BLOG QUESTION ADV: REMBRANDT LIGHTING

1. What is Rembrandt lighting?

2. What is Chiaroscuro?
3. What is important to consider when you are trying to achieve low-key lighting?

Rembrandt lighting is a term used for low-key lighting. It's a lighting technique that produces a triangle underneath one of your subject's eyes. Chiaroscuro is the shadows in an image that fall onto your subject's face . It's important to consider these concepts when you are trying to achieve low-key lighting because they give your image depth and can enhance the features of your subject. It also makes your image more engaging and compelling to the audience. You want to consider the intensity you're trying to achieve, and you should utilize tools such as diffusion gels or flags to get the desired look you want. 

BLOG QUESTION ADV: CHIAROSCURO

In a detailed paragraph, explain what chiaroscuro is. How can it be used to create depth in the images you record? How can you put this into action going forward with your projects?

Chiaroscuro is a lighting technique that gives your images the illusion of depth. It can be used to give your subjects more dimension by separating them from the background and bringing attention to details of the subject, and it can also emphasize separation between objects in frame. I can put this into action in my projects, specifically our film noir, or even when I'm trying to use three point lighting to light a subject.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: FOOT CANDLES, LUX AND LUMENS

1. What is a lumen? What is a footcandle? What is Lux?

2. How do you think this could affect your understanding of lighting in the future?

Foot-candles are the unit of measurement for light intensity. A lumen is the standard unit of measuring visible light from a light source (e.g. a candle or lamp) . Lux is the unit of illuminance equal to 1 lumen per square meter. Understanding these concepts, especially as a DP can be helpful when figuring out how to light your scene, by telling you what distance to have your lights at to give the look you're striving for. By being able to use these concepts to help you measure and calculate how to set up your lights, you can save a lot of set up and configuration time.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: LIGHTING RATIO'S

In a detailed paragraph, please answer the following questions:
1. In your own words, explain what lighting ratios are.
2. What is high key lighting used for? What is low-key lighting used for?
3. How can you put this principle into effect with your film noir shoot?

Lighting ratio refers to the difference in the amount of light coming from your key light to your fill light. The higher the ratio (high key lighting), the higher the difference from the key and fill, the more dramatic and noir-like the image looks.  Low-key lighting is used to create flatter images, good for sitcoms. I can put this principle into effect for our film noir shoot, depending on the gravity and emotion of the scene that I want to convey. For more dramatic scenes, I'd use high-key lighting to enhance the contrast of the image. For scenes that have softer characters and that are more light-hearted, I can use low-key lighting.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: FILM NOIR SCENE LIGHTING

1. What are some issues you notice that the presenter runs into when lighting his scene?
2. What are three techniques he uses to make the image look more cinematic? How do they affect the shot?

Some issues that the presenter runs into while lighting his scene were too much brightness on the desk, reflection of light in his background, and the overall scene looking fake or like a film set. Some techniques he used to make his image look more cinematic includes dimming the main key light and widening his aperture to bring more attention to the desk lamp (motivated light),  shifting the main light to be more directed towards his subject, and physically blocking the reflection from the window. They affect the shot by creating a more immersive and cinematic look.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: FILM NOIR LIGHTING

In a detailed paragraph, explain three of the key concepts that the presenter says are important for film noir lighting. How does film noir lighting differ from lighting in other kinds of productions?

"Chiaroscuro" is another term for harsh lighting, an integral part of Film Noir and a technique used in paintings. Noirs use the "three point" lighting technique (even if they utilize more lights), the key light being the brightest, the fill light which is placed opposite of the fill light to fill in the shadows caused by the key light, and the back light which separates the subject from the background. The key and back light are the most prominent lights in film noir. Hard lights are used in film noir to give the harsh, contrasty look. Harsh lights can also be used in noirs, mostly for female characters. Other objects such as cookies or flags can be used to shape the shadows of lights (e.g. diecting lighting or giving the appearance of window shades).

