lightingtechniques.pptOff-Camera Flash and Strobes

lighting

2. Lighting Techniques

3. Lighting Aesthetics
•Responsibility of the lighting director or director of
photography (DOP)
•Part of the visual narrative’s design
•“painting with light”

4. Uses of Light
•Illumination
•Mood
•Guide our attention
•Texture and Shape
2 types of shadows
•Attached
•Cast
Attached
shadow
Cast
shadow

5. 4 Major Features of Filmic Lighting
(From the book Film Art by Bordwell & Thompson)
A.Quality
1)Hard – clearly defined shadows/ light and dark
areas
2)Soft – diffused illumination, soft shadows,
indirect or indistinct lighting
3)Harsh – extreme differences between light and
dark areas, high-contrast image

6. 4 Major Features of Filmic Lighting
(From the book Film Art by Bordwell & Thompson)
B.Direction
1)Frontal Light
2)Side Light
3)Back Light
4)Under Light
5)Top Light

7. 4 Major Features of Filmic Lighting
(From the book Film Art by Bordwell & Thompson)
C.Source
1)Artificial – includes bulbs, glow sticks, diodes
and other man-made light sources
2)Natural – includes sunlight, moonlight, fire and
other naturally occurring lights
NaturalArtificial

8. 4 Major Features of Filmic Lighting
(From the book Film Art by Bordwell & Thompson)
D.Color
1)Apparent Color – color as observed by human
eyes
2)Color Temperature – color based on equivalent
temperature against a black background;
represented in ºK (degrees of Kelvin)
Common Color Temperatures
•Tungsten  3600 ºK
•Daylight  5600 ºK
•Fluorescent  5400 ºK
©MediaKit 2004©MediaKit 2004

9. White Balance
Calibrating the video camera to register/ represent the
correct colors given the lighting of a particular shot.
Why balance with White? White Light is composed of
relatively equal amounts of all the colors in the visible
spectrum.
What you need…
Clean white sheet of paper
OR white towel OR white shirt
back
Find the White Balance
Selector and set it to the
manual setting… the icon
looks like this:
White Balance Presets
Tungsten
Daylight
Manual

10. 3-point Lighting
•Most basic professional lighting set-up
•Incorporates the essential light sources
and directions
•Allows for expansion and
experimentation
•Provides the foundation for setups that
may include from 4 up to 100 lights
•In real life there is usually only one or two
light sources… 3-point lighting creates
illusion of “reality” for the camera

11. Components of the 3-point Lighting Setup
•KEY light
•Main source of light
•Brightest light source striking a subject from the
camera’s viewpoint, hard quality
•Provides good modeling or texture of subject
when placed 30 or 40 degrees away from the
camera-subject axis
©MediaKit 2004©MediaKit 2004

12. Components of the 3-point Lighting Setup
•KEY light techniques
•The higher the position the lesser shadows are
created in the background
•Flat presentation: light same height as camera
•Mysterious, light is placed lower than the
camera
©MediaKit 2004©MediaKit 2004
Images from American History X

13. •The minimal use of fill lights create
“Low key lighting” used in Film Noir
and other “dark” genres

14. CHIAROSCURO:CHIAROSCURO:
Play of light and shadow;Play of light and shadow;
literally means “dark face”literally means “dark face”
In Italian, “chiaro” means clear or light and “oscuro” means obscure
or dark. So, in very simple terms, chiaroscuro is the Italian term for
describing a technique where light and dark are used together in a
visual medium – the juxtaposition of light and dark. In other words,
contrast!
Contrasted against
shadow for extra
dramatic effect
Well lit face
area…

15. Components of the 3-point Lighting Setup
•FILL light
•Secondary source/
balances off the key light
•Provides general illumination
to the set
•Helps “fill-in” some of the
shadows created by the fill
and reduce contrast
between light and shadow
areas
•Usually placed at camera
height or just slightly above
to fill-in shadows
•Usually on the opposite side
of the camera from the key
light
•Determines significant
emotion and mood

16. Components of the 3-point Lighting Setup
•BACK light
•Known as “separation light” separates
subject from background, creates
depth
•One or two separation that complete
the 3-point lighting triangle or four
point rectangle
•Usually placed above and behind the
subject to create a halo effect that
outlines the subject separating it from
the background
•Strong backlight creates a bright halo
effect

