to lead architectural lighting design projects as small as single acre community parks and as large as multi-billion industrial production facilities. His notable projects include Snapdragon Stadium, Burbank Airport, San Diego Airport, as well as LEGO’s brand new, carbon-neutral U.S. factory, the first of its kind and the newest factory since 1975.

He is a proud member of the U.S. Green Building Council, the Illuminating Engineering Society as well as the International Association of Lighting Designers.