LIGHTING
The technique of adding
light and color to a scene
Lighting
• Approach:
• Consider the effect you want to
achieve... bright & open, dark &
mysterious, shadowy and intimate,
'natural,’ soft/harsh
• then devise a method for achieving it.
Other factors
• talent movement (sitcoms lit brightly to
accommodate movement on 'stage'...
lighting generally not key to story)
• type of production - hard news,
magazine/depth interview style,
narrative
Other factors
• goals of production
• availability of equipment and time
constraints
Lighting Units (fixtures,
housings)
• Spots
• focused beam, bright, intense
• lamp (bulb) moved to focus/flood beam
• very common
Fresnel (freh-NEL)
Barbizon link
• Very common studio and field light
• Adjustable bulb - slides back and forth
within the light housing
• Special lens at front of light - circular
pattern adds both focus and diffusion to
the light beam
Ellipsoidal (Leko)
• complex lens system
• very precise, less common, studio only
Barbizon link
External reflector spot
• ”Field" light w/moveable bulb
• Very common in field production
• 1000W Lowel DP Light
• Chimera Soft Box
• 650W fotolite
• Barn doors
• 250W Lowel Pro Light
• Umbrella mount
Flood
• diffused light, reduces/fills shadows
• scrim can be added to increase
diffusion
• Scoop -fixed" bulb, soft light
• Broadlight - "box" shaped, may have
many lamps, used in studio or field.
• Lowel Tota light - 650W
• Often used w/umbrella
• Built-in barn doors (2, not 4)
Elements (bulbs)
• INCANDESCENT - typical light bulbs,
yellowish color
• QUARTZ/HALOGEN - very bright and
hot
• 3200K
• - handle w/care: use gloves, oils from
hands can ruin bulb
• HMI - halogen-metal-iodine - 5600K
• bluish light, not as common
Mounting devices
• Lighting grid - mounted on ceiling,
12-20 feet high (studio only)
• C-clamp (studio) - connects to grid
• Light stands (field) - tip easily, use
sandbags if possible, be careful when
extending fully
• Various field light clamps - ceiling
clips, door mounts...
Brightness control
• Studio lighting control panel - all
lighting inputs controlled from panel
• Dimmers - in-line power controls which
enable lights to be dimmed (make sure
light wattage doesn't exceed dimmer
capacity [e.g., 600 watts])
Diffusion devices
• Goal - soften light and shadows, reduce
harshness
• Reflector umbrella - light faces away from
the camera, bounces off of umbrella (think
'senior portrait').
• Soft box - nylon box mounts to lighting unit
with a wire frame, white material softens light
• Diffusion gels - different materials which
soften light, connected with clothes pins or
gel frame
Diffusion continued
• Bounce light off the ceiling/wall to create a
diffused light on the subject.
• Bounce-fills - white/gold nylon on
expandable frames to bounce light onto fill
side of subject. Very useful in the sun or with
only one light.
• - put bounce on opposite side of key light
• - use a C-stand if possible
Diffusion continued
• Silks/scrims (some bounce fills can do
this too)
• Reduce the amount of sunlight falling on
talent (creates shade) a C-stand if
possible
Direction control
• Barn doors - fit onto lighting unit, help
"shape" light
• Snoot - same, circular pattern ('coffee
can' on front of light helps really narrow
beam)
Color Gels
• colored acetate mounted on front of light
• adds color to light
• can be used to 'correct' color (turn tungsten to
daylight temp or vice versa)
• CTO - orange, makes daylight warmer
• CTB - blue, makes lighting units match sunlight
LIGHTING TECHNIQUE
• 3-POINT LIGHTING - basic method
• KEY LIGHT - main light source on subject
• focused, tight beam
• creates strong shadow
• vertical angle: 30-40 degrees
• too low - reflection, shadows on wall
• too high - shadows on face
• side angle: 15-30 deg. to side of camera
• Instruments - Fresnel, ellipsoidal, external
reflector
3-Point Lighting cont’d.
• FILL LIGHT - soft, diffused,
• - opposite side of camera from key light
• - removes shadows from KEY
• Elements: scoop, broad, flooded
Fresnel or external reflector w/diffusion
• One person's key can be another's fill.
3-Point Lighting cont’d.
• BACK LIGHT lights the back of the
subject
• highlights edges, back, hair
• separates subject from the background
• higher angle than others - 45-50 deg.
• so it won't spill into camera lens
• can be mounted low (rim light)
OTHER LIGHTING TECHNIQUES
• BACKGROUND lighting
• - lights the 'background'
• - be selective and careful, light
separately
• - color helps separate subject from
background
• - gobos, 'cookies' can shape light, add
patterns to light
OTHER LIGHTING TECHNIQUES
• KICKER - low level light, lights specific
item or area on set
• Trend is toward lower overall light
levels, more naturalistic lighting
Some basic lighting suggestions:
1. Be very aware of the direction, color and
intensity of light when setting up on
location.
• Where is the light coming from?
• Can it be controlled, eliminated?
• What color is it? Is outside light bleeding
in? What can we do about it?
• Is light too intense? Too soft? How can
this be adjusted?
Some basic lighting suggestions:
2. Don't set lights until camera position
and talent position have been
determined. Don't set camera and
talent until lighting issues have been
considered.
3. Make sure you look through the
viewfinder when determining proper
light levels (don't just use your eyes).
Some basic lighting suggestions:
4. Do NOT plug lights and cameras into
the same outlets. Buzz/hum.
5. Never plug a light in with the switch in
the ON position (ALWAYS turn lights off
before plugging in).
6. Warn people that you are turning lights
on so that they don't get 'blinded' by the
light. “STRIKING!”
Some basic lighting suggestions:
7. Use gloves to handle lights once they
have been turned on - housings get
very hot very fast.
8. Never touch the bulbs with bare hands,
oils will cause them to break.
Some basic lighting suggestions:
9. Light foreground and background
separately. Light from main lights
should NOT also light the background.
• Provide plenty of room between subject
and the background.
• Light the background with separate
units.