Advanced Lighting Workshop

This lighting workshop enabled us to become aware with the different lights used in a studio and the different lights used to film videos. We were introduced to a variety of different lighting techniques and lights and the effects which can be created.

The main lights which are in the studio are called house lights and worker lights.

One of the main lights which are used are called red head lights, these lights are called red head lights because the head of these lights are usually red. When using these lights you have to make sure these lights have a protected cover over them because these lights are prone to blow which is a safety hazard. These lights are also very bright so you have to make sure you have adjusted the white balance and exposure levels on the camera, to ensure you get a clean and sharp shot. 

You can use a specific paper called trace paper which is made from a specific material which will enable the paper to not catch fire and burn from the light. This is placed over the light and enables the light to come across as a much softer and warmer tone. 

This type of lighting is called key lighting.

There is another light which is called fill lighting. This fills the shadows and underexposed elements of the model and of what you are filming.

This light which is placed at the back is called a blonde light but can also be called a black light. This will step the model out of the background.

These three lights complete a 3 point lighting setup.

Beauty lighting is a light which enables you to create a shallow depth of field which allows you to get a sharp focus on the camera.

You can also use a matte box, these block out the dirty light which is visible in shots and comes into frame while shooting. This has an effect of creating a beautiful shot with everything exposed to the correct dimensions and everything in focus.

A different lighting setup would consist of this theatre flat with a plastic gel sheet which has been placed over it. This has the effect of creating shadows and silhouettes but also creates an incredibly soft and warm light, due to the light being broken up.

To change the colour of the lighting setup you can use gels which come in a variety of colours, you place theses over the camera and these create the effect of a different coloured light being used.

These are fluorescent lights, these lights create an LED lighting effect. These lights work better when they are separated and when one light is used as the back light and the other light used as the key light. These lights can also be used in scene and in shot, therefore they are not just used as lights aside the camera.

This light is a photo-flow light. This light creates a warm and soft effect which also picks up a lot of light, this is useful light to use while shooting.

This last light is called a highlight, this is made of bar lights which creates a cold effect. This light also enables you to create an extremely sharp focus which is key for dancing and action shots, this can be created with a low shutter speed.