Moving Image Education

If you've got a set of lights it is very tempting to use them, but with modern video cameras and light pouring through reasonable-sized windows, you can often get away without any supplementary lighting. Keep it simple and first of all ascertain whether additional lighting is needed for your scene.

film lights

Lighting with all sorts of other methods is possible, you can even use builders' lights. However, being able to adjust your lights easily and safely is very important. For this you will need 'film lights' which should have barn doors and may have a focusing ability. A number of companies make and sell lights, and you are probably looking for 'redheads' or their equivalent (2 or 3 units, 500W-800W).

light safety

Be careful with lights at all times. This is not an exhaustive safety list but observe the following as a minimum:

• Use the heaviest stands you can
• Don't put lamps too high without sandbags on the base
• Just don't put lamps high at all
• Beware of trailing cables, and never have cables in the air that can be tripped on and pull over stands
• Don't move hot lamps - let them cool first (not only safer but it can considerably shorten bulb life)
• Don't use worn units or worn cabling
• Lighting outside - beware of water and electrics
• Switch off & unplug blown (popped) bulbs immediately
• Only use fireproof materials near lamps

Practicals

Practicals are lamps you actually see in the shot as part of the set. Angle poise lamps, standard lamps, pendant bulbs, etc; used inventively, and with their maximum rated bulb inside, and probably with one other film light, they can be the saviour of the low budget filmmaker's interior work.

lighting set ups

The key-light is the main light and pretends it is the sun or a light in the room it is usually the main source lighting the scene. Setting the key is the most important light, make sure it is in the right place before setting any other lights.

The fill-light does what it says and fills in the shadows and stops the key light casting too deep shadows. It also controls the contrast range of the scene.

The backlight is often from above and directly behind, and is used to separate the subject from the background and add depth.

a simplified set up

The key light has been moved a little and flooded (it's beam made wider). And the fill light is now just bounced light from the key. The background is now also being covered by the same light.

backlight (the pretty one)

Carefully designed backlight is what creates the lush look you get in many Hollywood movies. It's a bit tricky to set up because you have to get the backlight in the right place to create the effect, at the same time as avoiding hitting the lens with the backlight creating a lens flare across your image. Persevere - it is worth the effort.

backlight (the ugly one)

There is another type of backlight: if you film with a window directly behind your performers, you may get a very bright window and silhouette figures. Film parallel to the window, keeping the windows out of shot - this should provide good modelling of your subjects. If you do need to film in front of a bright window use manual exposure and increase the light on your subject with a little bounce perhaps.

add some bounce

Don't underestimate the difference a little bounced light can have on a close up. It is easy to set up: simply hold something white (white card as small as A3 can help) underneath and slightly to one side of your subject, so that the main light source (often the sun) is 'bounced' into the face. The effect seems subtle but can make all the difference. Also works well in stop-frame model animation.