BLOG QUESTION ADV: APUTURE 300x

What are three key features of the Aputure 300x?

Three features on the Aputure 300x include 4 different buttons that affect the lighting/effects, channel/intensity, group/frequency, and wireless/trigger features. There are two dials, with the top one controlling the brightness with the menu button on the middle, and the bottom one controlling the color temperature with a preset button in the middle. There is also a variety of pre-made effects to give you specific lighting looks, such as fireworks or paparazzi. 

BLOG QUESTION ADV: NEGATIVE FILL

1. What is negative fill? What does it do to your image?

2. What is a good place to use it?
3. How could you start using this in your shooting?

Negative fill is the opposite of regular fill, and it takes away light from your subject. A material called duvetyn, a black matte cloth, is usually used to achieve negative fill. Negative fill adds interest to your image by increasing contrast. A good place to use negative fill is when you have too much light or when your lighting is looking overly flat. We can start using negative fill when we shoot, especially when we shoot outdoors and are relying on natural light, to give our image more dimension and contrast.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: THE QUALITY OF LIGHT

1. What is the difference between a hard and a soft light?

2. What is diffusion? What does it do?
3. What do hard and soft light communicate to your audience?

A hard light is a direct light that creates harsher shadows and contrast on your subject. A soft light is usually used to fill in shadows or light a general area. Diffusion is a type of material (Cloth, gels, soft-boxes, etc.) that helps soften hard lights. Hard lighting usually communicates harsher emotions, such as deception or untrustworthiness. Soft light is usually used to portray something that is good or more positive emotions.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: SHAPING LIGHT

In a detailed paragraph, please answer the following questions:
1. How do you create a soft light from a hard light?
2. How can you use flags to shape your light? What effect does it have?
3. What are china balls, duvetyne and blackwrap used for when lighting?

You can create softer lights by using a diffuser or bouncing your lights off of a bounce card instead of shining it directly onto your subject. You can use flags to shape your light to prevent spill and create harsher shadows on your subject. You can use flags to cut down on light that is bouncing off of your environment onto your subject, and it helps create contrast. This can be done with soft or hard lights. China balls help disperse light throughout your room, creating good ambient lighting. Blackwrap is an aluminum foil matte black material which is used to block out light, similar to a mini flag. it's useful because it can be shaped to fit any nook or cranny of a light source to prevent leaks, and it's heat resistance makes it safe to have close to lights. Duvetyne is used for a similar reason, as it absorbs light and controls spill.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: USING FALSE COLOR

What is false color? Why is it so important? Explain in detail scenarios where it might be a useful tool?

False color allows you to determine the different brightness values on your picture through a monitor. It can range from 0 IRE (total black) to 100 IRE (total white) on your monitor. It’s important to use when setting your exposure. You can use them when you’re in a setting where the exposure levels aren't clear to see on a monitor (e.g. too sunny or too dark), and you need to get a clear level of exposure.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: BASICS OF LIGHTING

1. What are three new interesting things you've learned in this video?
2. What does cross-lighting mean?
3. How can you put these into practice in your next film?

I learned how to correctly direct someone to move/turn a light, by saying "lamp left/right", you're directing the person behind the light to turn or move the light based on their left or right. If your subject is facing at an angle, their Broad side is the side that faces nearest to the camera, and their Short side is the side of their face that is furthest from the camera. Cross-lighting is when you use two lights to help support each other when lighting two or more subjects. For example, if you're filming a two shot, you can have a light act as a backlight for one character, and if you angle it correctly, it could also act as the key light for the actor across from them. If you set up another light the exact same way for the other person, you'll have a full set up that only requires you two lights. I think this is a really helpful concept to understand because it'll help save us a lot of time trying to figure out lighting set ups and from assembling and moving lights.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: BOUNCE BOARDS

 What are the different ways you can use a bounce board in a shoot?  What are the differences between a square and a round bounce board? 

You can use a bounce board in a shoot to soften a light. This will make the shadows on your subject appear less harsh by feathering it out. You can either mount your bounce board on a duck clamp, or hold it. A round bounce board appears more natural when reflected in your subjects eye. Bounce boards are easily DIYable and can be made using styrofoam and tape, which can be found at any hardware store.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: BOUNCING LIGHT

1. What happens when you directly aim a light at your talent?

2. What happens when you bound your light? What's a simple way to bounce it when shooting?
3. How can bounce cards be used?