17. PARTS OF THE LIGHT
•800 watt Ianiro “REDHEAD” Light
Barn doors
Accessory
holder & lock
Tilt lock
Reflector
control
neck
Neck
clamp
Riser
locks
Power
cord
Switch
Head
casing
Spreader

18. Parts of the Light
•800 watt Ianiro “Redhead” Light
Protective
screen
Bulb
Reflector
Barn door
clip
©MediaKit 2004©MediaKit 2004

19. OTHER COMMON LIGHTING SYSTEMSOTHER COMMON LIGHTING SYSTEMS

20. KINOFLO - Has low power
consumption, light control
with barn doors and louvers,
flicker free ballast and can
match to daylight, tungsten,
or existing florescent.
OTHER COMMON LIGHTING SYSTEMSOTHER COMMON LIGHTING SYSTEMS

21. HMI- Hydrargyrum Medium
arc-length Iodide daylight-
balanced so they emit light
at a color temperature of
5600K meaning that they
emit 'bluer' more natural
looking light.
They also have the
advantage that they are
more efficient so they don't
get as hot as conventional
tungsten lights.
OTHER COMMON LIGHTING SYSTEMSOTHER COMMON LIGHTING SYSTEMS

22. SUN GUN – daylight balanced, can be attached to
video camera esp. during ENG’s or electronic news
gathering
OTHER COMMON LIGHTING SYSTEMSOTHER COMMON LIGHTING SYSTEMS

23. Lighting Accessories
Reflector
paper (car
shade)
Color gels
(red, green,
midnight blue)
Diffuser
(a.k.a.
“tracing
paper”)
Full CT-Blue Tungsten to Daylight
Conversion gel (light blue)
Full CT-Orange Daylight to Tungsten
Conversion gel (light orange)
Scrim
(2 densities available)
Neutral Density
Filter (gray)
Cuts down light
intensity by 1/8

24. Reminders and Care Tips
•Setup and lock the light stand before mounting the light head
•Open barn doors before switching light on
•Call out “LIGHTS” before switching light on
•LOOK AWAY from bulb when switching on
•Make sure neck and stand are always locked before releasing lights
•Always have PRESENCE OF MIND when working around lights
•DO NOT MOVE or JAR the lights when on, you might burn out the bulb/ cause it to explode
•Use SAND BAGS or WEIGHTS to steady the stand
•Always switch off lights before moving
•Keep or Place unused lights in the box or safe area
•Barn doors and accessories become VERY HOT when used, be very careful, use gloves if
you want

25. Using the Lighting Plot
Name of
the setup,
scene or
effect being
set up
Layout of
lights and
other
equipment
to set up
the shot
Notes
regarding
the setup
OPTIONAL
Detail of
special
setups or
effect
OPTIONAL
What the
shot should
or will look
like on
camera
You may digitally illustrate this
Using AutoCAD or Photoshop
or manually with colored pencil drawings

26. 1-3What Are The 3 Kinds Of Quality In Filmic Lighting
4 Secondary Source/ Balances Off The Key Light
5 Known As “Separation Light” Separates Subject From Background, Creates Depth
6 An Italian Term Play Of Light And Shadow; Literally Means “Dark Face”
7 Color As Observed By Human Eyes
8 Calibration Of Camera To Register/ Represent The Correct Colors Given The Lighting Of A
Particular Shot.
9 DOP Stands For
10 Extreme Differences Between Light And Dark Areas, High-Contrast Image
11 Includes Bulbs, Glow Sticks, Diodes And Other Man-Made Light Sources
12 Color Based On Equivalent Temperature Against A Black Background; Represented In ºk (Degrees
Of Kelvin)
13 Includes Sunlight, Moonlight, Fire And Other Naturally Occurring Lights
14 Main Source Of Light
15-184 Major Features of Filmic Lighting
19 What is the common temperature of Daylight
20-22Components of the 3-point Lighting Setup
23-242 types of shadows
25 To Provides good modeling or texture of subject how many degrees will take when placed away
from the camera-subject axis
Instructions: Please write your answers on your ¼ sheet of paper.