exposure
LIGHT AS ENERGY
th Earth in isible and invisible por the electromagnetic spectr spectrum um Iluman eyes are s c n ~ i t i \ e to
Energy from th Sun comes
ti
1.4
a small portion the longe
thaI spectrum that includes the \isiblc c o l o r ~ from ible wavelengths light (Red) to the shortt.:sl \\a\
lengths (Blue). Intensity light is measured in foot-candles (in the United States) or in lux (in most other cou ntri es). A uot-eand e (fc) equals about (or. for a rough convc ion ll1ultiply foot-candle by 10.08 to ge lu x) A foot-candle th light from a standard eandlc at di tance one fool. One lu the illumination produced by one stan dard ca ndl from a distance meter. When film is e'posed for distance. stance. it receive I lux-sec sta ndard candle I meIer di exposure. What's a swndard candle'! It"s like th standard h rse in horse-power. To provide some points reference: secon
to
Sunlight on an average day range, rrom 32.000 to 100.000 lux (3.175 0.000 fc) Typical TV tud ios arc lit at about 00 lux (99 rc) A bright office ha> about 40 lu illumination (-10 Moonlight eprese l1l s about lu ( a tenth H fuot-candle The f top i covered in more detail in th chap er on Opric.\" but
it is important to kno\\ hO\ it fils into the exposure sys em Fstop and lighting calculations apply equall) to id eo as d o c ~ much ot f"i lrn and ll forms the information in
ror
llr
di sc li ss ion
this chaptcr. STOP
fl22
6.1 (previous page) The basics of exposure: source and light
meter. {Photo by author.}
OUS
(above) The aperture at vari+ flstops.
Most
ses ha ve means of con rolling the amount of" light they pa ss through 10 the film or video receptor; this ca ll ed the aperture The I' SlOp is th math mathema ema ti ca relationship overall sile the len the aperture. th size
hort term stop. ··Stop·· SlOP is lInit light measure Op m c a n ~ thl.!fl.! nt. increase in the amount of ligh by sto means th ere is half twice as mu ch light. decrease of as much lighl. A lens ith an slOp 1. would theor ti call pass th ocal plane The I' SlOp is th th light reaching through all io the focal ength a lens to the diameler th el1lmnce pupil as ho in Figure 6.2. This works ou t each stop greatcr than th pre vious by th sq root stop sto pi ri \'ed from th si mp formula: 1'
th diameter of kns opening focal th brightest point in th e scene has 28 tiJ11 t:s morc luminance im (se\ S I O p ~ ) . Ihel1 we SH it h a ~ sc\ en top than the dark es sce ne.! brightn ess ralio.
stop
EXPOSURE ISO AN
The units \\
deal
LIGHTING RELATIONSH
ith in expos ur arc:
stops ASA. SO or E (dinercn names luI' the ,ame thin lux Foot-candles distance Ou tput ofsourccs as alTected Reflectance objects It turns out that all
of"
th ese can be arranged in
a n a l o g o u
\ \ i . I ~ !'o.
Tiley all lollow the same basic mathematical pHllern. The data in these tab es was com iled by "Vade Ram sey. Remember thai lOp ...
l1uJ1lbcr!o! arc fractions. the relationship of the aperture c..lial11t'ter
ci
graphy gr aphy
II
LIGHT AS ENERGY
th Earth in isible and invisible por the electromagnetic spectr spectrum um Iluman eyes are s c n ~ i t i \ e to
Energy from th Sun comes
ti
1.4
a small portion the longe
thaI spectrum that includes the \isiblc c o l o r ~ from ible wavelengths light (Red) to the shortt.:sl \\a\
lengths (Blue). Intensity light is measured in foot-candles (in the United States) or in lux (in most other cou ntri es). A uot-eand e (fc) equals about (or. for a rough convc ion ll1ultiply foot-candle by 10.08 to ge lu x) A foot-candle th light from a standard eandlc at di tance one fool. One lu the illumination produced by one stan dard ca ndl from a distance meter. When film is e'posed for distance. stance. it receive I lux-sec sta ndard candle I meIer di exposure. What's a swndard candle'! It"s like th standard h rse in horse-power. To provide some points reference: secon
to
Sunlight on an average day range, rrom 32.000 to 100.000 lux (3.175 0.000 fc) Typical TV tud ios arc lit at about 00 lux (99 rc) A bright office ha> about 40 lu illumination (-10 Moonlight eprese l1l s about lu ( a tenth H fuot-candle The f top i covered in more detail in th chap er on Opric.\" but
it is important to kno\\ hO\ it fils into the exposure sys em Fstop and lighting calculations apply equall) to id eo as d o c ~ much ot f"i lrn and ll forms the information in
ror
llr
di sc li ss ion
this chaptcr. STOP
fl22
6.1 (previous page) The basics of exposure: source and light
meter. {Photo by author.}
OUS
(above) The aperture at vari+ flstops.
Most
ses ha ve means of con rolling the amount of" light they pa ss through 10 the film or video receptor; this ca ll ed the aperture The I' SlOp is th math mathema ema ti ca relationship overall sile the len the aperture. th size
hort term stop. ··Stop·· SlOP is lInit light measure Op m c a n ~ thl.!fl.! nt. increase in the amount of ligh by sto means th ere is half twice as mu ch light. decrease of as much lighl. A lens ith an slOp 1. would theor ti call pass th ocal plane The I' SlOp is th th light reaching through all io the focal ength a lens to the diameler th el1lmnce pupil as ho in Figure 6.2. This works ou t each stop greatcr than th pre vious by th sq root stop sto pi ri \'ed from th si mp formula: 1'
th diameter of kns opening focal th brightest point in th e scene has 28 tiJ11 t:s morc luminance im (se\ S I O p ~ ) . Ihel1 we SH it h a ~ sc\ en top than the dark es sce ne.! brightn ess ralio.
stop
EXPOSURE ISO AN
The units \\
deal
LIGHTING RELATIONSH
ith in expos ur arc:
stops ASA. SO or E (dinercn names luI' the ,ame thin lux Foot-candles distance Ou tput ofsourccs as alTected Reflectance objects It turns out that all
of"
th ese can be arranged in
a n a l o g o u
\ \ i . I ~ !'o.
Tiley all lollow the same basic mathematical pHllern. The data in these tab es was com iled by "Vade Ram sey. Remember thai lOp ...
l1uJ1lbcr!o! arc fractions. the relationship of the aperture c..lial11t'ter
ci
graphy gr aphy
II
Ihe focnl Ienglh orthc len s, For exa mp e. 1' ea ll ea 8: Ih Ihe foca length II is 11 , hi h obviously diameter lime we pclllh apel1ur Olle whole 8. Ea !-l lll icr fraction than ubl Ih quan quanlit lit lighl eac eachin hin Ih e im : cac lim slOp li we lo se it one o p . we alve the light reaching th film The I' stop ,calc (Tab 6, is li red 10 ow that th sa rela ionas /8 and fil appl I' number hip Ih al ap pl to intcna betwee th em. So th difference ween is and mea ur in I0th SlOp. tc Modern digital nd co This helpful f eaic eaiculali ulali compari mpari so s, UI for OSI ac ieal purp purposes. oses. thi evel accura acc uracy cy notn ecessaty. O third give th vagaries of pr ecis or a OP is th prac ti ca limit not to say th op ti cs. ab em ry and lecinc trans er. Th is ot importa nt. nl that th degree precision pr ecision accur aL ex po ur in the overa ll process ha limit s.
/I
LIGHT NG SO URCE
TANCE The rsto sc applies to Ih e ve se quare law illumination illuminati on ation du to distance ith mall sources foll v, in illu l I l ! . ! . c Ihis scale (Table 6,2), exam ple. i the lamp is II feel from Ih ubj cc l. 1110\ ing to feet will increase the ubject illum ation op,just as diaphragm from ll ning th wo uld o. The verse quare 1m\' applie int so ur ces. tri tl y peaking. fo ll ow \\'ell althe di lan ces uall utili utilized, zed, UI spotligh
I\
INVERSE SQUARE LAW AND COSINE LAW cc rtain di ance: say 1.000 'c at 10 fe l. Simi lar larly: ly: utput
ca be used
ca lculate Ihe
the distancc sq uared Thi
Tabl 6, I) Figure 6.3 illu stra
utpul at
th er di ces di ing inve se quar la in ppli cation
th
,,1\
11
6.3 (top) The inverse square law. This important rtant not only to understand is impo ing expso ur measurement but to lighting as well. . (above) Th cosine law: how th angle th su bj ect affects its expo· sure evel.
law graphica graphicall ll y. imilar the in ve se sq principle is the cosi aw Figure 6.4). urfa ce is turn away from th so ur ce. le ss the urface vis ibl e" to th so urce and th le ss c'
ISO SPEEDS e-t hird 'lto is th minim um exposure dirTercnce ectable Since OS negati ve by Ih e naid ed eye oc s) film se si ti vi is this. This sca is ti ere rat ed in nt th finer in make the relat io hip between inte va ore eas il see Ju SO 200 stop rasler Ih an SO 100, so SO 320 top faster Ihan ISO 160
(Table 6.3),
s. memo izi lth ough this is ob\ thi sca le mak es eas er to as SO sec Ih difTerences be ween dd inter al s. SO by direcl ecl 32 SlOpS,) The scaic ma be ex panded in ei er dir digitss ( the nt f\ below arc 5. add in or subtJ"ac ling digit 3. 2.5 inlervals vals be ow 64 are 50, 40. 32, 25.20, a 1.6. 16 as Ihe inler
Table 6.1. left) Lighting Light ing source distance and exposure. Table 6.2. 6.2 . (belowl Ught level and exposure. "X" represents a given am ou nt of light each step to the left doubles the amount of light at
LIGHTING SOURCE DISTANCE
DISTANCE
IN
Ft.
