BUT I DON'T NEED LIGHTING!
Every production, especially when shooting indoors, can benefit from additional lighting.
With film-based cameras, it used to be that lighting was a must, and for a very simple reason: the film passed through the camera at a constant rate, so the exposure time was always exactly the same for each frame of film. 1/24th of a second is the standard for 35mm film, for instance. This is why film lighting seems so bright – the camera needs more light to create a normal-looking image with accurate color and detail.
Digital cameras and camcorders have white-balance and iris controls to adjust to low-light conditions and are more forgiving in typical household lighting situations. Your lighting doesn't have to be as extensive as a Hollywood production. But we'll show you how they do it, and you can use their techniques to light your production on a budget anyone can afford.
LIGHTING ON THE CHEAP
Lighting your scene can be as simple as moving a lamp from one side of a room to the other, or moving the track lights in your living room so that they illuminate the bookcase behind your sofa instead of the coffee table. Be creative: desk lamps and inexpensive clamp lights from the hardware store can create very interesting and dramatic effects.
Another well-known and inexpensive lighting tip is to replace the bulbs in ordinary household lighting fixtures with brighter wattages (75 and 100 watt bulbs are great for this). But don't forget to replace the original bulbs when you are done shooting – using a higher wattage bulb than a lamp is rated for can be a fire hazard.
Natural lighting (from windows, skylights, etc.) can create some wonderful effects, but can be unreliable. As your shoot progresses, the brightness and angle of the light will change as the sun moves across the sky. If you absolutely can't do without the dramatic shadows of a window pane against the wall, that's fine – but don't expect those shadows to last, be the same intensity, or even be in the same place on the wall five minutes later!
THREE-POINT LIGHTING
The basic setup for lighting any scene involves three sources of light: key, fill, and background. This is true of still-photography lighting setups as well.
KEY LIGHTING
The key light is the brightest light in your scene, and meant to mimic the actual source of light in your scene. When shooting in daylight outdoors, for instance, your key light is the sun. Indoors, the key light could be overhead, outside a window, in another room, you name it. The key light highlights your subject (usually, the actor(s) in the foreground) and not necessarily the room itself.
High key lighting is uniformly bright – sort of like walking into your living room and turning on every single light in the room. Remember, film lighting tends to feel much brighter on set than it will appear in your footage. So high key lighting is really, really bright.
Low key lighting is used to create a mood – think film noir, where most of the action takes place indoors or at night, and what you can't see in the shadows is just as important and what you can see in the foreground. Low key does not mean that the key lighting is any less bright – it might be farther away, in another room, or at an angle that selectively lights the subject's face in an interesting way.
The film lights with four black metal flaps you are used to seeing on television are key lights. These are most often called fresnel lights (pronounced freh-NELL) because they employ the same fresnel lenses used in lighthouses and automobile tail lights. These lenses focus the light beam in the direction of your actors and allow a much brighter concentration of light than conventional glass or no lens at all.
Those flap on the front are known as barndoors, and are used to control the direction of the light and minimize light "spill" into areas of your composition you do not want lighted.
Cinematographers also keep rolls of black foil (sort of like aluminum foil, but heavier duty and coated in black to minimize reflection) on set to extend the degree of spill control.
Be extremely careful when dealing with continuous film lighting – bulbs that burn between 400 and 1000 watts can get extremely hot, and metal parts (barndoors and the housing of the light itself) will burn your hands. Wear insulated gloves (or keep oven mitts on the set) when adjusting barndoors and lighting.
FILL LIGHTING
Fill lighting is the soft, diffuse lighting used to control harsh shadows created by the key light. It fills in the shadowy areas caused by the bright, directional light of the key and softens the features of your actor's face with a gentle, uniformly bright light.
The fill light is often placed on the opposite side of the room from the key, in order to counteract the directional lighting causing unflattering shadows on your actor's face. Therefore, if your key light is to the left of and behind the camera, the fill will be to the right of and behind the camera, and vice versa. If the key light is above your actors (and causing shadows beneath noses and under chins), the fill will be lower and at an angle.
Fill lighting requires some type of diffusion in order to reduce the directionality of the light on the subjects' faces. There are a number of options for diffusing the light. The simplest form of diffusion is placing some type of white translucent material between the light and the subject.
