I. Lighting basics
Articles we were supposed to read where:
Video Lighting: High Definition Lighting
A. Hard light shows texture (like folds in clothes, craters in moon)
1. Depending on where camera positioned, if positioned from where sun coming from (craters disappear), as sun angled edge on we see the craters (we see texture of surface)
B. What is a cookie?
1. It’s a shadow maker – a piece of cardboard, foam core, or metal
cookie is short for cookilorous (spell?), we can make it seem as if sunlight hitting venetian blinds in the room, lights with blue gell, we can simulate sun light
2. Other advantage with cookies, its a cheap way to create background. If plain blank wall, put gel, and then cookie over light
C. What’s umbrella in light kit?
1.Either reflective or diffusive umbrella
2. reflective – bounce light off
3. diffusive – shine light through
(both are to soften light) (?)
D. How can I soften sun light?
Using a giant piece of mash as a diffuser, to break up sunlight, put talent below a tree (what video says)
1.But the problem with using trees, trees move – light leaks in. Treat limbs create their own shadows, big shadows moving across subject’s face.
2. Quickest cleanest diffuser in wide area outdoor, a basic white bedsheet (will do exactly same job – two people, mounts, clamps, c-mounts, etc)
II.. Lighting for video
Watch session closely
I will have you guys doing basic lighting set up with HD cameras
A. Typical light kit
3 lamps, one for key, fill, and back light, and a fourth for set
There are stands for lights
barn doors to control spill of light
and a light meter (need)
Other items:
Duvateen (black felt, blocks,)
Position key light, above head of subject (45 degree angle – trying to emulate the sun. 4 or 5 above the head of subject)
Soften key light with diffusion material or umbrella
Third and final light, c-stand,
back light
4th lamp with colored gel -
remember about backligting, don’t do too steep an angle, unless lighting in both sides (need far enough so that light spreads out without creating a hotspot)
(part of what we’re doing is creating a triangle)
Make sure lights high so shadows get thrown on the floor as opposed to on the wall
Do your adjustment based on what you see in the monitor (what the camera and what you see are 2 different things) – you want to look through camera’s eye (that’s what audience will see) (look at LCD or display) – not based on your eye
You can use standard home depot work light (has its own stand) you can buy for 25 bucks, work just as well.
Why do people buy the professional?
If you can afford your own light kit, all tools match, they’re interchangeable, all fit in nice kit (that’s an advantage to having something you’ve put togehter) – you’ve got to create a way to transport it and put it away safely.
If don’t have enough money for light kit (go to home depot), you can get a trunk.
You can get large suitcase with wheels and handles, put foam in it, or blankets, wrap up.
Incadescent lights, fluorescent lights, these days they’re making LEDs light small. Now they’re making LEDs and fluorescent built for working in television, they’re color temp corrected (3200K, 5000K, etc)
Most cameras now will compensate with shutter control and minor adjustment (1/60 or 1/50 depending. Shoot in shutter speed, magic ratio is 1/48. 1/60 might shoot to manage flicker factor or fades in theatre) 1/60 is standard for most cameras
Black Wrap – very flexible and flexible, can be used over and over. Can use it forever. You can get it at professional video places (it’s like black tin foil)
If not, just get tin foil.
Black wrap or tin foil, you can use it as a really specific kind of barn door, if want light to go to a pin point, wrap around light source, create cone (more likely wrap around barn doors (go around barn door, not necessarily light). Advantage Some air coming in b/w barn door and light source (space in door, to dissipate kheat)
Some people take thick cardboard, layer with thick foil and use as barn doors with clamps.
(guerilla tools)
Lighting in studio easy b/c great control
In location, someone’s home or office, even shooting during day time
light intensity and color temp
light intensity (sometimes room to dark)
manual iris control – open iris (if doesn’t work)
slower down shutter speed – make brighter picture (but may make shaky images moving fast)
If subject by window, face will be dark, turn subject so that window is to one side, windo will be key light, put reflector to fill in hard shadow
Look in room to find lamps. Replace lamps to hottest wattage bulbs they can handle.
