Patryk_Rebisz
Veteran
I'm teaching a lighting workshop at Columbia university sometime next week and even though i have done those a few times already this is the first time i'm gonna give away a handout, thus i would appreciate any comments and suggestions based on what i have so far:
We light for 2 reasons: to see something in the frame (exposure) and to give some 3-dimensionality to an object on a flat surface of the screen. The 3-dimensionality is reinforced by showing which surface accepts light and which surface is hidden in the shadows (taking light away to keep certain parts in the shadows is also a lighting technique!).
There are two basic lights:
Hard light – any light that creates crisp shadows with easily definable edge.
Pluses:
usually very cheap to buy/rent and cheap to maintain
easy to set up
easy to control what the light should and shouldn't hit (with barndoors)
can be converted to soft light (bounce the light of a white surface or use diffusion)
Cons:
the shadow has sharp edge thus it's very visible/noticeable to the eye (though this can be a plus sometimes)
lights usually get hot (be careful handling it!)
usually require considerable amount of electricity
Soft light – any light that creates soft, hard to define shadows.
Pluses:
the light looks “expensive” as the light "wraps around" the subject
hard to define shadows cover up lighting mistakes
the light usually is more pleasant on actor's faces then hard light
Cons:
hard to control as the light ends up spilling everywhere
takes generally more time to set-up
lighting units are more expensive to buy/rent then hard light
unlike hard light that can be converted to soft light, the soft light can NOT be converted to hard light
Color temperature (white balance):
Tungsten – 3200K – about the color temperature of household light bulb; if in this mode, the camera will see daylight in bluish colors. To match the tungsten lighting to daylight put blue gel in front of the light.
Daylight – 5600K – color temperature of outside light (sun); if in this mode, the camera will see tungsten in orangish colors. To match the daylight lighting to tungsten put orange gels in front of the light.
If in question about the right white balance see where majority of lighting is coming from if from the outside through the windows set the preset to daylight. Most fluorescent-lit scenario will look good with tungsten preset.
Lighting instruments:
Tungsten – hard light (if needed can be converted to soft light), cheap to buy/rent - any hot light (all household non-fluorescent light bulbs)
HMI – hard light (can if needed be converted to soft light); expensive to rent/buy, has color temperature of daylight
KinoFlo – soft light, expensive to rent/buy, has color temperature of either daylight of tungsten
LED – soft/hard light, expensive to rent/buy, has color temperature of either daylight of tungsten
Cinematographer/Director relationship:
Elements of the image-making that can be controlled and influenced by the cinematographer:
what goes in the frame (composition)
lighting (ratio of light to shadows)
depth of field (how blurry the background is in relations to the subject)
colors withing the frame and colors lighting the subject
camera moves
lens selection (wide shots v. medium shots v. closeups)
Elements of the image making that can be controlled and influenced by the director:
casting
staging (how the actors relate to each other within the frame)
performance
how it all interacts in the post production (the edit, the sound mix, the music selection)
General “rules” for genres:
Interviews/docs: frontal soft light, the shots look set-up and in control to give the speaker credibility. Colors and shadow-to-light ratio can be used creatively if the cinematographer is with the project from beginning to the end (thus giving the project certain visual style).
Comedy: soft shadows, very little dark areas, colorful with saturated pallet. Shots are usually on the wider end as comedies are as much about body action as about dialogue.
Drama: soft or harsh shadows, strong contrast, high ratio of light to shadows, the colors could be desaturated. Often the lighting is not perfect to give the illusion of reality. Shot selection is all over the place depending on how dramatic the scene is.
Action: soft or harsh shadows, strong contrast, high ratio of light to shadows, the colors could be desaturated. Often the lighting is not perfect to give the illusion of reality. Shot selection is all over the place depending on how dramatic the scene is. The depth of field is usually large to let the viewer see all the action in the frame.