One common type of diffusion is called a softbox, which amounts to a large tent-like assembly that mounts to the front of a light where the barndoors normally would be. The softbox has a large, white surface that spreads the light evenly across your scene. There are square softboxes, round softboxes, rectangular and octagonal softboxes. All of these perform more or less the same, but can be fit into tighter spaces if they are smaller.
It is also a common practice to turn a fresnel light or other key into a fill light by directing the light through white, translucent fabric. Lighting professionals use white silk panels (silks) for this purpose. The panels are mounted or hung from a grip arm in front of the light. The advantage to this method is that you'll have control of the angle that the light is being directed. The disadvantage is having to control the light "spill" between the fill light and the fabric you are using as diffusion.
One clever and expensive form of diffusion is to clip fabric softener sheets directly to the barndoors of a key light. You can use between one to three sheets, depending on the level of diffusion desired. Again, be careful around hot lights. Wear gloves and use old-school wooden clothespins to clip the dryer sheets to your lights. As an added bonus, if you use scented dryer sheets technique will also keep your set smelling lemony fresh!
White shower curtains and air-conditioning filters also do the trick, but be sure to keep them a respectful distance from the hot lights.
BACKGROUND LIGHTING
The third type of lighting in a three-point system is known as a backlight. In still-photography applications, this is a light that is aimed at the back of a subject's head in order to get a pleasing definition, or highlight, around the subject's hair. When the lighting is mounted above the subject's head rather than behind, it is referred to as a kicker. When the lighting is directed at the background behind the subject, it is referred to as background lighting.
The purpose of background lighting is to create the illusion of depth in your compositions. For this reason, background lighting tends to be lower-wattage and smaller. Whether the lighting originates above, below or behind your subjects, the source must be concealed from the camera, or appear to be a natural part of your scene.
This differs greatly from stage lighting, which originates from a truss mounted above the stage and serves almost entirely to light the set, or background. Background lighting serves the same purpose, but with the added twist of being able to light from behind your subjects.
WORK LIGHTS
Believe it or not, you can find inexpensive lighting options at most hardware and home-improvement stores. These will range from simple, clip-on flood lights (about $5) that use conventional light bulbs to tripod-mounted tungsten work lights ($40-50) that make decent keys or background lights.
The real drawback to this type of improvising lighting the the lack of control you have over the diffusion and direction of the light. But for sheer wattage, work lights get the job done. Just adjust the exposure on your camera accordingly to get the most natural look.
And, as always, keep safety first when using improvised lighting. Make sure your clamp lights are securely clipped to tables, door frames, etc. and away from any flammable material, and use insulated gloves or oven mitts when handling hot work lights (they can get just as hot as professional film lighting).
PHOTO LIGHT KITS
The next step up from hardware-store lighting is a two- or three-point lighting kit from a photo supplier. These can be found online for around $300-600 and often include light stands, softboxes, barndoors, and a carrying case. Shop around for the best deal. Many budget photo suppliers (including Amvona, Steve Kaeser and Britek) also have eBay stores where you can get even better prices on pre-fab photo kits.
This way, when you decide to upgrade to professional equipment, you can replace your photo lights one at a time. Depending on your budget, you can start with a good fresnel key light, then get a good fill, and finally a lower-wattage kicker. Then you can either resell your photo kit to some other budding filmmaker, or keep it around as a backup for your new toys.
Either way, it is a great idea to invest in spare bulbs with any new lighting you purchase. Some spare bulbs for tungsten lighting can be purchased at Wal-Mart or home-improvement stores, but you are most likely going to have to order them from a specialty store such as BulbConnection.com.
BUILD YOUR OWN
If you are an electrical whiz, you might consider building your own light banks instead of borrowing or investing in photo lighting equipment. Just a row of 6 light sockets wired in series and mounted on a board can be as powerful as a $300 600-watt photo fixture. It might surprise you to know that many popular television shows (including The Sopranos and Mad Men) use large, homemade banks of regular household bulbs to light indoor scenes. Not only is it an economical and practical way to light, but you can manage the intensity and directness of the light by using different types and wattages of bulbs, unscrewing every other bulb, etc.
CHINESE LANTERNS
Those big, spherical paper lanterns you can find at Pier 1 are extremely trendy with low-budget filmmakers and professionals alike. The light is very diffuse and soft, and several lanterns can be placed around the set, around eye level, to model the subject with a soft, diffuse, flattering light. Because these lanterns tend to "glow," this achieves a very low-key, soft feel.
