Light Source: A Dose of Reality (page 2)

Living Rooms

Fireplaces, televisions and lamps that you see used in video and movie scenes, more often than not, don't really work the way we think they do. You can create it all through the magic of lighting.

If your character is supposed to be watching television yet you don't see the front of the set, you can create a very believable TV light. Get an old TV set, remove the picture tube and tack a double CTB gel to the front. Inside, place a lighting instrument that has a good quality switch on its cord. Quickly turn the light off and on; pausing at times for longer lengths of both light and dark. A television is never always bright so the flickering makes it look more realistic. Of course, you could always plug in an actual TV set, but hey, that would be too easy.

If your character is sitting before a warm fire, you can create the effect by setting up a small, diffused light, angled up from floor level. In front of the light, hang inch-wide strips of red, yellow and orange gels on a broomstick. Gently shake the gels in front of the light to create the feeling of firelight movement. Another method uses a round wheel (like an old bicycle wheel) covered with various orange, red and yellow gels cut with holes and layered to provide a variety of combinations and the occasional flash of real light. Turn the wheel slowly in front of the light to create the movement of the flame. Again, add sound effects and bake to perfection.

For lamps that you will see on the screen, the first thing you need to do is remove the regular bulb. A sixty-watt bulb will cause the lamp to glow on camera and look much brighter than it should. Place a 15-watt bulb in the lamp to provide a soft internal glow and supplement the light with a diffused 600-watt or more lighting instrument. Be sure to flag the light so that its beam does not fall on the lampshade of the light you are trying to use. If you place the lighting instrument just off-line from the real light, you can light your character in a warm glow that will look like it is coming from the lamp beside them.

Water Water Everywhere

Sometimes, the script calls for water ripples reflecting in your characters eyes or on her face. Often, it just isn't very convenient to set up lighting to get this effect using a real water source like a creek or lake. Don't worry, it is really a quite simple effect to recreate. All you need is a deep pan like a roaster or a painter's roller pan. Carefully break up a mirror into two to three inch pieces and place them in the bottom of the pan, face up. Cover the mirrors with about three inches of water. Shine a small, intense light into the water so that the light reflected from it falls onto the face of your character. Gently lift one end of the pan up and down to create a soft ripple effect. You should see water ripples in your characters eyes. If your scene occurs at night, add a CTB gel to your light. Add a few seagulls, some water sounds and your ready for a day or night in paradise.

Reality

Always be aware of the world around you. Look at the light that makes up our world, its reflections, its colors and the shadows it casts. If it occurs in the real world, you should be able to re-create it for the camera. A bit of knowledge, a dose of imagination, and a touch of lighting magic can create any reality you wish.