When you directly aim your light at your talent, you could create harsher shadows without meaning to. A way to soften those shadows is to bounce your light and/or diffuse it (aka create a book light), which can fill in those shadows. When you bounce your light, you can use a bounce board and even pair it with a diffuser to further soften it. When you use two methods to soften a light, it results in a more indirect light source. A book light is especially helpful when you only have a hard light source.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: THE C-STAND

1. What are three key important details when setting up a C stand properly?
2. How should you store and carry C-Stands?

When setting up a c-stand, it's important to know to keep the big leg of the stand under the weight, and to keep the sandbag on the big leg. You should always keep the knuckles on the right side. turning the knobs right make it tighter, and having it on the left makes it looser. When lining them up in a row, have the big leg over the medium leg to get the tightest possible fit. When carrying them, you should always be shouting Points!

BLOG QUESTION ADV: SETTING UP A LIGHT

1. What are three key important details when setting up a light properly?

2. What are the proper terms when instructing someone to change where the light is pointing?

Always use gloves to protect your hands from heat. Lock the knobs hand tight for easy striking, and add a sandbag to weigh the stand down. Make sure your cables are tidy, either taped down, close to the wall, or covered by a mat. Before you turn on the light, make sure you yell striking so people know to look away from the light. Some terms you should know when lighting are names of equipment. C47's = Clothespins used to pin gels to lights. When moving the light, there are 3 ways to direct someone into directing it: Tilt, pan, and stick, Tilt is tilting the head up and down, panning is moving the head left to right, and stick is lengthening or shortening the height of the head. When lengthening, always start with the top riser first. When sticking down, always have a hand on the riser before loosening and do it in reverse order. When turning off a light, call out saving so people know why a light source is being turned off.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: THE DIRECTION OF LIGHTING

1. What do you notice about front lighting? Top lighting? Side lighting?
2. What does the angle of your light have to do with your character and story?
3. How can you incorporate this in your film noir?

Front lighting is light that comes in front of the subject, relative to the camera. It can give your subject a flat appearance, since it eliminates any shadows on their face. The angle of your light brings depth to your image. Having light slightly above your subject's face, aka "beauty lighting", highlights the bone structure of their face and the shadows define their jawlines, cheeks, and hide their chin. Having light directly above them shining down, emphasizes these shadows quite a bit, giving them an intimidating or brooding look since their eyes are casted in the shadow, and since it is hiding some of their features. Under lighting your subject can also give it the same intimidating feel, for a similar reason, this time casting the shadows up their face. Having light 45 degrees relative to your camera will create shadows on the opposite side of your subject's face, defining their features but still keeping them relatively lit. Moving the light completely to the side gives a dramatic, mysterious look to your subject as one half of their faces is completely in the shadow. A back light is used to separate your subject from the background by highlighting the back of their heads. We can use all of these tactics in our film noir depending on the context of our scene. I think the most useful one we'll use is the side light and beauty light, since our noir is very focused on our main character who is going through a moral dilemma.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: LIGHTING THE HUMAN FACE

1. What do you notice about how the angle of lighting affects the human face?

2. Take a moment and pause the video in the article in different parts. What does the lighting do the ladies face at those angles?
3. How could you start using lighting angles intentionally in your future productions?

The angle of lighting plays a huge role in the emotion of their faces, despite them having the same expression. The lighting coming form the top of their faces, with the dark backgrounds gives them an intimidating, almost uncanny look, because of the harsh shadows. The daylight photos with the lighting filling in all parts of their faces gives them a softer, neutral and more welcoming look.  The lighting makes the lady's face appear darker, almost scarier. We can use lighting to show the true intentions of characters and establish their personality.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: USING FLAGS TO CONTROL SHADOW AND LIGHT

1. What are flags used for on set?

2. What are three key things you learned in the video that you can put to use when lighting?

Flags are used to direct or block lights on a set. Some things I learned are the different ways you can utilize flags to direct lights (blocking the top, bottom, or sides of them). Blocking the top of a light will keep the light on your subject but eliminate the light spilling onto the background. Blocking the bottom will remove light casting onto your subject and light their background, creating a harsh shadow on their face and giving the space above them light. Having flags on the side will allow you to remove spill from your light. There are also different sizes and types of flags that can be used for different scenarios. A floppy can be used for lighting and blocking light from a monitor, and there are different ways to hinge them. A cutter is useful for blocking out light in a shot that requires a longer cut. It also helps with light spill.