BLOG QUESTION ADV: WHAT DEFINES A FILM NOIR P. 2

How did societal fears play into the storylines of film noir?

Since early Noirs took place in the 40's, WW2 was also happening at the same time. Many of these films involved the fear of war, a powerful unknown enemy, and spies. This added a lot of tension to the films. Noirs could also be very political and have themes revolving around corruption and authority. Noirs reflected the rational fears of the people at the time they came out.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: WHAT DEFINES FILM NOIR P. 1

What are some key defining features of the protagonist in Film Noir? What are some key defining features of the femme fatale in Film Noir?

The Protagonists in Film Noir are often thrown from one bad situation to another. They are usually forced into situations they have no control over,  losing track of their morals before their downfall (e.g. death, losing someone, etc.). The femme fatale is a female, manipulative character who often seduces the main protagonist, leading him into compromising and dangerous situations. Film Noirs reflect the time they were made in. For example, the ones made in he 40's often reflected WW2.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: WATCHING BLACK AND WHITE MOVIES P. 2

How can black and white set a mood and create a tone? How can it heighten realism?

Black and white sets the mood by creating an unnatural, dream-like quality for its viewers. Since we perceive reality in color, viewing images in black and white gives viewers a surreal feeling. It sets a tone through shadows and lighting. In contrast, black and white can heighten realism, especially when used in a way that gives a film historical meaning. In documentaries or stories that predate color in photography and film, having your film in black and white can immerse the audience into the historical context of the story.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: WATCHING BLACK AND WHITE MOVIES P. 1

How did German expressionism affect black and white cinema? How did black and white enhance film noir? How does black and white enhance other genres?

German expressionism affects black and white cinema by enhancing the effect of shadows and highlighting the sharp contrast of shadowy shapes. It influenced a lot of the horror genre in America due to its exaggerated features. These high contrast lighting techniques used in German expressionism would be used in film noir. The themes found in these films, crime, greed, etc., are enhanced by the black and white imagery (lightness vs darkness). Black and white enhances other genres by visually communicating other elements of a story ( e.g., who's the villain vs. hero, character internal conflict, etc.).

BLOG QUESTION ADV: INVERSE SQUARE LAW OF LIGHTING

1. What is the inverse square law of light?

2. How does this affect you when you are lighting a scene? What do you need to keep in mind?

The inverse square law of light is used to calculate the fall-off of a light source as you increase or decrease its distance from the subject. The intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. For example, if you were to double the distance between the light and a subject, you would have to use the equation (I=1/D^2), which would be I=1/2^2= 1/4. If you want to move a light closer, you will have to flip the equation to calculate the intensity. This rule also applies to audio (the distance between the microphone and the subject). When you are lighting a scene, you can use this rule to fix any lighting complications and to help you figure out what intensity (therefore distance) your light should be at based on the environment and other light sources in the room.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: REVIEWING 3-POINT LIGHTING

1. What are the three different parts of 3-point lighting?

2. What are three tips that this presenter makes that are different than what you have been taught so far in this class?
3. How can you put this knowledge into use in your future videos?

The 3 different parts of 3 point lighting are the key light (main),back light, and motivated light. The three tips this presenter gives that are new to me are to use objects in the room  or area (such as a lamp) to provide motivated light. If you're doing an interview, setting up a regular back light might work, but it doesn't hurt to add a pop of light in the background if it fits the setting. He also tells us that the strongest light isn't the key light, it's usually the back light. We can apply this knowledge to our future videos by trying to use our setting as a tool to experiment with different lighting techniques. Figuring out what objects alows light to bounce/reflect, what could be used in the background for motivated light, etc. 

BLOG QUESTION ADV: USING A WAVEFORM FOR EXPOSURE

1. What is the IRE scale? What does it mean on the waveform?

2. What is crushing and clipping? What does it tell you when you see it happening on the waveform?
3. Why is the waveform monitor so important to the digital cinematographer?