64
F/Stop Light
2048x
/S tops /3
Stops
SO
4.5
1024x
SI2x
2,2
1.6
1.3
32' S,6
2S
1.8
20'
128X
2S6X
2.8
1.4
1.1
40
16
10 10
12
5.6 3.2
18 14
2X
22
16 13
10
4X
8x
11
6 3,6
16X
32X
64
32 25
20
45
36 29
40
exposure 10
25
200
lOO
40
10 in one third Table 6. ISO or stop increments. The same series can be interpr ted percentage of reflecti hutt speeds.
-r--
125
64
= - t -
80
400
800
0
16o r - - -
l000 0
64
12
FOOl -candie s: The IS be calc can a li ed 10 oo l- andi es. ublin Ih OO ca ndi es doubles Ih e expo ur The Ihird- slO int er Tcrl: l1 cc \ a s g ve the int rm di Ie alues. or example. th SlOpS. belween 32 fc nd 60 fe
erce nt ge 10
ec ion Th
ISO ca
from 100 on
ce nt age reflection. For exampl e. hil e. th r r cc ccs, stic pur
Ihen be see e. es ec li ve pure while (Table 6.4). hull ee s: Referring example. 11320 sec is -2 helpful hen unu ual co mbin prod ce o dd cclive hull er LI GHT AND FILM gy in each ph It th
SO 100
\\ n rcl al es
an repr es ent
and 20 u. an lOP dark Ihan
lOp an 2-
Ih SO sc e, il can be Ihal Op fa ler Ih an 100 ec Th ca n b and fr ti of hult cr ang ate peed s.
a chem al ge Ih pholOgraphic deleelor Ihal are coa ed on Ihe film The pro cess eby ec trom ag ti c ergy ca che ical han ges tr y. maH r is k ow ph oche All film is coalCd nl O ba Ir anspa elli pl lic malerial (c llu oi Ihal is 10 Ih ll sa ndlh an in ch (0.025 mm ) Ihick OIli Ihe pholOch mi lr happen s. base. Ihe emulsion is adhered wh Th ay be 20 r more individual layers coa here Ih al l
hip of f! tops
STOPS
REFLECTANCE
that ca
ess than
_1 1/] 100
2/
50
64
·2
_2 1fl
-3
25
40
80
Cinematograph
fl
an dth of inch in thi kn ss. e- th coa th tran nt film do ot form image s. Th ey th filler light. or t co ntr th e mi ca l reac ti on in th pro ce in g s s. Th ima gi ayers co ntain sub-micron rain si er n ec tor s. tals that act the ph The e cr ys lal arc Ihe ea r! pholographic f-i 1m The y>!a undergo ph oc emical C
ect ve the laye
Table 6. Th lati nd fl ec ce.
on
13
_3
12
20 32
-3
10 16
Ul
·4
1/
mi oto to he er ha ide elysta photo e ec tr . O th cals arc ad ed internally o e gra in durin it s ro th proct!ss. o 11 he ur m:c af ec th li ht se si ti v th e grai These chemi at . how \ ( ~ to knO\\ 11 as s speed th e grain. ig ht The s eed o em tified y tand rd s set is th SO In te rn ational Sta nd ds O ga ni zatio ) or ASA (Am ri an Stan dards J\ssociC:lI io ra tin g. O th ec hni al th e co rrec t des a it as ASA . T hi trad ti n. n. mas eo pl e still refe the ASA. he lower th li ht ..: th film s capabl es ll in it vi y film as to Fo color 11 c r s th se os ur In de\. you make film aster. th e o is th th increased igh se si iv y co es fro th li se o f l ge il ve r h lid grai s. ese la ge gra in s can rt::s uh n a b y or "gra in y" ap ea arc co tantl an ce o ict ur e. Phot ograph ic film lllanufac l1Ir film s w ith ess grain . For ro\ eme nt th t res ult ma kin in the va ce was th e nt ro du ti Kodak, a ajo ra 70s. ese ab la rai ns ar ro hl tri ngul wh ic h all owe th to be packeol.:loser toge he r. hu ed ci g appar nt THE LA EN T MAGE th e s tl r is ope , lig
th e c mi try o th e c mu ls li ht age is rm abso rb by nd nt Wh ph sil\c r th e s ec tr se it izl.! itt g ide gra in. th e urface th electr n i se int th e co ndu ti n band fr 111 th e r g y ce bam!. whcre i ca be an sferr d th e co ndu ti n b
6.
ack-and white negati ve.
EM CA PROCESS NG
der fo thc atell ma ge to beco e i!'lib e. t u:-. be i nd ab ili 7c in der o make a ega ivc or a posith c ( igure be se 6.5). In black-and-\\ h it lilm th e s il ver halide g in ave si iLed o a ll \\a\elcm!lhs o si le li ht so th e il\ er hulid I! ra ill arc coa ed in just o n ~ eve pm nt tw la ye s. As a esult. th proces is e
exposure
in g c
6.6 Colo negative with its distinctinve orange mask.
mi tr fo th proper amount of"timc. only grains \\ ilh latent age in fo mati on ill becom pure siher. Thc lInc\ in as il ver halidc crysta s. posed ains The development process I l l l l be "stopped" at t h ~ right the fi m with \-\,atcL or by 1110ment. This is O J 1 ~ by rin si in top" bath th brings th e development process 10 alt. the After eve pment, so mc the altered halide an all si ver halide remain ill the em lsion. It must be un lt oved o the negative ill darken an deteriorat O\'cr c. The remova this undeveloped material is accom plished ith fixing agents, usually so dium thiosulfate (hypo) ammo nium th osulfate. The proce ss is called fixing. The gh an not too mllch. as excessive con tri ck is to fix st ta ct ith fixers an begin to emove some th desirable rm ial. si \vi th water to remove all the pro Fin ll y. the film s was l, mi ca s. Then it cessi g dried. The washing must ex tr tho gh. When all the steps arc finished. the film ha a negative image the original sce e. th type chemistry can rcs ul in a positive image. bu thi is co mm nl sed in motion picture ications. ne ga ti ve in th e se se that it is darkes (has th It is ghest density 0111s) in th paque s il ve ea that received th mo stlig hl expo sure. In placcs that received no light. the negative is clear. COLOR NEGATIVE
Colo r ncga ti ve s basically three aye ack-and-white film. onc th e o th Fi es 6.6 and 6.7). The difTerenee is that caeh LO layer is trea ed ith differe nt ectra se tizer so tha it is recep tive o different band ectrum. These translate to roughly th ed. bluc nd green. \Vith co or fi lm the dcvelopment te lI ses reducing chemi cals. an th expose si ve halide rain develop to pure si ve . Oxi di zed developer i produce in this reaction. and the oxi di zed develope eacts v.,rith cm ca s c ll ed couplers in eac orthe image fonning layers. This reaction CHuses th co upl to fo m a cotor. and th co or arie depending 011 how th si ve r halid e g ains were pectrall y se iti7 cd. A dif ferent co or rmin g coup se in the red. green an blue se si ti ve aye s. Thc latcnt image in the different layer::, for en th film dinerent colo dye developed. Th developmcnt process is op ed ei er by washing. or ith op bath. The un expose silve li de gra in are removcd usi g a fixing solution. tep i rell1O\ ed b) il ve that was de ve oped i th fi eachin g che mi ca (No e: it is possible LO ski thi s step or re du ce it so th at somc th il vcr ema in in th ncgati\ c. ENR proces in g. \\hich hi the basis "'skip b each" is discllsscd sew ere.) the The negative image then wa ed to remo\c as much chemica and rcaction prod cts as possible. The film slrips arc then dried. c o n t a i n ~ no Unlike a black-and-white' negative. color Il cga si er \vi th the exce pt io SIJec al processes known as "bleach bypass:' T ese a e covered in th apter on Image COJ1lrol. Th end resu lt is a colo negati ve in th se se th at the more red Cinematography 10
the ore cyan ye nn ed. Cya mix blue and re en (or \\ hite red). The cc sc iti\ image aycrs conai age nta ye an th blue :-.ensi li age la yers co ntain ye ll O\\ dye. th :-;ub The colo s for ed in the color ncgati\ c mm an..' ba se tra ti ve (ala r rm:Jti syste The ubtr ac ti ve syste ses one (cya magcl1lu ye llow) to control each primar color. Th co addilin..' co or :-.ys clll uscs a combination r red. een and lu to produce CO Of Video is based additive sys em. The overa ll ma king dyes th he or: I1 gc hue i!\ th e result o correc impe fec ti ons in th e color reproducti on process. ADDITIVE VS. SUBTRACTIVE COLOR ph ograph Ihe co s rc ayere on lOP lh . so a In eac ubtra iv color eprodu tion system is ed In ubtracti ve co b) its pposi l..' ea h primary afTec th e co or wheel. Red sensi ti ve la ye form a cyan co red dye Gree sensiti\ layers form ge nt a co red d ye. rm a yello\' co c:d dyc. Blue s c n ~ i aye FILM'S RESPONSE TO LIGHT Th ere arc wo eps in th making ne ga ti\ as represe nt ed by the thin li ce from th ne at 7. o\\ in Figur Ex osure. The lIseful propert ofsilvcr halide i that it s sta to ubj ected to li ht in dire prop ni altered \\ amou nt light encrgy absorbed. T hi s ange is is film s exa mined b are and aftcr cxposu re littl ibl e. a nd
ange can be seen. Development. Silver hal id \\ hi has been altered by eonWet \\ ith li ht can duced to pure il ve place in conlaet v. ith spec ifi c c mical re rr to as eve ping agents. f" eve pm ent \\ill The activity of" tlt de ve per and tim determine hO\\ mu the se iti 7e d halid l' will be con· cr ed.
