look into the light (safely!)

Just had our second seminar with Deb, this time introducing us to the wonders of light. The three point lighting system in particular, used for example on an interview sort of scene, or newsreader type behind a desk.

What we learnt was really interesting, but also really hot under the lights! In a group of four we then had to set up our own shot, taking into consideration things like aperture, shadows, the background and so on.

We used the key light, at almost the highest setting on the tripod. This provides funnily enough, the 'key' light, or is the main and strongest beam directed onto subject x. The shutters on the front of the lights are called barn doors and a small grill that covers the actual glass bulb is known as the scrim.

Next up, we used a mid height 'fill' light positioned at 45' to the subject. You can attach different sheets in front of the lamps which either diffuse the strength of the light, a blue tinted sheet alters the colour temperature to that of daylight, whilst an amber does the opposite. We used a diffuser to reduce the strength, as well as putting it further away (every metre closer creates up to 4 times the strength!) as intitially we found that it created too much a glare on the face.

Lastly, we added a back light positioned, surprise surprise, to the back of the subject, yet again at an angle so to light the background wall as well. This was the lowest in our set up, and oncemore to reduce the strength of the beam, we chose to add a diffuser.

It required a toning down of the brightness settings on the camera, which gave a really well lit shot of subject x (Kane!), but noticeably also, pointed out a really dull/plain background. This could be altered next time, by opening, closing and angling the light and barn doors so it casts a different beam of light on the back wall.

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Health and Safety is also v. important - death being the worst case scenario!

Common sense is pretty much the way to go, but for those not in the know:

- Check the cables when renting them out, to make sure no holes and so on
- Have the light tripod firmly and steadily based, so that it limits the chances of it falling. If it does appear to be such a position, get an extra pair of hands to hold it
-Wear the gloves when handling all hot lamps. If any holes, discard immediately as they are useless and in fact, would form another hazard if there was to be another user.
-Have the cables tidied away if at all possible, so that it limits the chances of tripping. Add a rubber mat to create a walkable gangway if too many cables become an issue.
-Run through the fire exit procedure to all crew members, confirming the doors to be exited through and ensure these remain clear throughout the production.
- When cooling down after production, ensure the lights are in a suitable place, facing the wall for instance, so that they do not get in anybodys way. Also, leave adequate time for the lights to cool down afterwards, so it is safe to place back in the casing boxes.

But after all that, lighting is something defintely of use, and something definitely I will use in future. It really makes all the difference as video is rubbish without it! Furthermore, careful planning and setting up of the light rigs can make the difference between an amateur shot and that of a professional.

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