If need higher wattage lamps
check circuit breaker – displace load accordingling
most plugs will be 1500 w
look at wattage on instrument
common watage for lighting instrument, on lower end
150
250
300
650
1k
2k
If you got (2) 650s, you’re good on that one circuit. Don’t get two close on 1500 limit, b/c computers or other things might be plugged in on circuit. (ACE hardware or home depot, pick device lets you know how much wattage being used in circuit by plugging in to plug)
Having an awareness to what you’re using in terms of the load of your instruments and what you’re putting in (not per plug, but per circuit)
(may have to run down the room or down the hall, living to kitchen, ex)
Not bad idea, if going to building have them take you where the circuit breaker is.
Most avg circuits will be 1100
Anything special load (to tie in, need electrical expert, to tap into a 220 power source – like where oven connected – need be serious electrical expert)
Or bring in your own generator (factor be aware of generators is noise factor – single engine airplane or lawnmower)
Put it in covering of some kind, or outside where you can run cords back in
circuit breaker –
if you trip the circuit, the switch will kick to off, you have to switch of on, try all them off
to bring it back
gafers tape, clips, clamps, extra video tape
Can take bright lamp point on white ceiling, will flood area with bright white light soft to area. Be aware of where positioning light, if light ot center, but angle it up to maximize the spread. If too intense talent will get racoon eyes. want soft look that mininmize…
Kelvin Temp Scale
2k fire light
3k incadescent light (3200K is studio ligtining)
5,500k sunlight at noon
6,500 average sunlight
8k clear sky
concerned about 56k outside and inside
(exclude sunlight in room so that every light in room same temp – take out that white card)
blue gel, slide in front of camera (white balance) – fool camera to warm shot up.
Auto-white balance – tricky when there’s mixed light (camera will change color temp, won’t balance for outdoor light if balances under incandescent light)
Outdoor Nighttime Lighting
Jungle books – different kind of cells a company sells – big enought to trick camera for effects (example need warm up a shot – blue gel, or cool it up – red gel)
You can find this in gafers grip tricks
Outdoor nighttime lighting
very little control, postion talent in creative or unorthodox ways
consider availability of electricity
(May need battery powered light, better than shooting no light)
On camera light (against all dark background – looks like mug shot),
(Cedric says) better, try to have some things in background that are already lit, if buidlign restaurant that’s lit in background, try position talent so in one side, with soft focus will reduce that cop look.
16:9 angle so (car headlights, have them turn it on for the shot)
videographer nightmare – dark skin people with light clothes on a bright day.
(entirely a contrast issue)(you want to use the strongest ND filter that you’ve got)
If moving around, want to get tighter shot, want reduce background that causes the contrast issue (bunch them as closely together as can, focus entirely on them, eliminate background, the tighter you are on them, better at decreasing the contrast problem of background)
(Videomaker – a magazine – I highly recommend getting a subscription. They do product reviews, target market is consumers and prosumers. not talking about 200k cameras, but cameras from 500 to 5k. They do product reviews, articles on various aspects of video production..
videomaker.com
I. The importance of circuit breakers
-Make sure you know where the circuit breaker is, make sure you have access and don’t go over 1500 Watts.
If you trip the circuit the switch will actually kick out and all you have to do is switch it back on. Back in the day it was fuses.
II. Lighting
In a pinch you can point the light at the white ceiling and it will reflect the light. If it’s too intense the talent will get racoon eyes. You know a soft look so it minimizes the shadow.
Kelvin scale
Firelight -> incandescent bulb => 3200 K is studio lighting
You’re concerned with 56 k outside, 3200 Kelvin inside.
If the white balance is off, set white balance to a darker part of the room. If someone is kind of blue you can warm them up by using a blue gel and set your white balance to that red. That is a ‘warming card” you’re fooling the camera to thinking that’s white.
Lighting outside
Buy foam core as a fill out
Using a diffuser or bed sheet to decrease light so that subject is lit with the backgroud
Use portable lights.
Use foam core to balance out a subject who is backlit.
A jungle book has different colored gels that a company has available. But the samples are just big enough to light a camera.
Shooting outside at night
Picking a location, try to have a place to plug in, electrical outlet
Lot of Ambient lighting
Battery-powered lights
On-camera lights
Using available light
Positioning subject to simulate key light, spill lights, etc.
-Be aware of distracting hotspots when using lighting tactis
Recommendation, get a subscription to videomaker magazine!
