Start with the Wide Shots
When the camera will see most of the area,
use your lights as follows:
●
Light the background fully. Since the walls or
other backings will fi ll much of the frame,
ensure that they are fully lit. Add lights to
bring up furnishings or other contents of
the area.
●
Light the action areas to be included in wide
shots. Choose important places within the
area for additional key lights. The closest
action area also gets a rim light.
●
Add general fi ll light. This will bring up the
overall light level. Ceiling bounce light works
well, although direct fi ll from broads (as
in Figure 16-16) is easier to control. Check
fl oor areas carefully to make sure they get
enough light.
The idea is to plan camera setups so that each
major action area will also be covered in closer
angles.
Light the Close Shots
After the wide shots have been recorded,
you will re-light for each action area in turn:
●
Light the subject(s). Typically, this means
fi ne-tuning the key and fi ll lights and adding
some rim light for separation.
●
Light the background. You can take some
instruments away from the background
lighting by lighting only the parts that will
appear in the close shots.
Take care that the key, fill, and background lights
match the appearance of the wide shot lighting.
Here is how to implement this strategy. In
this example, we will use four spotlights and
three broads, Figure 16-16.
●
A single broad lights the background—the
door area will be covered by a key light.
●
A key light is positioned for each action
area. The key farthest from the camera is
hung overhead to keep it out of frame. A
rim light for the closest action area is also
added overhead.
●
Two broads are placed to provide overall
fi ll light.
Figure 16-14 Small lights can be gaffer-taped to walls, or supported almost anywhere. Larger lights can be
clamped to walls and doors.
(Lowel Light Inc.)
Small light taped to a wall Small light clamped to a chair Large light clamped to a partial wall
Figure 16-15 Too large to be lit with a small lighting
kit, this room is lit only by its ceiling fluorescent
fixtures—with unsatisfactory results.
342 Video Digital Communication & Production