DENSITOMETRY To und tand film we mu t ook at s urvc. This. clas:-,i ca approach to densitometry (the sc en tifi analysis exposure) \\a, ev sed by lIurter nd Drilli ld in 890 and so is ca lled lit th alllount II&D curvc o SOlllltil11 cS the J) og ur ve. It pl exposur ng the in ogar ithmi unit ri zontal ax an th un rd cnsi y c han ge in th egativ "D" along thc ve rt cal axis. This is sometimes , orte cd to ··Log E·· (Figure 6.8). ange in In th eory. it akes se se th at \\ \\Qu ld \\ nt th film li gh reflected densit) in exact propo rti n to c ange in th amount by different part the scene. Afte all \\ arc tr in to make an image \\ hich accura ely onrays th eal scene. right? Let's look at theoretical··linear"' film (Figure 6.9). For eve ad i lioJ1nl unit exposure. th den si the negati ve hanges exactly nd ce between th 0111: i:-. an cxac co rr es it. That is. th amount or light in the !'Irene an the ange in th the si Supercoa
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
_________
Blue-sensitive layer (yellow dy Yellow filter Green -s ensitive lay er magenta dy Red sensitive layer (cyan dye) Subcoat (adhesive)
---------.. B . s .
Anti halation backing
6.7 The layers of color negativ fi
ex os re 09
6.
. The
Hurter an
Driffield D Log E
curve for negative densi
y. ShOUlder
StralQht hne Qlllear portior1 o ' l t I e C U l ' l e
mln
Base .. log
osur
ega ive. So un c ope ec t. oes he line for till it cg ees exac tl y. im wo uld b Th ope o thi lin ur the film. th e eon ra in"ss large c ges in ex osure o nl ge he egative In film lllra t pr du ti s very s it a lilli e lo th film ve cO lllra very ig he ow th rd il th unt li li ht he de o han dra ti all y. The ex tr s so th ing ca ll ed "li th o" film itho film is lI se in th printin indu tr y. Ev hi h th ith r bla hit de f g ay. In other words th c a rt in th th li ht ow a certain leve l, it is co contrasty bl ac Thi is as a film an ge t. Th r lith fi lm wo uld e a ve ica li c. thi first examp rfec tl lin ar No film ac in th nn hc change in the (i.e the hanges in th film exac tl y corres nd unt li ht In thi di ag ram we see film hi nl y changes 2 nit 1' dditi l unit it I'o eac li ht. Thi is a "10\\ contras t"" lm Figur 6. 0 ce ig h- contrast emul ow th eli Te wee c. In th hi nd nt
nus pari 01 II>e sctIr.e '5 oo bnght to
be
be
feoo
1 m.
lange Ola Drog Of v>doo IS l:aPilbl/t fI'p n;Jd ur; "' 1I r>!InI
. A theoretical
1Ns PIIrt
"ideal" film
that exactly reporduces sure changes with
subjec in negative dens it y.
cinematograph
th
he
on e x p o ~ on
1/19 sceoo IS too dark to I.>e uooroad on
problem
with
a perfectly linear film
,nal 01
contrasty fIlm
lo
contrast fIlm
6.10 Differences between a high con tra st and lo contrast film
Exposure
additio al unit or ex osure. it anges 2 unit negative si y. Looking at the brightness range the ex osure ag in st th bright ness range the negative density. \\le se that it ill show or co nt rast ill th n e g a t i \ ( ~ th ac tu ally exists in the sc e. ~ I o p c this line ca ll ed the ga ma th film: it is measlIre its conlrast illess. Contrast refers to the se paration ligh tn es and darkness (called "lOnes") in Aim or print and broad pr se nt ed th e s ope the characteristic curve. Adjectives slIc as flat or so ft and cO lltras or hard are often used to de cribe contrast. In ge neral. th e s eeper the op the character ic ur ve. th higher th cont rast. Th terms gamma and average radient refer to numericalmcans for indicati ng the contrast the photographic ma ge. scien Gamma is measured in several difTcrent ways as defined ific orga ni zations or manufac turers. Th ey are all basically a way th trai ht-lin portion th ur ve by th e ope of calculat morc or less ignoring the shou lder nd the ort on the curve. the stra ht -line ponion th Gamma is the slope ha acter stic th angle (a) f0l111ed by th e stra ht line with c u n ~ or the tangent the hori zo ntal. Th tangem th angle (a) obtained by dividing the dcn:-,ity increase by th e log expos ure han ge. G3mma does not desc ribe contras characteris ti cs thc toe o th e ou lder. on th traight line portion. But there exposure, as another wrinkle. In the lowest ra ge well as in th highe t range. the emuls ion 's response cha ges. th lowest range. the film d o c ~ nOI respond at all it "sees" th first few units light. There is no change in photochemistry at all until li ht fi st begins it reaches the inertia point \\ here t he mount an elec trical change 10 create a photoche ical change in film on a \ ideo tube. A fter eaching the incrtial point. th en begin nl y li htl for each p o n d :,., Iu ggir;;hly: ncgathe density han ge additional unit light. Thi egion th .. toe" th cu ve. In this arCH, Ih changes in light va lu e arc co pr essed (Figure 6.11.) At the upper en tho.! film' senS il i\ ilY range is the ··shoulder'" lIere abo. the reproduction i compressed. Th em sion becoming o\crloaded: it's re pon o each additional unit light is ess and le ss. The end result is tha film docs not ecord cha ge in li ght linear and proportional wa Both the shad scene in \ ~ l I l i e in th o\\'s and thc highlights ar somewhat crushed ogether. Thi is, in fact. \\ hLlt gives film the "film look '· thai video has never been able to achieve Hi gh ef comes ot doser than pre\ iOlls systems bu till h a ~ trouble wit the highlights). It is wa compressing very contrasty sce ne s so that the "fit" on th Aim exposure 11
6.11 . Gray scale compress on in the to an shoulder.
Equal
THE LOG
ements 01 exposure
AXIS
think abollt th log E axis (horizontal) for moment. It is no exposure un its. an ab tract sca mb er th at it represen the va ll luminances th e sce e. ll sce nes arc different. and t'
thus all sc ne ha ve different luminance ratios. What we are reall plo lting on th hori zontal ax lumin ces in tile th range sce e, rrom the darke to li hte . II. Weber discovered that In 890 th German ph ysiologi hange in an ph ysic al se sation (sound. brightness. pain heat) th e timulu increases Th change in ec es noti ce bl eve timulu that will produce noti ceab diff ence proporti nal to the ove all le ve irthree units perception li ght reat ofbr ightnc ss that isjust J101i ccably brigh er than two unit s. then the malle t perceptible ncrease from units light ill require 30 appear to be lIllifonn. it units. To produc s hi sc ecessar to multipl each tep by a constant I',ctol'. In lact. he perce ption brightness lo ga rithmi c.