Paper lanterns are also inexpensive and come in a variety of sizes. They are easy to hang from above, and the height can easily be controlled by raising or lowering the cord.
There are also professional lanterns (commonly called Chimeras on set as that is a popular brand name) which come with a variety of accessories for controlling light spill on the sides of the lantern. Other lanterns can be "concealed" inside props to create a warm glow right on camera.
FLORESCENT LIGHTING
Another trend relatively new to film and video lighting is the use of florescent lighting panels. Banks of 4, 6, or 8 tungsten-balanced florescent bulbs create a soft, natural lighting that is great for fill. You sometimes hear these banks referred to as Kino-Flos (a popular brand name of florescent film lighting) or simply Kinos.
Professionally manufactured florescent banks offer options such as dimmer switches, the ability to switch off individual bulbs, barndoors, softboxes, and plexiglass diffusion panels. One of the most attractive aspects of florescent lighting banks is that they do not get as hot as conventional film lighting and are inexpensive to maintain.
Usually we associate florescent lighting with the unpleasant green/yellow tint seen in schools and offices, but for film and video lighting you can find florescent bulbs that are either "daylight balanced" or "tungsten balanced."
COLOR TEMPERATURE
These terms refer to the color temperature of the bulb. 3200k (that's 3200 degrees Kelvin) lighting is considered "tungsten balanced" and is the same color temperature as most film lighting and tungsten work lights. Tungsten lighting has a yellow-orange hue that is flattering to subjects of all skin tones.
"Daylight balanced" lighting has a much higher color temperature (around 5600k) and a blueish-white hue.
Incidentally, typical incandescent lighting found in most lamps and indoor lighting is lower color temperature than even tungsten lighting – around 2800k. So if you're using clamp lights with 100-watt bulbs or flood lamps in them, the color temperature will be much closer to tungsten lighting than to daylight-balanced lighting. Blue-tinted bulbs (like the Reveal brand) have a higher color temperature and will not work as well in combination with work lights, photo lights, etc.
COLOR MODIFICATION
There are a number of ways to modify and control the color and amount of light on your set. The most common form of color control is the use of gels – we're not talking about toothpaste or hair gel here, but rather translucent polyester sheets that clip in front of lighting (again, use wooden clothespins here) to modify the color or intensity of the light.
There are special color-correcting gels that make tungsten lighting appear more bluish-white (for a daylight-balanced look) or daylight-balanced lighting appear warmer (for a tungsten look). Other gels can be used to create special color effects – a common use of dark blue filters, for instance, is to create the illusion of moonlight.
Filters are similar to gels except that their primary purpose is to reduce the amount of light by a certain amount. Filters are made of the same material as gels and clip directly onto the barndoors of a key light. The most common type of filter is a grey-tinted neutral density (or ND) filter, which cuts the light intensity without modifying the color.
Scrims perform a similar function, but are usually made from a mesh fabric or a fine metal grate that mounts directly to the light.
On a film set, you can't "turn down" the bright lights, but you can modify them by placing filters and scrims directly in front of the light.
Some models of lighting come with the option of gel frames that mount onto the light housing itself or slip into the light housing. These aren't any better or worse than just clipping gels to the outside of your lights, but they do look cool (and there are no clothespins to pick up later).
REFLECTORS
One of the cheapest and most creative ways to create fill effects on set is to use a reflector board or flag. This can be as inexpensive as a white piece of foamcore, or you can buy special silver-colored reflector boards from a photo supplier. You can also cover a piece of foamcore with aluminum foil yourself (use the dull, non-shiny side).
When held toward a subject, reflectors can perform miracles when it comes to eliminating unpleasant shadows, and best of all, don't require any additional power and won't blind your actors. All it really requires is a patient crew member with a steady hand.
If you poke around at your local automotive stores, you may be able to find silver-coated collapsible windshield flags that make excellent reflectors.
Many photo light kits come with heat-resistant white- or silver-coated umbrellas that mount to the light head. If you use these, the light will point away from your subjects and towards the umbrella, which diffuses the light.
FLAGS
Flags are large swatches of black fabric that completely block light – they are used to control light spill, like a giant barndoor. You can purchase light-control kits (Matthews Road Rags are a popular brand name) that include scrims, flags, reflectors and diffusion silks that can be hung from stands or grip arms.
Black foil is a much cheaper alternative to using flags to control light spill. The only real advantage to using flags is that you can easily adjust the angle of the flag like a barndoor.
