NewEnglandFilm.com

If you’re reading this, you’re interested in learning something about lighting for independent film. So let me set out a few assumptions so we both know what we are talking about:

• You’re working on a very-low budget video (but we call it film).

• You don’t have much experience with lighting for video.

• You’re probably also the DP and don’t want to screw this up.

Relax, take a breath. Deciding to do lighting for a production wasn’t completely insane.  Let’s set up a framework so you can tackle this job and come out intact.  One of the great things about making movies and videos is that we get to work with other people.  Writers are very jealous of this — they usually work alone.

So, gain insight and support from your crew.  Meet with your producer and director and the other key people on your production and work out a few things:

• What is the budget for lighting on this project?

• What resources do you have available (lights, extension cords, stands, gels, etc.)?

• Where in the script can you shoot with available light?

• Are there any scenes that require specialized lighting?

• Do your indoor locations have electricity?  How many amps available?

That last one is one of the most important.  You don’t want to trip a circuit breaker in someone’s home, office or workplace.  So follow the West Virginia rule (WVA):  Watts = Volts X Amps.  The US electrical system is rated at 120 volts, which is a constant.  For every 120 watts of light you use, you add one more amp to your load.  Check the circuit breakers where you are shooting and see if they are 15, 20, or 30 amps to get an idea as to how much light you can safely use.  Video requires less light than it used to and less light than film, so think in terms of smaller watt lamps; even 100 watts of light can make a big difference in an image.

If you have a budget for lighting, talk to the rental houses and the local public access TV stations (they often rent equipment at reasonable rates) and see what you can rent and for how much.  Consider going with smaller lamps in the 250-500 watt range, if available.  Also consider using your lighting budget to purchase a lighting kit; a three-lamp kit made by Lowel can be bought starting at around $600.  If you need to go cheaper, you can also buy reflector/barndoor/bulb kits; Smith-Victor makes good lighting kits for about half the cost of Lowel.  Look at your budget and see what’s available in your price range.

Before you start shooting, take some time and do some tests.  Work with your director (and your director of photography — if you have one!) and do some test shooting to see how your images look with different lighting combinations.  It’s like the old joke:  "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice, man, practice!"  This is the key:  Look at your image and see what works and what doesn’t.  The time to figure out how to light a scene is not when cast and crew members are all standing around waiting for you.  You want to be able to complete your setup quickly and then spend what little time you have for refining your look on set, not creating it.

When you start testing, use a monitor to look at your image.  You might see something unexpected and interesting while setting up.  A camera sees differently; look at the image on screen, not just with your eyes.  Get a cheap or recycled tape and roll tape during testing so you can look at it later.  You might have missed something during testing that you can find later. Take notes and log your shooting during testing (and shooting).

Lighting is more than just lamps and hardware.  It is about controlling and shaping the light.  If you need a bit more light in an area, consider using a bounce card to reflect ambient light into that space.  A bounce card is nothing more than a white board that reflects light.  Use it outdoors to open up shadows on close-ups (especially if your actor wears a hat or is heavily back-lit).

If there are areas where you have too much light then consider using black lighting foil to control light spill.  There are several good brands of black lighting foil out there.  Any place that sells lighting equipment should stock this.

Part of your lighting arsenal should also include gels and diffusion materials.  If you need to color, your light gels are the answer and if you need to soften your light, then diffusion sheets are the way to go.  Get these early so you can include them in your testing.  Also, don’t forget to get a pair of work gloves:  Lamps get very hot and shouldn’t be handled with bare hands.

Now that you know what equipment you are using and have done your testing, you’re ready to start production.  Keep a set of replacement bulbs on hand in case a bulb burns out during shooting.

During production, look at your footage with your director and DP on a regular basis.  Get their feedback and explain what you did and why.  You’ll all learn something.

Don’t be intimidated by lighting.  It is there to enhance a project, not to control it.  You could shoot a movie without extra lighting and just use available lights.  Every house, office and business has lights; they even have lights on the street at night in the cities!  So don’t go crazy with worry.  Play with your light and learn as you go.

Lighting for film is pretty much the same as lighting for television, video, and theater.  Light is light and doesn’t change as we change formats and venues.  The best book on lighting I have ever read is Norman Kerr’s Technique of Photographic Lighting.  It has some illustrations but  no ‘how-to’ diagrams and this is a good thing.  This book was designed for still photographers but it gives the best explanations of the basic properties of light.  If you can read and grasp the principles involved, it won’t matter what lamps and gadgets you have at your disposal — you’ll understand how to work with whatever you have.  The book is unfortunately out of print but Amazon.com has copies available. Get one and read it.

When you start lighting for film, it will change the way you watch movies.  You’ll start looking at the screen and saying: "How did they do that" and "I know what they did there."  This only lasts for a while.  You’ll be able to go back to watching movies for enjoyment again, I promise.