The IRE scale is a standard measurement of exposure used in waveform monitors. Crushing is when the waveform is below 0% making the image underexposed. Clipping is when the waves are above 100% on the waveform monitor, making the image overexposed. This tells us whether or not our image is broadcast legal. The waveform monitor is important to the digital cinematographer because it allows them to tell the true exposure of an image. They can't rely on the external monitor since exposure levels appear differently in different lighting/settings, so being able to read a waveform monitor is vital, since it's also the standard scale for all types of cameras.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: USING ZEBRAS FOR EXPOSURE

1. What are zebra stripes? What are they used for?

2. What do the zebra stripes tell you?
3. What a practical way to use these while shooting with a video camera?

Zebra stripes are black and white stripes superimposed by the camcorder over parts of an image that are exposed to a specific level. They are used to tell the exposure of certain parts of an image. When lighting for someone with lighter skin, and you have your zebra set to about 70%, you want to adjust your exposure to where certain parts of the skin are covered in that zebra pattern.  A practical way to use zebra stripes is when you're filming interviews to get accurate skin tone colors and to know when you're not overexposing. 

BLOG QUESTION ADV: REVIEWING GAIN

1. What does the ISO/Gain sensitivity of a camera mean?

2. Why would you want to increase the ISO/Gain of the camera?
3. What happens when you increase the ISO/Gain on a camera? What are the problems that come into play?

The ISO/Gain sensitivity of a camera is the measurement of how sensitive the sensor is to light  . We would want to increase the ISO/Gain of a camera if we were filming in low light settings (e.g. night time) . When you increase the ISO/Gain on a camera, the problem of visual noise comes into play which lowers the quality of the image, but boosts the exposure of the image.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: GETTING THE CORRECT EXPOSURE

Explain your answers to the following questions in a detailed, long paragraph:

1. What is a gray card used for? What does it help represent?
2. What is a waveform monitor used for? How should you use it?
3. What is false color? How can it be used to determine exposure?

A gray card is used to determine what setting to use on the camera to get perfect exposure. It helps represent skin tones on camera. A waveform monitor is used to tell the exposure levels which are found on the y-plane of the monitor. the x-plane shows the exposure of what's in the frame from left to right. You can use the gray card along with the waveform to fix your exposure, as the gray card shows up as a distinct white line. Usually having that line around 40 is adequate exposure. False color is similar to a waveform, except it reads differently. It can be used to determine exposure by using colors on a scale, which each represent different exposure levels. These colors will appear on the monitor in places where the exposure is high or low, allowing you to make adjustments to fix the highlights of your image.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: F-STOPS EXPLAINED

What is the difference between the aperture and the iris? In your own words, what is an F-stop? What is the difference between each stop? Explain in detail.

The iris is the mechanism which is a circular shield with a hole that opens and closes depending on how much light you want in the camera. The aperture is the name of that hole. The F-stop numbers is the scale of numbers that tells you how much light is coming into the camera (aperture size). The F-stop scale either doubles or halves the amount of light. The smaller the aperture, the less light is being let into the camera, giving the image a Deeper Dof. The larger the aperture, the more light is being let in, giving the image a shallower DoF.

BLOG QUESTION BEG/ADV: SPRING SEMESTER GOALS

If you remember, we blogged about your goals at the beginning of the fall semester. Revisit those goals when you first enter the spring semester.
Look back at the goals that you set in the fall. Did you achieve them? Why or why not? How can you take steps or make corrections to achieve these goals? Where will you need to look to gather help or resources?

I had three goals at the beginning of the year: Submit more films to a festival, learn how to color grade on DaVinci and edit more on AE, and learn how to light. So far, I haven't completed any of these goals, but I've been working on them throughout the semester. This semester, I hope to submit my college app film to a short film festival or contribute to a project that gets submitted to a festival. I've also started editing more, going out of my comfort zone by taking on challenging projects outside of class that require me to learn more editing skills. Lastly, I'm trying to learn more about lighting, and I've only taken one skills test, but I hope to complete a lot of the lighting skills this semester.