Lighting

Due to also being involved in another UCA engagment with fashion Atelier I was not able to make Wednesday 25th May and get involved with the lighting of the film set however I came in the next morning for group 1's lesson on the lighting.

HEALTH AND SAFTEY:

• Use gloves when moving the barn doors for both spot and flood lights to avoid burning your hands as they get very hot.


• As some of the lights have 3 tiers and as they become very tall, they are the top head and can fall over easily. To avoid this sandbads are placed over the legs at the bottom to keep them stable.


• Lights must be placed the right way round on the stands and all wires must never be placed in front of or cover the radiator at the back of the light.


• Be aware of any cables on the floor.

NOTES ON LIGHTING:

• The Lighting can help create illusions, shadows can distort the set and fool the audience.


• To make certain Stills or films work is all in how we control the light. What is it that we want to be controlling?


• Through the use of different lights we are able to contorl: The colour, direction, intensity, harsh and soft lighting, the mood and certain compositions.


• The differentce between harsh and soft lighting: HARSH: Harsh and sharp shadows are created, the light is pretty solid. SOFT: The light is often bounced off a board to create a more subtle highlight and produce a more defused look.

VIDEO: We can control:

• Aperture- How wide of small the lense is made, the smaller the aperture the less light is allowed through the lense.


• Changes in Depth of Field - The focus for example: The person in front of the camera in focus whilst the background is blurred and visa-versa.


• Composition

STILLS: We can control:

• Shutter speed- How quick the picture is taken, with a slow shutter speed there is often a slight blur.


• Aperture- Exposure to light


• ISO- sensitivity to light

GELS: We can control:

• Gels are put infront of the light to change the colour, the light shines through the gel.


• The gel is clipped onto the barn doors in font of the light. The barn doors must be pushed slightly forward for then to be clipped.


• The gels can be layered to create different colours.


• Colour correction


• Sets the mood

SCRIMS:

• Put in front of the light and place between the light and the barn doors. The barn doors must be off to allow the scrim to be put into place.


• Stops down the light- As people get closer to the light the brighter they become.


• Scrims can make the light apear softer.


• Scome scrims are cut in half to create different efftects.

I found this mornings lesson very informative and look forward to being able to take part in lighting next time.