What is log' og arithm arc a imple wa expressi large cha ge in an numbering sys em. fo exa mpl e. we wa J1l to ake a c art so thing which in cre ses multipl yi by 0: I. 10 00. 1000 .000. 100.000. we "ery quickl eac h numbers so arge as to be unwieldy It would be extremely dillicult to make a graph which could handl both nd th range th og a number repIn lo base 10, the Illo CO lll1110n sys resents th numb times mu t multiplied by IOta produce 10 once to make 10, so the log the number mu st be multiplied lOi I. arri ve at 100. you multipl ce so the log by 100 2. Th lo g 10 nUlllber i the exponent 100. the 2. og is 10.000. so th lo 100 -l (Table 6.5). 10 ,000 This ea that we ca hart ve large ha ges in quantity with a fairly sma ll range or numb Log are lI se d throughout lighting. photography and ideo. IO Qu ce ption bri htness oga rithmic and wc all st.!t.! that tlli ran gi g consequ ces in ll aspects has ig hting for film and idco. wc hart the human perception brightness in stcps appear l1100th to the eye we ca foll ow its lo garithmi nanJre. It is appa rent that eac ep lip in eemingly eve scale gray tones is. in er it mea ured refl ec tance paced logarithmic ll y. A<::. we in fact fundamental ll see later. thi s cha rt th e entire process BRIGHTNESS PERCEP
cinematography
lighting an image reproduction (Tab 6.6). Rcmcmber that these arc no fixed values (the darkest point on th cena in !lumber ca ndl es- r- sq -foot fo exam i . u , i ~ is not log ple), because \\ open or close the apenurc orthe camera adjust ho\\ much liL!.ht renches the lilm nnd we se faster or lower film an so 011. Whnt'-rcally co ullt is Ih 1'0/;0 between th darkest an li ght uxis. This s ca ll ed c:-,t. an thaL is wh wc arc pl uing on th lo the brightness range ortlle fill11, sometimes abbreviated as BR Each unit on the log axis represent:.. one SlOp ore light. CONTRAST The \\ ord conlra!o!L
di ITereIH meani g::.. depending on \\ hether yo a n ~ lHlking about th c o l l l r a ~ t orlhe subjec we are photographing or the negati\c that \\ wi ll us make th print. In general. COlllmSI refers th elati\e diflcrel1ce b e l w e ~ 1 1 dark and light areas th subject or negative. Subject con tra t refer to th di flcrence between the amounts or light being rclkcted by the darker. or shado\\," a r e a ~ orthe ~ c e n c and the lighter. or "highlight." areas (for example dark door as opposed to \\hite \\ ll ). Nega contra t refer:, the relat i \ ' { ~ di fTerence between the morc tran::,parent area:, the ncgativc and those that an more opaque. The ncgativc is described in enns density. These densities can be measured \\ ith an instrument called sito meLer, whic I 1 1 c a s u r e ~ ow much is held h O \ \ much lighL passes through the ne ga ti ve an back. The contrnst photographic subjec s can va i.I great deal an from one picture to another. On clear. sunn days th contrast exterior scene can be gn t. while on c loud days it can be rclati\el) 10\\ in conlrast. The contras give scene depends ho\\ light th er or dark th objects in tht: picture are \\ en compared to eac an 110\,.. mllch light is falling on them. Let's get back to Ollr theoreti cnll) "idear- film. This film would cha ng th ensi the nega ti\c cxactly one unit for eac onc unit orchangc in th brightness the :-,ubjccl. The iJbo\ diagram :-.ho\\ thc problem with thi s. No n..:production mcdium 1 1 0 \ \ knO\\ is capabl reproducing anything ncar the brightness rang!;;! exhibited in 111 0s real wo rld situations. Near y all Him cmul ion!'> arc non-linear. This linea rit nlils for tw r e a s o n ~ . It take:, cennin amount li ht energy to initiate the acti\a Lion the photoscnsiti\ c1emcnts in th e emu sion (the iner tia point). Thus the density ri ses gradually at first in thi area c[tlled the oc, finally accelerating int(! th straight line por tion th curve' \Vith increasing cxpo:-,urc to light. ore sih e halidc is con \crted. until it ha no more sensit material to actinlte AI Ihat point. increasing the exposure docs ot increase the ultimate density the developed negat i\ c. This ·'sat ur ation" occur:, gradua ll y and produccs is known as a shou ld er. The lOe 01' th film is a result or th fact tllat film reacts slowly to small amounls light. li ht is nl when greater amounts reach the cmu sion that th e han ge becomes lin ear. This is th traight line portion th film. The film base itself always ha some d e l 1 ~ i t y . howc \er slight. On op this th is always a li ht amount fog due to light :'caltering in th ea era_ the lens, the cmulsion n l s o chemica fog in tl;-c processi g. The cllm ulati ve is all fog. arc L 1 ~ u a l l y described as x dcnsit above base plus fog. (For more on mcasurement density, see th e section on neLitral density filters in th chapter Fillers.) This toe and shoulder bch:nior actunll esu lt in a compression
Log
Number
.0 .3
.9
h a ~
10
1.0
16
1.2
32
.5
64
.8
00
2.0
Perception
Reflectance 100°
White
70% 50% 5%
...
25%
Middteqray
.5% 12.5% 9% 6%
...
4.5% Black Table 6.5 base' O.
3.5%
to
Some
above gra y scale values.
Table 6.6
va lu es
Refl ec
r lo ce
exposure 11
e im is correct an th LUul sc en e. II' th di nt co as ex os ure is orre t. Ihi s co mpre ss n ha ill ll ow the rull ft sc be pr es nt print. III brightness ran th fi the failure f film mu nd id eo ec pt or accu ff ec t. it al orld that allows ro du ph otographs ra prese nt th abl e. Eac 111m mul n reac pe nd id o tha nr li in tm quickl li ht th y. th ers creating n rath er ab up ni tia ri se in enct mo it y o r " rt oe:' th gradu ll d have t ca ll a "long toe," in reases in li ht Film ith imil en iti itie and ran ges can ave quit e ditlcrclll res urves quiring d ss imi ar po ure nd eve ment. th im ot1an fa th range o ub ect lumin ce that can be se full re orded ure 6 12 ). Lo w contra 11 1m ca cOlllinlle umin ce ran ge rea cOlltras build de y ove a urat rath r qui kl and t nd o " bl oc " I1 lm s ith er d. Thi Aim lI se d w we c matc th pe e o sccne bei th phOl graph d. em ograp Da id Watk n se ow contra ea lt th many fr ica, 111m to k ror the 0111 ve y co ra y itua ca UIl Th es ult s \vere in th dak now e mul ons th at are ut tanding Both Fuji nd mod ontrast than n rmal film oc s. \
6.12 . Compression
th rea wo ld brigh ness values so hat t ey fi makes onto th fil m. This is it possible to make usa le im ge tr as even from scenes with hig ranges. T e same pri cip e ppli es to V deo, w her ana og or d ita l. great deal of th progress of Id eo as me diu more acceptable imagi has been i prove en s in it s bi it to comp ess th e image b ri gh ness in a way t at gets closer to what fil can usefully manage. cinematography
Total brigh ness range he I print or Vld eo IS capable reprooucln
,,'
/-""""
6.13. Changing exposure shifts the image up and down the cu ve; too exposure pushe it of the shoulde and too it ru es it into the toe.
CO,," UI>O''''. No enough U p o . " , .
sce e brigh tn l.!ss va uc es ul n o ge si lh ega ti ve. Fu er. because c\ yl is ifted th ri ht th sce uo, rail in the oc e curve: ere \\ ill be ec bl ack lu e, all th final prin l. c\ th th ey ex ll th e origi U11dcro, osure is th og hift va lu es to e left. OW 11 as every sub le uan ce eco rd becau se lI til hi h t cs ill rti th e cur ve. Bu tt hey lilll the st aig ht li nc k e nd scale trouble. Th sce e l11 us va lu es ogethe n the toe. T ere litt fe nt ia io ed ium gray th th bl ack s ado\\s: in th fi al \ nlu es th da k gra val es adows. th he \\ il all be a b ac ole. here wi ll be no il ~ n e e s
th \\ ill "Co rect" e:\posurc. t en. is t!ss li ll th ap rt se tt uit th scene br htn css be ge th ri zo ntal ax s: og E) to th im agi eris ic cunc dium Wh t i ee to l.! char we rt in th nd th slip h!.! scene comfo ab be en oe l l e ~ ul ig ht al es fi ts icely der. J\ typical ccnc \\ th a se\el1 s op ra ge on the cun·e if \\c p nce th ex osurc exact th e id c. It im ortan to reme ber. o\\c\ cr. t at correc exposur s a urely tec ca thing: he e an: occasio \\ he yo ll \\an to dev 6. fro ideal e x p o ~ u r tec hni ca l reaso fo pic ri and 6 15) Tht: r e l a t i o n ~ h i r ig ht th ga mm a th e th lino ortion he ri m) to th ac nd th e Ol lcr is hat d ra er ti cs he mines a 111m Iatitude." t can be viewe as ex osure o th ab il ity lll sion\ roOI11 for error th 111 to acccpt a certain brigh tn ess angc. IGHER BR GHTNESS RA
SCENE
Thc problem cxacerba der a !-oce e \\ ic has mo ir\\(' co an sc\cn tops brig ess (se\en Cl\e age. i t:pcmb the pa rt ic ul ar fi lm oc ). Il ap rtur se th ting \\ !li will p ace a ll th va lu es o th lI sc rul rt rt e cur f \\ ex ose fo ha o\\ s (o en up th e rture): we ge good re tion the dark gray areas ut th li ht alu es arc ess we "espose ro hi ht s" (by c os in ealc. own o SlOp) \\e reco rd lilh th li ht oncs utlh ations l11 alle let ely a th bO ll dark ues arc pushe co ge. Il o\\' o \\c deal \\ itll thi s itu atio La we ill is ss th probl ome ather abs se solut io g. arico fl aS s e soluti reall y hat we hi h Pnna fl as cr. c.) ut th e sce arc all about: we ange th e b ig htn css ran ge so that exposure 15
\\ ill fit the (lin urthe !ilm. in other \\ords \ \ l ! alter th illuJl11111.1t1on the scene. This is dOIli: b) lighllllg or b) modil}ing Ihl' e\lstlng lighting. This thell. is olle the Illost essential Jobs lighting. and grip \\ ork: to render the cene II a scale ofbrightlless value that can be aceomlllodated b) the optic and cl11ubion film camera or b) the optil:s and dectronic idi:o. It's \\ h) \e get the big buck.... It also is critical in the choice location ... camera <.11li!ks
..
..
..
..
...
..
...
..
..
..
DETERMINING EXPOSURE
So \\ I! hm I! t\\ basic uh the "'Cl..":l1e o that It ~ a n To manipulatl! tht.: brightlh.!s ... ratio hI! propl!rJ) n.::produced on film ur \ ideo. To set the apl!rture .... o that the cene \ allies fall on thl! appro· pn
...
...
.....
...
..
