HOW-TO, Techniques, & Best Practices Channel
Lighting vs. Illuminating
By Jeffrey M. Hamel
posted Mar 25, 2008, 11:03
Tips from a Lighting Director
Click here to get a copy of the July 2006 Edition, so you can read and enjoy all of the excellent articles inside. Check out this article in the July 2006 print edition of StudentFilmmakers magazine, page 18.
Jeffrey M. Hamel has 20 years of lighting experience as an
accomplished Lighting Director and Gaffer. Jeff has worked as
Lighting Director for major networks, national TV commercials and
for many world leaders. The list includes Former Secretary of State
Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, Mikhail Gorbachov, Former President
Clinton, Former Vice President Al Gore, Current President George
W. Bush, Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry, and Vice
Presidential Candidate John Edwards.
Tips from a Lighting Director
You light with the lights you have, not the lights you wish you
had. As a gaffer or lighting director you spend time making a wish
list of lighting equipment for each scene or job. Most of the time
this is an exercise of futility because either the DP has a lighting kit
that he or she insists on using because they get a rental out of it or
someone “above the line” decides which lights you get based on
budgetary restrictions.
Whatever the situation is, you never have all of the lights you’d
like to do the job. The difference between a good gaffer and a
great gaffer is knowing how to best use the lights that are on the
truck or in the studio in order to achieve the DP’s vision.
Available lighting is utilizing whatever lighting exits at a location
such as sunlight, recessed lights, under cabinet lighting, etc. These
lights may need to be gelled, diffused or shut off to make the scene
lighting work. In some cases it is best to gel your lights to match
the color temperature of the sources that cannot be controlled.
When you are called upon to perform miracles you have to know
what lights you have at your disposal and how to make the most of
it.
Do not confuse “available lighting” with “every light available”.
If you don’t need to use a light…DON’T! If you “over light” then
you are an illuminator not a lighter. As an LD or Gaffer you need
to create lighting that makes the scenes look three dimensional on
a two dimensional medium. If you over light then everything
becomes flat and boring. Anyone can turn on a bunch of lights, it’s
the placement and control of lighting that will set you apart.
Gaffers and electricians make light; and key grips and grips
control light. As a general rule anything that has an electric cord
fall into the electrician’s department, and anything that is for
rigging, safety, camera mounting and physical light control falls
under the grip department. When a light is placed and focused by
the gaffer or an electrician, then a grip will control or cut
unnecessary light from a scene using a stand and a flag or a
diffusion frame. If the light requires black wrap, gel, diffusion or
anything attached to the head then the electricians take care of it.
When you create light, you create shadow. This combination is
what adds drama, interest, suspension and dimension to the scene.
A properly placed shadow is what defines a well lit scene. Single
source shadows are as natural as one sun; it’s the multiple shadows
that amplify the look of being over lit and unnatural. Shadows can
be hard or soft depending on the treatment of the light falling on
the scene.
One basic rule when it comes to lighting people’s faces is the
softer the light the better. With few exceptions any light hitting a
face should be from a soft source. Light striking the back, side of a
person’s face or body can be a hard edge and really make the
scene “pop”. Hard sources are generally known as “big lights far
away” such as an 18k HMI up on scaffolding outside a window.
The other approach would be a smaller light, say a 5k Fresnel
placed closer to the talent to mimic a larger source.
Soft lights can be large sources that utilize the same 18k or 5k
but through a 20 X 20 soft good such as a silk or muslin. Most
sources can be softened, but in some cases the light source itself is
soft to begin with.
Emerging technology both in the speed of film stock and HD
cameras are spawning next generation lighting equipment as well.
For example, the introduction of LED lighting has reached a new
benchmark with the launching of the Z50 by Zylight.
Zylight introduced the newest LED technology in April at the
NAB show in Las Vegas. The Z50 is a computer that generates
color changing light, has standard built in pre-set 3200k /5600k
color temperature and wireless Zylink technology.
Light weight, quality, cutting edge technology and scalability all in the palm of your hand is the light of the future.
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