COOKIES
A cookie mounts in front of a light in order to achieve a particular shadow effect. You've probably seen cookies that simulate the panes of a window, or the bars of a jail cell. Professionally made cookies are made from black-painted metal, but you can inexpensively cut your own, heat-proof cookies from pieces of foamcore.
SAFETY FIRST
When lighting a room, even with professional equipment, there are some basic safety rules you should always follow in order to avoid fires, burns and damage to your equipment. Following these guidelines will help you keep it safe on the set and extend the life of your equipment.
When using power outlets on location, it is always best to "spread the load" whenever possible. In homes, schools and businesses alike, outlets in the same room often share the same circuit breaker. Plugging 3000 watts of continuous film lighting into the same outlet, even with a surge protector, is not a good idea. Look for outlets on opposite walls of a room, and run extension cords to your lighting.
Avoid plugging any lighting equipment into outlets that might share a breaker with a high-wattage appliance like a microwave oven, plug-in air-conditioning unit, washing machine or dryer. If this is unavoidable, at the very least do not use any of these appliances while the lights are in operation.
Extension cords are cheap – get long ones (50 to 100 feet) rated for indoor/outdoor use and wrap them around cheap plastic cord wraps available at any hardware store. The cord wraps will help keep the excess cord from posing a tripping hazard on your set. Multi-plug extension cords are great for plugging low-wattage appliances like battery chargers in alongside your lights.
Use gaffer tape to secure your extension cords to the floor and prevent tripping. Don't use duct tape – it will leave a residue on floors and carpet. And don't use masking or painter's tape – it's not strong enough to keep your cables secure to the floor. Shurtape is a common brand name that comes in 2- and 3-inch thicknesses. Most gaffer tape is black, but also comes in white or other colors that are more easily seen by actors and crew.
Secure your light stands and other grip equipment with sandbags placed near the center of gravity (the bottom of the stand). Photo suppliers sell empty canvas saddle-style bags that can be filled with sand (not sand from your yard or the beach – buy cheap playground sand from home improvement stores), buckshot, or nuts and bolts.
One word of caution about sandbags – store them in a moisture-free environment in order to keep sand from molding (it happens) and nuts and bolts from rusting. If you do get mold or rust in your sandbags, empty them out and hand-launder them with detergent and bleach and allow to thoroughly dry before refilling them.
CENTURY STANDS
Professional film sets invariably use heavy-duty, multipurpose stands called century stands (or C-stands) to hold lighting equipment, flags, scrims, reflectors, diffusion and other equipment. C-stands have a distinctive three-foot base that swings around in such a way that the stand can be stored completely flat. C-stands vary in height, from about three feet high to ten feet or higher. Each section of the C-stand can be telescoped and locked down to raise the height far above an actor or down below waist level.
Some C-stands allow you to remove the center column and mount lighting directly to the three-foot base – these are called turtle stands. You will need an adaptor pin in order to securely tighten lighting in place on these stands.
Other C-stands have a riser – the third foot slides up and down the length of the center column. This allows you to place a C-stand right next to a piece of furniture (say, a coffee table or desk). Two of the feet will be on the floor, and the third will be on top of the desk. Just make sure whatever furniture you use to support your equipment is sturdy enough to support the weight and won't be damaged by your C-stand's foot.
One of the coolest accessories for C-stands are grip arms – inexpensive extensions that clamp to the top of a C-stand and hold all types of lighting modifiers (scrims, flags, reflectors, diffusion, cookies, gels, you name it) securely in front of your lighting. Grip arms can be tightened at almost any angle, giving you a wide variety of options for mounting lighting and even sound equipment.
Even though C-stands are super heavy-duty, it's still a good idea to weight them down with sandbags draped across one or more legs on the base. A C-stand with two 18-pound sandbags holding it in place is almost impossible to tip over.
GET IT RIGHT ON SET
Lighting is one of those aspects of filmmaking that no one really notices – unless it's really awful. Don't just assume that you can color-correct your footage after the fact and improve lighting that is either insufficient (this footage will appear grainy and washed-out) or way over the top (this footage will appear eye-poppingly blown out).
The most impressive lighting design keeps the mood consistent from shot to shot, without calling attention to itself. Part of the magic of filmmaking is making the audience forget there is a camera and lights and crew at all. Use lighting the way a painter would – to fill in empty areas of the frame that need color, definition or emphasis.
