Lighting for DV

Tomas Lewis explains some of the basics of lighting for video

Introduction

Along with camera technique, lighting is the main resource you have for altering the look and visual ‘feel’ of your film. By selective lighting, you can concentrate the viewer’s attention on one part of the scene or divert it from other parts. You can control the depth of field - what is in focus and what is not. Good lighting will improve the quality of your footage.

The downside

Setting up artificial lighting can take a lot of time, it costs extra money, it requires more space, and it involves the potentially lethal hazards of heat, electricity and trailing cables.

Lighting contrast

Contrast is important, particularly when you're working with the DV format which increases contrast. You can reduce contrast (eg when filming in strong sunlight) by using a reflector to fill the shadows.

Safety

You must ensure that lights are totally safe. Bulbs quickly become extremely hot, and can ignite or melt material placed too close. Hot lights on makeshift stands with trailing wires need respect. Tape down loose cables with ‘gaffer tape’, and where you can run cables along walls. Keep individuals who aren’t actively involved at a safe distance. Make sure stands are stable. Allow bulbs to cool down before handling them. Do not switch lights on and off repeatedly – or move them when they’re hot – as you are likely to blow the bulbs or shorten their life.

Lighting needs to be planned well in advance of the actual shoot.

Available light

Of course, you can do good work using just available light. Better quality camcorders will produce good footage in surprisingly dim conditions. The dogme manifesto expressly stipulates use of available light only, and has produced some critically well-received films.

Lighting for genre

Certain genres stereotypically use specific lighting for certain effects. You can easily reference the B-movie or film noir genres by using heavy shadows cast from oblique angles (low key), or a Hollywood musical with bright, even lighting (high key). Most contemporary films use a variety of lighting ‘styles’ to vary the mood depending on the particular scene.

Technical

Light colour

Different light sources have different colours; and differences in the colour of the light source can affect your camcorder even if your eye isn’t aware of them. Tungsten light tends to look yellowish, while fluorescent tubes typically cause a green cast. Unless you are using ‘manual white balance’, your camera will try to compensate for these automatically.

This variation is expressed by the ‘colour temperature’ of the light which is measured in degrees Kelvin. ‘Standard’ daylight is 5600 degrees K – considerably bluer than the artificial lights in the table below.

	tungsten	fluorescent	halogen
examples	Most bulbs in the home	Strip lighting in offices and commercial spaces	Some home spots, DIY floodlights
Colour temp	3200 K	2500	3000
Apparent colour on video	yellow-orange	green	yellow
appearance	The traditional pear shaped bulb	Tubes, long and straight or occasionally round	Shiny metalic outside, small, or small clear glass tubes w protrusions

White Balance

Your camera will automatically attempt to balance the different light temperatures in your scene to produce a ‘white’ white. It may also have settings for tungsten light (denoted by a bulb icon) and daylight (a sun icon). If you mix different colours of light in the same shot (eg tungsten and daylight) your camera won't be able to handle both of them.

If you have to work in conditions with mixed light sources you will probably need to override the automatic white balance. Set the white balance by holding a piece of white paper in the same position as your subject, illuminated by the main light in your scene.

Using reflectors

You can control light without using additional lamps. Work with reflectors to alter how your video looks. Reflected light is softer (more diffuse) than direct light, particularly if the reflecting surface is slightly textured. It will reduce harsh shadows from a direct light source. You can use sheets of polystyrene from a DIY store to make very adaptable and lightweight reflectors. These will create a soft fill light (due to the textured surface which scatters the reflected light in different directions).

Soft light is more flattering as it flattens imperfections in skin, and generally smooths out a surface.

A smooth reflective surface (eg tin foil glued to a sheet of cardboard) creates a harder, more focused reflection.

Reflectors need to be held in position, either by a stand or a pair of hands. Coloured reflectors will add a colour cast to the scene. You can use this to create special effects.

Using lights

Introduction

Available light and reflectors can take you so far, but in the UK in the winter, indoors, additional lighting will transform your options.

Professional lighting kits are robust, adaptable and expensive. Single light ‘heads’ come in at around £100, and the stands are extra. If you have – or can borrow – such lights your life will be considerably easier (ask for redheads, blondes, Lastolite reflectors).

But there are DIY solutions that have proved very adaptable at a fraction of the cost. The mainstay of these are the halogen work lamps sold by DIY stores and builders merchants for illuminating building work, or as security or garden lights. They normally come with 500W, 300w or 150W bulbs.

It is best to get the ones that come with an integral stand. If you can, remove the wire grilles over the lenses, as they will cast shadows onto your scene.

Two of these, plus a variety of reflectors will adapt to most scenarios you will encounter indoors. If you will be working outdoors, buy waterproofed lights that are specifically designed for use outdoors. Obviously it’s very dangerous to use standard mains lights anywhere where they may get wet.

Basic light setup

The standard set up for illuminating a character in a scene is called ‘3 point lighting’. This involves a key, a fill and a backlight. 

When setting up lighting, start at the back and work forwards, adjusting distances and angles as you go. Switch off the main room lights before you start.

1 Backlight

Positioned behind and to the side of the subject, this direct light seperates the subject from the background by creating a rim effect around the subject.

2 Key

Commonly positioned to one side of the camera, this strong but diffused or reflected light provides the main illumination to the subject. If it was used along, it would cast strong shadows on one side of the face,

3 Fill

Less bright than the key (or diffused or reflected) this light partially fills the shaded side of the subject, balancing the key.

Basic 3 point lighting setup

Interactive Flash movie showing three point lighting

You can achieve a similar effect with just one light and 2 reflectors, where you use the light as a back key, and reflect light back in from either side of the camera to key and fill. Another alternative is to use a key light and reflectors for back and fill. Try out different combinations and see which works best.

Diagram 2: Backfill with 2 reflectors

Note: Backfill light source is hidden from camera by subject.

Links

Books

Lighting for Video Geralkd Millarson Focal Press ISBN 0-240-51303-7

Web

www.jamesarnett.com/lighting.html

Excellent step by step visual introduction to a three-point lighting setup

(requires flash plugin).

©2003 Media Education Wales

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