Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Terms of the Day Part 2: Lighting

We are going to be learning the fundamentals of lighting, so I have compiled our Lighting TOTDs (terms of the day) together, and will include pics of each to help you learn them.  I suggest you take a look at this page about stage lights.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_lighting_instrument

#23 Flood/Spot/Lamp  (April 21)(okay, I know, there's three–get used to it).

Flood light: a light that has a wide beam, used to "wash" a large area with light. Examples below

Spot or Profile light: a theatrical light with a narrow beam. Examples below.
Spot with barn doors

Lamp: What we usually call the "light bulb" is usually referred to as the "lamp." Not to be handled with bare hands, as oils from fingers can seriously shorten the life of the lamp, and theatrical lamps are expensive.


#24 Three Point Lighting/Key light/ Fill light/ Back light/ Bounced light (see link for diagram) April 25

Three point lighting is a 3 light set up that uses a key light, fill light and back light. The Key is a strong light set to the front or side of the subject, the Fill is a softer light set on the opposite side of the Key, and the Back light is in the back of the subject. The subject is evenly illuminated without harsh or deep shadows. Fill and back light are often bounced off of a bounce card, screen or light colored object.

#25 Ambient light/ Artificial light/ Practicals - April 29

A) Ambient light is any light not supplied by a cinematographer or lighting crew. Ambient light can be natural (sunlight) or artificial (streetlights).

B) Artificial light is generally considered to be any light that isn't sunlight or moonlight (electric lights, streetlights, etc). There is some argument about whether human made fires are "natural" or "artificial" light, since although fire is a naturally occuring phenomenon, it is usually humans that cause it.


C) Practicals are lights on film and theater sets that are meant to be seen by the audience, such as table lamps, candles, or any lights that are to be seen on the screen.


#26 Sandbag, Stinger, C-stand (May 2)

A) Sandbag - heavy canvas bag filled with sand, gravel or heavy material used to weight down light stands, C-stands, or other objects on set to keep them from falling.



B) Stinger - heavy duty extension cord used on set.

C) C-Stand - short for Century Stand. A multipurpose extendable stand with attachable arms - used in film and photography to hold lights, flags, drapes, and whatever else needs a tall stand.










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