THE TOOLS Th \\ 1110st
ic too!.... thl! cameraman's trad(' arc the IllCllil!nt metl!r. thc \\ Il I1ll!ter and Ihe spot met(T. There IS thll'd t) pe angle relkclance meier (\\ hat stili p h o t o g r a p h c r ~ \\ould s i l 1 1 p l ~ call "Iight I11l!tl!r"). hut it has I ! \ t r l ! m c l ~ limited lISC in film. b ~ l
...
THE INCIDENT METER
rllc Incident meter mcasures ~ e e n c Ilul1l illation on \. In other \\ ords. thl! amount ht nliling on the celll!. To aCCOml)lish this purposl!. ...
6.14 Deliberate overexposure of the main subject adds menace and mys· tery in tlils shot from The Lost Boys (Warner Bros 1987). photographed by Michael Chapman. cInematography
.15. Lee Garmes regularly lit Ma lene Dietrich one stop hotter than everyone else, as in this scene from Shanghai Express (Paramount Publix Corp., 932).
1110st incident meters lise CO\('f:-.
hemispherical while plastic dome \\ hich
the actual scn:-.ing cell.
dill'u'-ling. dome accolllplishc.:s sc\eraJ pUI1"loses. It difTuscs and h C I K T ··a'·crage .... th light \\ hich IS falling on it. also 3ppnJ \lmatt::s the gCOI11CII) oj'a t),picalthrce-dllllcnsional subject. Unshich.kd. the dome \\ ill read all ofthl' fronl lights and c"ell some oflhe side-back ~ l I l d hack light thai might hI.! lallTng on the subject. Left 10 ilsclL the hcmi'lphcrc \\ ould pro\idc reasonable u\ erag or al tht:: :-.ourccs tillling on the subject. In practice. many people liSC their hand 10 hand ..,hidJ the bal.:k light ol1'll1c rcadlllg an usc a combination shll.:lding and turning the meier to read the backlight and sometimes the key. fill. SIlk lights and back I ghts separately (Figure 6.17). ('he cbssica\ practice. 110\\C\l.:r. is point the hemisphere t1in.x:ll) at the lens and dilllinatc onlv the backll1!.hh. then takc a rcadllH! c\i.ll:ll) at the \ub.lcct positi0J1. Reading k;y. 1111 an backlight sep; ralci\' is in lilet ol1h a \\<-1\ ofdch:rminil1!! the ratios Hlllllookllll!. for out t;r balam;e SOUI:CCS. T i l e actual r c a d l l 1 ~ which \\ ill < . k t c n n i n ~ the aperture selling is the averaging one. Later we \\ill look al applica tions \\ hich go beyond the simple claSSical approaL:h and arc useful in dcalill!! \\ ilh unusual situations. \10s\ meters \,hieh arc LISCO \\ ith th d i t T u ~ i n g dome also come \\ ilh nat dilTuslIlg plate \\ 11Iell ha rh
..
D·mllx
-peon'
D·m
..
O¥. WI
rog
Base .. log
6.16. How speed (ASA or ISO) determined in black-and-white film. exposur
11
6,17. A reflectance mete with dome receptor, This one also runctions as flash meter, wide-angle reflectance meter and has a mini-receptor ror macro work.
much maller acceptance angle {about...J.5 to S5 } and h a ~ c O ~ l I 1 e re ponse rather than an u\'craging Olle, This eans that the angle the light falling on the plate ha an tfect on th reading. just it doe in illuminating a subjecl. The flat plate make taking reading for indi\'idu al lights simpler and also u eful for measurin illuminntion n at urfa ces. such in art copy work, plate etc. Incid llt meters are g\!l1cr J1li ular glass plale "hich eOll\erllhelll ally upplied "ilh to wide acceptance relkctance s. These see little sc on mo:..t sets as they ha\e \cry \\ide acceptanc angles and it is dilTicuit to exc lu extmneous sou rce rrom the reading. af For th mo part, incident se fo th film speed and by w'Iing slide-in hulter peed bcing se (either lectronic ll y plates) and then read out direc tl in numb s. Sume meters ha\ an alternate mode hi ch read fOOl-candies direc tl y; the lIser is thcn able to calcu atc exposure separatel y. This is useful if th ere is 110 (EI) being sed. lide l Ih ex posu re in THE REFLECTANCE METER
Rcflcelal1l:e meter read the actua lum inan ce the subJcrl. \\ hirh is itself an integration flt.:turs: th light le\cI ralllJll.! on t h ~ seellL: and th f 1 c c t i \ i t th l! ubj ect. ( F i g ~ l r c 6.1 X). On Ih llCC il. Ihi lIould see 10 be Ih osllouicalmelhlld rc:ading th sce ne. but th ere ca ch. Simply put. a ~ s p o t meter \\ ill tcllu!'l how much light subject is reflecting but this Icmcs olle \ big ul1an s\\e ed question: ho\\ much light do yo \ \ a l l ! It to rel1eel') th \\ rd s: incident eters pro\ id abso lut rcad outs (I stops) \\ ile :-.pot meter pro"idt.: rcl ati\c eadouts \\ hich require intcrpreta tion. \Vhile mos wc e fonne rl ) cali brated in \,.'\posure the c\ electron c spot cters prU\ ide ailic ( E V ) units. so dire readout in r ' s t o p ~ , bu it \\ould probably beller thl.!) didn't a th ey arc a sourcc Illuch confusion. it th \\'ay: yo arc llsing slleh Think meter and photograph ing a \cry fair ski nned girl holding a delerge lll in li'om sl1 lb l.! l. You read the girl's fact.:: 5.6, the reads -L th SK\. IS 1\o 111 do \\ not kllU\\ \\ o set'thc ~ ~ . So \\ here an.! aperture. we the situa ti n s good or bad. Ll!t's O\\ 't e\-e ste back a Illoment and think nboul what it that light meters arc \\ ha\ to lIlH.k sta nd the cycle tOIlC rcpro telling liS. To duction and la do\\n basic system thinkin g aboll
THE ZONE SYSTEM \.ve must rem l: mbe that the c\po urc \ alues
scene an: not repn: e\lted by one :.. impk number: mast scenes co nta in 11 J(.k rang\,.' light lu es and n:nc ta ces. In e\al unting e"poslIn: \c must look lli es: the subjcct range it:-. light and dar at ubjcct in term s impli cit)- we \\ ill ignore Its color or b r i g h t n e ~ : . . . For purposes lu ('s its mono thl! mom nt and analY/e th l! subject in erms ch matic \alu es. continuoll sca Let's \ uali ra) n l l l 1 e ~ from completel: lack to co mp etely white (Figun: 6.20). ach point on the gra: CCJ1ain alue \\ hich is equi\aJcnt to a tonal s c a k represents e\eryday language \\"C hm c on \aguc adjec \alll\! in th e sce e. " e ~ \\ it \\ hich desc ibe the oncs: "dar gray:' ium g r a ~ : ' We need morc prec se descriptions. "blinding \\ hitc and so Us ing Anse Adan"s la ss ic erminology \e \\ ill call the most C0111pJelCly b ack seelion Zone () and each lOne" hi ch is one SlOp is one 70ne " ighcr." For cxample, a subject area \\hich light renec three top ore li ht thal1 thc darkc :-.t arca in the SC(,I1(, ...
....
clnemalography
\\ould hI.! an: all r c l
Zonl.! 1\ It crucial to remember that th..:sl..:! footIlot s o m ~ pn:c.ktcrlllincd numhcr a t i \ c ~ lone t k ~ I l ! l K l I ~ d
the d a r k c ~ t arca II this scene. tl.!l1 lones Still photographers might bc acclistomed 10 thinking II all. but Ihl.!lT is ~ r e a t contrast ran!,!c in the scenc. there mi!.!ht \\ell be 101ll>. \11. XIII or morl.!. (Zone ':-YS1CIl1 purists \\ ill no d o ~ b t the method. but it is suffi n b j ~ c t 10 "illch an c\.lrellle 'Iimplificution cicnt for thc prc:-,clll d i ~ c l I : - ' ' I l O n since fc\\ c i n c l l l a t o g r a p h e r ~ do their arc l 1 1 e a ~ u r i n g is subject brightness 0\\11 darkroom \\ork). \\hal \\ ar) in tWD \\ays: its inherent n:ftct:lance ( l l I m l 1 1 a l l c ~ ) . \\ Ilich can and the amount light that nllb on it. Rcllectance Is a proper!) the material lise! r. Black \ I.!l\et reflects about 21) thc Ii gh! that nilis on 11.:\ cr Shill) ~ l I r I ~ l c e C
ZONES IN
II i"i
6.18 The reflectance or spot meter
SCENE
",ce Figun: 6.21. a t) pical SCI.!IlC \\ nh tht' spot Illctl.!r \ ou assil!1l the darkest \ aluc to ZOlle YOU c a l l the.:n find a r L ' n ~ \\ hich 5. 6. 7 and rerhaps slops brighler lhan the darkest J. · i . m . ~ I. area" Thl· ... e.: are ZOIll:..., I through X. ThiS i..., all IInportanl e.:\creisc and is ital to l t n ( k r ~ t a n d i n g I.:\posurc COl1trol. Ignol"ll1g the d"fect cl)lor c o n t r ~ " t can be cumbersome. t:UIl be hl.:lped by ing the ...,celll.' through a \it."'\\ ing glass. \\ hich nClItral den,ity filter. ' 0 \ \ pictun: ~ a c h ortht:se tonal a l u c ~ arranged In ascending order ""hal )O ha\c is a gra) "calt.:. and fortunately it .. a comlllonl) :.1\ nil ahle.: ill.!l11. Most gray scalc..., arl.! made to re.:asonable ngortlus dcnsito metric standards and arc lIst."'J"ul calibration tools. Le.:'·s wkc look al \\ hat it rcall) (rigurl.! ( l . ~ O ) . I· \amine
...
good silhouette The secret shot is to properly expose for the background, as In this frame from Nine Ti2 Weeks, ShOl by Peter Biziou. ex
6.20. Zones 0 through IX. a stepped g r a ~ scale and a continuous gray sca e. By convention zones are represented in Roman numerals.