Sci-fi: soft or harsh shadows, strong contrast, high ratio of light to shadows, the colors could be desaturated. Lots of practical light sources to give the illusion of reality. Shot selection is all over the place depending on how dramatic the scene is.
We light for 2 reasons: to see something in the frame (exposure) and to give some 3-dimensionality to an object on a flat surface of the screen. The 3-dimensionality is reinforced by showing which surface accepts light and which surface is hidden in the shadows (taking light away to keep certain parts in the shadows is also a lighting technique!).
There are two basic lights:
Hard light – any light that creates crisp shadows with easily definable edge.
Pluses:
usually very cheap to buy/rent and cheap to maintain
easy to set up
easy to control what the light should and shouldn't hit (with barndoors)
can be converted to soft light (bounce the light of a white surface or use diffusion)
Cons:
the shadow has sharp edge thus it's very visible/noticeable to the eye (though this can be a plus sometimes)
lights usually get hot (be careful handling it!)
usually require considerable amount of electricity
Soft light – any light that creates soft, hard to define shadows.
Pluses:
the light looks “expensive” as the light "wraps around" the subject
hard to define shadows cover up lighting mistakes
the light usually is more pleasant on actor's faces then hard light
Cons:
hard to control as the light ends up spilling everywhere
takes generally more time to set-up
lighting units are more expensive to buy/rent then hard light
unlike hard light that can be converted to soft light, the soft light can NOT be converted to hard light
Color temperature (white balance):
Tungsten – 3200K – about the color temperature of household light bulb; if in this mode, the camera will see daylight in bluish colors. To match the tungsten lighting to daylight put blue gel in front of the light.
Daylight – 5600K – color temperature of outside light (sun); if in this mode, the camera will see tungsten in orangish colors. To match the daylight lighting to tungsten put orange gels in front of the light.
If in question about the right white balance see where majority of lighting is coming from if from the outside through the windows set the preset to daylight. Most fluorescent-lit scenario will look good with tungsten preset.
Lighting instruments:
Tungsten – hard light (if needed can be converted to soft light), cheap to buy/rent - any hot light (all household non-fluorescent light bulbs)
HMI – hard light (can if needed be converted to soft light); expensive to rent/buy, has color temperature of daylight
KinoFlo – soft light, expensive to rent/buy, has color temperature of either daylight of tungsten
LED – soft/hard light, expensive to rent/buy, has color temperature of either daylight of tungsten
Cinematographer/Director relationship:
Elements of the image-making that can be controlled and influenced by the cinematographer:
what goes in the frame (composition)
lighting (ratio of light to shadows)
depth of field (how blurry the background is in relations to the subject)
colors withing the frame and colors lighting the subject
camera moves
lens selection (wide shots v. medium shots v. closeups)
Elements of the image making that can be controlled and influenced by the director:
casting
staging (how the actors relate to each other within the frame)
performance
how it all interacts in the post production (the edit, the sound mix, the music selection)
General “rules” for genres:
Interviews/docs: frontal soft light, the shots look set-up and in control to give the speaker credibility. Colors and shadow-to-light ratio can be used creatively if the cinematographer is with the project from beginning to the end (thus giving the project certain visual style).
Comedy: soft shadows, very little dark areas, colorful with saturated pallet. Shots are usually on the wider end as comedies are as much about body action as about dialogue.
Drama: soft or harsh shadows, strong contrast, high ratio of light to shadows, the colors could be desaturated. Often the lighting is not perfect to give the illusion of reality. Shot selection is all over the place depending on how dramatic the scene is.
Action: soft or harsh shadows, strong contrast, high ratio of light to shadows, the colors could be desaturated. Often the lighting is not perfect to give the illusion of reality. Shot selection is all over the place depending on how dramatic the scene is. The depth of field is usually large to let the viewer see all the action in the frame.
Sci-fi: soft or harsh shadows, strong contrast, high ratio of light to shadows, the colors could be desaturated. Lots of practical light sources to give the illusion of reality. Shot selection is all over the place depending on how dramatic the scene is.