Lighting Workshop

For the first lighting workshop, we were introduced to some of the equipment at the studios, including a full description of the lights we would be using and the safety requirements when using them. We worked in groups of four, I worked with Nisserin, Becca and Laura. We took turns taking on different roles including the director, the gaffer and the model. This allowed each of us to experiment with the light management and work as part of a team. We learnt that lighting is an incredibly important aspect of any piece as it can convey the mood and impression of it therefore setting the tone for the audience. Using several tools including black wrap and gel wraps, this can alter the colouring of the lighting which is often used to convey a certain emotion. Before using the camera to film, we changed the white balance so that the colour tone was correct and we could work with it from then on. Looking at different aperture settings and the shutter speed, this can alter the exposure on the subject. As we were working with a person with them being the focus, altering the the exposure can make the lighting softer so that you can still see the details of the face. When I was directing the lighting, I experimented with the position of the lights, seeing what it looks like with only a back light or with side lighting as well. Using the camera, I then altered the aperture to eliminate too much exposure on one side of the face. When looking at the lighting, I've noticed it's quite intense as the lights are 700W and incredibly powerful. The scene I am going to film for the drama piece is an interrogation scene in a police station between two investigators and two suspects. Lighting is not only a good way of conveying mood but can also show dominance from one character which has made me think about how I should use lighting in the scene. When I think about interrogations, I think about the idea of having a spot light over someone to increase the pressure. Although, i think that would look quite drastic and obvious, when experimenting with lighting, I would like to explore this idea for my scene and make it more subtle to just give a hint towards that.