Film Density
Zone
IX 1.33
Pure white
Graysca le
IX
VIII 1.l8
Very light gray
VIII
VII 0,97
Textured
VII
light gray VI
0,76 Lt.
VI
Middle gra IV
0.48
Dark middle
IV
III
0.34
Textured dark gray II
0,21
Very dark gray
0,11
Nearly black
0.Q1
Dmax
cmematography
II
SC THE GR There arc a g eat many gray bu th ey all h3 c e thi the vary frolll black to white. Mo ar divided into in CO l11l11 to eps but the ce rtainl don't ha ve to be an ure 20 is hit th e hi and hmv ack the bla t e p ~ or morc. th printin quali and the materials varies some\\ at depending ack ve ve incc black ca le include pie ce ill\ olved. So ape can ne\ cr be trul black. For ur pu po ses, we wi ll consider cre nl y tep repre se nt one fult '·s top ay scales here eac ...)2 time th ment over the pr evio ll Ihal is: where each step reneclancc the pr e\ , ne (Table 6.7). WHY 18
Zone V
ten-zonc scalc and we would thcre fl ec tan ce. It n't 8% reflectance fcre assume it to be 50 0; The reason for thi is th th e eye perceives cha ges in tonc logaritheac zo mically rathe than arithmetically. as wc sa above. fo exam pl e. 10 °0 more eflec ti we than the previoll the eye \\ ou ld not read it as oo th pe trum Discu sion grays, but any th e zonc sys tem is always in tcrm co can be interpreted in tcrm it gray sc ale va ue The impor ue relation hip HlI1Ce va lu can not e str esse too much The the info mat on in any be wee co ors carry about ninet percen li ht nd picturc. In bIaek-and-\\ hi photograph the radicn h a d o w on forms co ntain th informa ion about form. early defin in all the objects. The black-and-wh te pho so co ntain the li gh in th sce ne information abo ut th amount and dircc ion unt Color co ntri ut es a small informa ion. but great amount th beauty an interc st th picture. In fa Table 6.7. Eacil ste is grea r than the \\orks out a previous by fa miliar number. no Th e quar root also thc dcrivation the se ie s. What app ar middIc gray the eye is actually 7- 12 reil ee ance which uni ve r (Z V) sal y round ed to 8° 0. There's orc: it tUI'llS th at you take spo ead in gs oftypieal sce ne s. 1110 wi ll turn ut to ave dozens an a\ erage reflectance about 80/0. Simp put: 8% th aver the or al wor ld . ea rl it age rc-necLa ce not the average coa l mine fl ec tan ce in in th Sahara at mid-da y, but in th most the rest th wo rld il a reasonable work.ing average. Th th e s ndard cs a solid g ound \\ hi h t build. n facl. it \\ hich incidcntl11eters arc uilt As yo reca l. in the ntr du tion to inc em meters we oted that mo t incid nt meters, se for eed and sh ul spee read ut ir ec fi lm in ops. th
middle zone
ZONE
DENSITY
0
0.02
Dmax.
0.11
perceptible valu lighter than black. Very, very dark gray Ful y textured dark gray Dark middle gray
II
0.21
III
0.34
IV
0.48 0.62
Zone X
100
Zone IX Zone VI II
50
Zone VII
35
Zone
25
ZoneV
17.5
Zone
12.5
Zone III Zone
II
Zone
4.5
Zo eO
3.5
Table 6. Percentage of reflectan ce for zones.
DES RIPTION 15t
ef le tance Middle gray 18 Light middle gray
VI
0.76
II
0.97
VIII
1.18
IX
1.33
textured light gray Ve light gray First perceptibl e gray darker th
1.44
Pure white
Ful
pu e
ite 6. Zone s. description and
gati ve density
ex osure
ZONE
IX
ZONE
IIX
ZONE VIII ZONE ZONE
VI
ZONEV
ZONE
IV
ZONE
III
ZONE
II
ZONE I ZONED
6.21. Zones in black-and-white prinl. (Photo by author.)
1-10\\
Ihey
this"!
1-10\\
can the)
1..110\\
, f \ \ e arc
diamonds on \\hitt.' ba<:kgwulld chilllllcy-...,\\cep ill the b a . . . , ~ mCIl!? They don't kllo\\. they just aSSllllle that \c arc photographin a scene ur;:ncragc reflectance:-- and the ditfusing dome i.l\erngcs the light
..
..
Cinematography
...
Zone \ c all the same th ing ooked at from diOcrcnt ec ti ve. The result this is that th ere arc man dincrcnt ways read the sc
e a nd arri, c t the sa lll re ult You can read it ith an ci ent met r. YOLI can place a g ay ca rd in the sc e nd ea
exposure
meter
YOll can find so mething in th
sce ne
it wi th
sp
that i '''Zon V" and ea
\\ ith the spot m ter. in Let" think about th at la one. because it ea ll points whole new directio It ends o you makin certain judgment it
ou ha\'e
look at a scene in the real wo rld color an de cide that it thi abollt Zone V or middle gray. ( It takes so me pr ti ce to but it an ed ibl important exercise: urge yo 10 it often.) there i n' anything in th \Vha about th ne t og ical step: w hat sce ne that is middle ay? What do \\le do then '? Let's remember that eac step on the gray sca eighbor SlOp diITerent from it (remember. th is simplifi ersion the zo ne system ). So if Zo ne equals rt4 (g ve parti ular Aim and huner peed) the VI must be 5.6 and Zo ne IV mu be m.8. right Zo So if ther is nothing in th e scene that equals Zone V, bu there is in ess. thing the cene th equals Zone VI. we're till in so we ead it and i equals .6 then we know that Zone wo ul be -I We in thi s exa mple) i th sa e as so know that Zo ne an incident average readin and th for the co rre sto to to
se on the ens. So w at is th erc that e can eo ulll be roughly Zo e V I under Illost con ti ons? Easy o e: Caucasia ki Average Ca cas ian sk in is arou nd Zo e V I. t i in fa ct one th few con tant we ca coun and check it out. If yo ll are C\ !" stuck 011. Ge alit your li ht met wi th ut an incident meter. or wo se eve without a pot m yo ca a l w a se yo ur pot meter or an ld "palm lri k'" lise th re ec meter to rea th palm your h nd This eq ual Zo VI. Then open up one sto get Zo ne and yo ha ve yo ur reading There i a greater \ariu ti in on-cauc ian kin and so there no tartin point for t a n d a ~ d . howe ve r man DP 's take Zone V African-America s. lhink yo ca see whe eads LI S. \V donlt ha o co nr-in v e ~ to ead in thing that eq ual Zo ne and Zone V in ract we ca do wi th any zo ne It ll depend yo ur ju ent what gray one a ubject brightness hould be In ea life. it akes ye ar pr ctice and mental di sciplin to accurately rmin ub rm h t l l e ~ s e s in ject gray sca va lu es. but in th rUIl i7e \\hat ra y-sca a lIseful sk ill. If yo can pre-v alue yo want a rti cu ar ubject th fin l print. you then ha ve the be power to "p la ce" it her yo wa nt it in the ex po ur range. Thi turn ut to be powerful ana ti and de to l. \I
AN
FALL
\\ What ea b) ··placement?"· \V ju sa\ it imple t form. We "p aced" th e kin-tone value VI. We can. th hand on Zo val in the sce e. Say we ave a gray back if we wanl. place ground in the sce ne hich the director wa nt be "li ht ra y." We decide that by light gray. an s Zo VI (two top above meter nd it middle gray). We then read tile backg und wi th we se indi cates 4. We then coun dOI\ n two lOp and get 112. the len ['2. that gray backg llnd ill photograph "lig ht ay" or ZO l1e II. exposure 12
th ught ex er im nt. Say \\ had tht.: Let' ry th everse as same background un er exac tl th samc lighting c o n d l l l O n ~ , but the director de ci ed wa nt ed it to be dark gray. "hich \\ e take to mean Zo ne III. \V re it with the spot meter an course noth1l1g ha ngcd, pot meter till indicale f/4, only O\\ we \vant the gray ba kground to appear mu darker so we "placc" it 011 Zone co uillin up" two LOP ge Common III . hich we do se se tell li that if we photograph th same sc ile at instead ut mu darker in th final print the 2. it is going to co mc gray background "ill ot be Zo Zono III (dark gray) instead II light gray) No thin as han ged in the actual se t: we ha ve chan ge th value th final print by pla cing" the va ue th background di ITer· hat' th flaw in this ointment? The more 111 th lltl Bu sce ne than ju gray background, and whatever else is thl.!rc is go ing to be photographin light er or darker at th am lime This bri ng to the seco nd half ft proce ss: ··rall." f yo place a certain va lu in a scene on a certain / o n ~ . other va lu in th scene are goi fall on the gray sca le accordlllg to ow much diITercnt they are n illu mi ation and reflectance. For our exam pl e. let's ass um we are usi cntax Spotmcter \\ hi ch ha pi cal \\ hite en a;>.. read EVs. a zo ne dial tt hed o t. TIl kin lone i Zo ne VI. You ead a 3(.;to 's face and find that it reads EV 10. Turn tho dial that 10 align wit Zone VI. No read th ex po ur indicated opposite Zo th exposure to ~ c t the V: thi lens aperture. adding ad ju tm nt ror filter {',olOrs. etc. t' tr an cxample. We arc li gh tin g a SC wit windO\\. set a 0K to imulate unlight tr ea min in through th wi do\\ \Ve then We ave decided read th curtains and th c s t m er indicat es bc \ cry hot" but 110t burned out. On that we an th curtains th film tock we are usi to ay, o\\ that wh "burns out" at about thrce stops hotter th an Zo V. So we want to "place" the urt in s o Zo VIII (three tt than the average exposure) placing the cu rtain Zonc V III. we ha ve rmin ed th stop th camera: it ill be 4. right '? 