The DV Show...Podcasting the ins and outs of digital video

Quick and Easy Lighting Tips

At a recent American Society of Lighting Designers seminar, Brian Reynolds,
director of photography for NYPD Blue, said this crew is usually pressed for time
when lighting the TV series, so he uses Chinese paper lanterns with 100- or 200-
watt lamps inside to provide scenes with soft general illumination. The lanterns are
placed on a pole and moved with the actor, just outside the frame line. The paper not
only softens the light, but provides a surface to which black tape or aluminum foil
can be attached to control the light's direction.

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Florescent Lighting Problems?

You're shooting video in a large office. The ceiling is covered with fluorescent
lighting fixtures. Your camera can do an acceptable white balance, but the overhead
light is causing bad facial shadows. You need a fill light, but you don't want to go to
the trouble of gelling a quartz unit.

I often recommend the use of portable fluorescent "shop lights" as fills in this
situation. Fred Schuller of Spotlite Video in San Jose has gone a step further in
shrinking the size of his fill light. Fred uses a screw-in adapter to install a circular
fluorescent lamp in a clamp-on work light. The instrument is easily attached to the
top of the camera or some other convenient spot, and provides adequate fill for close-
ups.

I've found that I get improved results by putting a high shine on the reflector with
metal polish. The lamp tube is so big that this increases the instrument's output
without creating hot spots.

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Forgotten Light While Shooting Large Meetings and Conventions

Many of the projects on which I work involve big-screen video support for
conventions, meetings and other events with large audiences. At most of these
events, a great deal of effort and money has been put into spectacular stage lighting
effects to impress the live audience. But lighting for the video is often a forgotten
stepchild. I wish I had a nickel for every time the lighting crew failed to include a
backlight to prevent the speaker's dark suit and hair from blending into what is
inevitable a dark background on the screen. Don't forget that important backlight!

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Lighting Suggestions

If you have an opportunity to do a site survey (highly suggested) take into
consideration the base level of lighting in the areas that you will be shooting. Most
offices are flat lit with fluorescent lighting. Light your scene as you would normally
and then look at the camera with the fluorescent lights on and off. Most cameras
today will make an acceptable white balance combing the yellowish tungsten and the
greenish fluorescent. The flat fluorescent lighting will fill in the shadows in your
scene and if white balance is acceptable, provide an acceptable video level. It's
important to have a monitor with you (that you trust) so you can tell the color
balance that you are getting.

The main lesson that I go by is to try and augment the existing lighting in the scene. I
rarely turn all the existing lights off and completely light with my own lights. The
main reasons that I do that is because of time constraints and also because I can't
carry all the fixtures and accessories that I would need. If you can augment what you
have with a few properly placed fixtures you save time and still end up with the look
that you want.

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Non-Talking Head

Lighting can be an easier task for you-and a less tiring one for your talent-if you use
a silent stand-in, as suggested by Bob Stephanic, an AV specialist at St. Joseph
Mercy Hospital in Clinton, Michigan. A Styrofoam head, traditionally used to
display wigs and hats, can be mounted on a light stand to represent the talent in a
standing or seated position.

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Video Camera ASA

Knowing your video camera's "ASA" or exposure-value rating, is essential when
using a light meter to set lights and to control contrast ratios. Most operating
manuals, however, don't provide this information.

To determine your camera's ASA:

Point the camera at a standard chip chart.
Determine the proper exposure using a waveform monitor; not the f-stop
Replace the chip chart with an incident light meter.
Working backward on the meter, set the exposure at 1/30 of a second and the f-stop
to the lens setting.
Adjust the ASA setting until the meter indicates a proper exposure.

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Adjusting Lights Out of Reach

Tired of lugging around a ladder so you can reach and adjust high lighting
instruments? Cliff Sheman, media producer for St. Mary's Hospital in Richmond,
Virginia, attaches a two- or three-inch hook to the end of a broom handle, creating a
handy tool for fine adjustments of lights and barn doors.

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Lighting for Dark Skin

When shooting people with dark skin tones, "Green is a great background color.
Usually plants and trees provide it. I use a Lowcon filter (Tiffen) to help control the
contrast," wrote Chris Mason of Anguilla, British West Indies. Others said they use
"warming" gel such as Bastard Amber and CTO on the key light to bring out the
texture of dark skin. These cures can, however, change the color of other items, so
use an accurate color monitor and allow time to experiment.

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Golden Hour Lighting

The "golden hour" makes such pretty pictures, and you want to get started as early as
possible. But, exactly when will the sun rise and set on the day of your shoot?
http://www.jabberwocky.com/photo/suntimes.html provides sunrise and sunset times
for any town in the United States and even some of its territories.

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Using Theatrical Gels

An attendee at my lighting seminar asked whether colored theatrical gel can be used
on video lighting instruments. My advice? Be careful. Some materials that are
intended for stage lighting can melt when used with our hotter quartz lights. If you're
careful, theatrical gels can be used, but leave extra space between the instrument and
the gel frame. Also, don't clothespin the gel to the barn doors. The metal can get hot
and melt the gel. Try something like Rosco's Cinegel series. Which is made to
withstand the heat of quartz lights.