'We th ll ake an inc id nt reading in th room wh th e people \\ ill bc tanding Th incident reading i f2.8. This mean that people \\ ill pho ograph one zo to dark Maybe tanding in th po si ti fo sce that 's OK, but et's assu we want to actors to have 11 0r al no rm exposure \\ hi \\ ill es ult kin ton e valucs. In th er wor Zone "fa ll at 11 (o op abovc the incident reading, hi equals Zone V). Their kin tonc ill cOllle ou as Zone V in ea or Zone VI. si ion we have to change the ba ance. f\\cju"l To cor ec th cu rtains and \\e a hifting th pla ceme nt Opl.!l1 li th ill bu out. We must cha ge th ra ti th the illumination. not ju hift the aperture th camera. We ctl either one dO\\-1l the e scrim (redu in it one ~ t o p ) 0K hittin th vl ind o\\' with or we ca raisc the e x p o ~ th e ubject arca by c a ~ i l 1 g th li ht evel th e an ipul tin th e subject op. ith er way a the foreground to "fall" wh wc an th em based on al ue We could Zo e our "p la cemen the c urt ains e just ot er direc ti on, as easi y approache from coursc. We could "p acc" the forcground va lu es ere we wa nt them and th en see It "s th sa where th cu rta thi g. By readin th scene in differe nt ways yo can "place" th va lu th nc ga ti \-e \vhen: yo " ant thcm ,11 Pla cc nt im rtant in detcrmining bject brightness r a n g c and con tra ra ti os and in reading ubject which you ctln't gCllO ror in ematography
an incident reading. order to expose placement YOll mllst pn: visualize which zo ne you want ubject va ue to reproduce as. For Ansel Adams the godfather ex po re, pre-visuali7a iol1 was what it was all about. and remember. he dealt most y with landscapes \\ here he had no control over lighting Since we ua ll control the ligh in we can take pre-vi ua za tion one tep furth r. READING EXPOSURE WITH ULTRAVIOLET
ltrm iolet light present pe ial problem. Several companies make ultrm let light sources. They include Wildfire and Noctul'll When combined with props or clothing pa nted \\ it UV se iti ve fluoresce nt paints or dyes or \\ ith objects that naturally flu re sce uch as your old Jimi Hendrix poste r. an incident reading i mean ingle ss The only alid mean assessing exposure a reflected reading A wide angle reflec ance meter will work if' yo ha ve ne, or ha\ an adapter fo yo ur incident meter f that i not a va ilable po ead ing will wo k. ere. it important to consider the Zone va lues and se judgmen and calculate the exposure accordingl y. EXPOSURE AND HE CAMERA Nearly all film cameras have rotating reflex hutters. \\ hich co ntrol exposure by altcmatcly rotating closed and open sec tion pa !:. th film plane: while the closed sec tion i in from film gate. lhe film moves. while the open sec tion i in fr the gate. the film exposed (Figures 6.12 and 6.13). Some video cameras also ha ve variable exposure times. The exposure time the camera is de ermined t\\O factors: th peed at which th e s hutter is opera ing and he size of' the p ~ n sec The spee is determined b the rram rate al which the camera ti operating. The U.S. standard is 24 frames per secon fo sync sou nd filming an d the European t a n d a r d 25 frame er :;cco lld (based on the 50 cycles per seco nd power supply). Thi carrie over to High D e r ~ h o o t i n g as well in 24P or 25P mode The pe sec ti on referred t th rotating shu tt r assc lllbl) th "shutter angle" and measure in ees. Sensibly. mo hutter arc ha opcn nd half osed, \\ hich make the hutter angle SO Some hutt are 65 and ma arc adjustable (Table 6.11). 180 hutter. the c"po \Vith th ca ra operating at 1-1 Ij) nd sure ti 8th seco nd 50 th at European 25 Ips). Thi, is is co mmonl und 50 th econd and is conside ed the lT to tandmd Illolion picture exposure time Li ht metcrs that u:-,e diOcr nt rur \at-iolls ASAs (suc as th erab le Spectra or Studio Sekonic). just assume a 50th seco nd ex os ur e. Expos un: time can th \ary in 1\"0 ways: by hangin th frame rate (which :-, C01ll1110n) and by \"arying th h l l t ter angle (w hich i ks COl11l11on). Exposure is det rmined by thi:-. formula: Shutter speed lor HO hutt
2 \ fps E x p o ~ u r e
in second:..
sh ut er ( 1 ) ( : I ~ g l d c g r e c s ) 360 fr:1m es per :-.ccond
MORE INFORMATION For orc o c x p o ~ includin detailed tables for c\posurc \\ ith filt s. ma cro. miniatures. hutter changes. hutter an le ramping. \arious film to cks . high and low peed oo ing. pecial effec and ot her data. sec Tht! Fi/1I1fJllI/...er ocket eFerence exposure
125
FPS Stops
FPS
12
24
16
1/16 1/24 1/32
180
25
1150
HUTIER
EXPOSURE (i stops)
180
No chanqe
140
6.22 (above middle Butterfly rotat from reflex film hutt ing camera.
6.23 above Adjustable rotating shutter Shutter angle adj tment in done vi deo or High De cameras
lectroni ca lfy.
Table 6.11 .(right) Exposure change with various hutter angles. Thes hutt angles are typical or various makes of film cameras.
cinematography 12
165 5HUTIER
250
1/500
120 SHUTIER
165
120
130
100
90
1
80
60
65
50
50
40
40
30
12
35
21/3
30
30
22/3
25
18
6.10. (above, right Exposure changes for lo speed shooting. Both this hart and table 6.9 appfy equally to film and video.
11200
80
22
Table
1/100
24
120
00
45
hanges
96
2/3
55
6.9 to Exposure for high speed shoo ting.
60
48
11 0
70
Table
50
32
20 /3
15
For more detailed di cu ss ex po ure in regard to lightin it Vic/eo Lighting. scene lighting examp es. see Moti n Pict ure both publi by Focal Press.
color theory
THE NATURE OF LIGH As we ecall frolll th
chapter
011
ex posure. light
composed
photon s. both matter and light. hi ha vc th propertie Even New on ecognized that individual photon don't have "co or". but they do ave dinerent propertie energy which cau!)C thelll to interact in different ways with physical matter. which. \\ hen reflected is perceived by the eyelbraill combination as "color." Eve y in gle photon light lHS a characteristic color \\ hich ca vary the observer is moving toward or away fromlhc light source. Visible light is a small part 01" thc continuous ectrum of electro magne ti ad at on mo which is not directly obscnablc. and wa unknown until the last ccntury. At the 10\\ frequcncy (long \ \ O \ C find c. and i fra-red radiation. (Figure 7.2). Then we encounter a tiny li ce the speclrum which we can sec th e colors ith our eyes: this extends from re to violet the rainbow Thcy were origina ll classified as Red. Orange. Yello\\. Gree n. Bluc. Ind igo a nd Vio et. (R-O-Y-G-B-I-V). Abo'e ,iolet the high frcquency arc ultra-violet. x-rays. and gamma ray' Indigo is no longcr recognizcd as a color the spectrum so the is no longer used. Where formcrl it could bc memoriLed a, Ro G. Biv Roy no long ha a vowel in hi last name and it is 110\\ Roy G. Bv. Visible light i on produced when an electron falls into the second she ll an atom Differcllt colors happ bccause ato have difTerent sizes, different nuclear charges. and influences on each other en they arc c ose together. For our purposes. it is conve nti ona to consider \ isible light as a wave, as it cxhibits all properties a wave and follows the :1I11C rules as al electromag netic waves. \Vave have four major properties: Ampli tu Frequcncy Wavelength Specd Amplitude is the height thc wavc. (Figure 7.3). It >ho\\, the energy the evcnt thaI tarted the wave. In th prc\'iolls pond examp e. if we had hoi ted large boulder and (with the help of friend) launched it into the pond. \\ e would have seen much higher waves come crashing toward us. For example in audio. loud s o u l 1 ( j ~ have high amp litude. Frequency is a measure the number of". aves that p a s ~ point 111 a given amount time. It is usually measured in Il ert/ li . One hei'lz means one wave (peak to peak) pa sses every ~ e c o n d . \Vhcn \\ count waves. we ha ve to divide the whole cfo rm into pal1'-1. The easiest ay to do this is to go from one c r e ~ t to another. Th crests passing in b o n e \vcn-e. We can no\\ count the number second to find our frequcnc y. Again. to lise an audio analogy. !-ihort frequency wave is a very high pitched sO llnd like a dog \\ hbtlc long frequency wave low pitched so und, like bass note on ui ar. Wavelength i ju st that: the length tile wave. It is meihufcd in units distance. \\ hich can be anything from l11eter!-i to nanomc...
(previous page) Color theory played a key role in th selection of wardrode and props, graphic impact and harmony In tlii5 shot staged in front a New York City
firehouse. (Photo by author.) 7. (righ )The naturally occuring
color spectrum and respective wavelengths in nanometers.
cinematography
380nm
.""""
S60nm
590Iun
6301m
'''''"'
tel's. 1\ na ome er s for refe ce, s to th No rth e.)
lli nth
(A me r. th di tan ce from th e e qu i.1lor
m i l l i
n t h
PERCEPTION il1\ e perce pt ion colo is a com pi ph eno es hi ig ht. the atur ph ysic al the p ysic, tt th ph ys ogy wi th th brain and eve soc nd ul the eye and it 's int ra ti tu factors. We an bre it own t fi e a ec s: Abst ac re ti hi s: pur y trac t manipulati color for t's sa ke Rep ese nt ti : e.g a s ppl is blu re Ma ial co ce rn s: ex tur e: lk y, hin y, re fl ec ti ve dul l. etc ion nd sym li ory, Co ssociati ve anin gs. nili 3ll ce ultural thi al referen ce The r d, hit e nd ue th fl ag. al ex pr ess ot pa ssio th e co d b lu th e fiery red ht. c. OM peop le an ll YO ll th ed, g ee nd th three primari es a ue. ut few ca say \\'h Ih ese. all co ar th primari es. Th OLOR
eason
IS
111
our
e y c ~ .
TI MULUS
HEOR
\\ eh li ht t!cep The uman wo ds is fi ll ed \\ c ca ll cd rods a nd one s. Fi ur e .4 ). Th s prim li ht and dark va lu e o ra ysca e. espo ibl 1'0 1' th ce e co es prim ril perceive co r. Th rctina ha ind co es. The res se each co e s functi th \\ ave le gt th nc id t lig is own bel ow. The p ak for eac urve -1 nl11 (b lu c) 54 nl11 (g ec ) a nd 58 0nl11 ). Note th th as \\O ac tu ally eak in th e yc ll o\\ part e s ectrum FUNCTIONS OF
HE
ere a any th eor ie o exp in eno color is ph The most eas il un rs oo co mp th nt heo wh li ht eac i t i \ nt s (co cs) tr c spec li ht an ecep ti ve to e th primary co s igure 7.5), an c'.:trclllc pe trum ru m red. let and an ima in co h yc Th ey arc in gree . e arc abo ut seven milli tin a call ri ly n the ce nt ra l p ni located p th th ovea. an arc hig hl se iti \ o color. eopl can resolve fi ai \\ th ne s co nn ec d it s ow n n ve ese cOl1e!\ argely ec se eac ys rotate ey eball until th scles cont ro llin th e cy cn agc ove . C e v ni th ob ec f our int es fall s o o\\ 11 a!\ ph op c or ay ti me \' !-. s. c so prese nt n Other ligh rece pt s. ca d eye b ut l. they are 110 invo se in co gi\e ge overall picture vie\ , nd ecepti ve nl th fi ld th Wave ength
mp li tu
1 second Frequency hz
7.3 Components of
wave. color theory
12
----
.,
quantity si
nt rin th C) c. Sc\ eral r o d ~ an,:: c . : o n n ~ l ' l e d ve end; thu the ca nnot resoh fine ,kLail. R o d ~ arc SC ll it llullli tli ll and enable the cve to sec at low Ic\cls night r under \.!xtrcll1d 0\\ light in c o n d i o n ~ . T h c r c l ~ ) I " ( ' . objec hi appear brightl colore in daylight \\ hen th color sC ili\c co ne appear o nl as colorless ronn moonli ght b c c a u ~ c the ro arc sti mulat This kn O\\ n a ~ c o l O r i c \ j"illll on
~ h u m o r
RN,n .
.."" .pm
fa""') .'1
li ht \\ a\ t!s
THE PURKINJE EFFECT AN COPIIES
;oos
Ii
\(
..
\I
,1 Jr
1<
II
.,.
;...
[, 7. . to
Physiology of th eye
above) retina
7.
Rods
and cones in the
7.6 Spectral response of the human eye.
cine
atog raph
MOVIE MOONLIGHT
it CUlyeS ho\\ th eye ... nuL As th e adjaccl1l s ec tral to all \\ avc cng th In dim ligh particu larl there eq unll i t i \ a definite hift in the ap parent brightness ordilTcrL'nt n r ~ . This \\as di sco \cred by hannes n Pur ki jc While <.I[l\\n i n g ne da y. on Purkinje scned that blue fl \\ appeared brighter than red. \"hik in full da light the r(:d fl o\\cr!-> \\cr(: brighter than the blu e. Thi ow ca ll the Purkinj(: effec Clnd is articu larl th mcasuremcnt importi.lnt in ph ome tr light. The Purkinjc clTcct fools thc brain itllo pcrcei\ ing moonligllt a !-> Iightl blueish. eve th gh reflected unlight. it is th e same color as daylight. COI1\ nt ion to light night scenes blue Thi :-; is th ca..,o it LIGHT AN
COLOR
Co or light. bUI the color ofobjccb a combi ation the color the li ht and the nature the mater ial it is l 1 i l 1 on and being reflected by Esse nti ll y. th e color an object i.., the w;l\cknghts it con light which it nol absorb. Sunli ht appears \\ hite tain all co s. Light is additi\e sys te co or. Red Gn::cll and Bl e a rl..! th prima ric:,. \¥hen mixcd in pair the prouuee i\ lagenta. Cyan an Yello\\ (a hOl rl.:d . a blue een. bright yc ll o\\). Thc mi\ tur orall co in light ea es \\ hitc The human eye hns recepto (cone,) ed Green. Blu Ycllo\\ \\ hieh 1f00"lat li Qht '\(1\e, dir fc rin th to th op ti !len 'c. The eye not equall] "c h i t \ e to all colors Fi gure 7.6) thi ha anging l l l p l i c a t i o J l ~ in color thcor). \posli and c\ en light meter:... "i ubtrac ti ain sys color The p r i l l l a r i c arc Red. Blue and Yello\" The m ix in g of' ailll rc mO ubtract li ht. All color .. mi x e d " ould produce a Illudd gnt) bro\\ n. thl.:oreticaii blad For our purposes \\ will be di sc ss ing the ubtra i\ sy" cm color. hu painters need to u n d e r ~ t a both. Si ce the \\ orld they tf) capturl..! in paint an th ei actual paintings an.' aflccted light and the additive sys eo lor Color ha rour ba ic qualitic,: Iluc Va lue. Chroma and em ratur e. The fir three phy ea propcr thl..! d i m e n ~ i o J 1 ti and are otten ea co or. Th la .. l' i1 p ~ : . cho og ca as ec co 1\ hue IIi.du It is The Fi rs Dimcn Ilu L' a \\an'kn!.!th \\ hich \\ that ualit ve 1lL1IllC to color (i.e ed. yello\\. bluc. tc The a\ crage p e r ~ o n can is tin ui sh around 150 ~ t i n c t h l l c ~ . The hu color b impl a udinition o f i t ' ~ \\avekllgth it"" pl ce thc natural co pc ct ru Ilue along \\ ith C roma (saturation) and Va lue (I ight C S ~ u a r k n e ~ ; , ) make up th three di tinct attribute color. The term "red" ,m el hu "bluc" arc primaril esc ri ing hu lated to W:.J\ t.:le gth for pectral co ors. convcnient arrange Ih e satura ed h u l . ' ~ aro un a Ne\\ Color Ci Slani from red and proceeding c 1 o c k w i ~ c aroun th l..! ci belo\\ to blu p r o c e e d ~ om long to ne \\i:\\elcng th s. HO\\c it O\\s th at not all hul.' ''' can be rep resented ectra colors sinc!.! [here i o si gle \ \ ; ' 1 \ elength an equal light \\ ic ha the magenta hu t ma be produced mi tur and blue New reated th color he calkd purple by mixing red <.Ind blue pigm nt s. thu creating a \\ he el o r ~ .
7. Color is a crucial component of this frame from Days Heaven. The primary red and the orange tones function not only as pure color but also have strong associations with of mood and time of y which are important in the story of this film. The shooting schedule of the film was built around times of day when shots like this could be pt red is no way you can fake a shot like this with a special filter or "fi it up in post."
The S ~ c o n d Dimension is Valli!.! Relativc lightness darkness I.:olor.\ iighteJl!.!d color is calkd a Tint; created by adding white Shade. created b," adding 10 i.l color :\ darkened color is called color. Dark colors arc often called e t t h ~ r black or complemcnt to Ke Colur ... pale colors arc II igh Key Colors. VALUE
along \\ 1Ih Chroma (saturation) and Iluc I l l a k ~ LIp thl..: three disllllct a t t r i b l l t ~ s color. (hgure 7.X). Thl..: rclati\ lightnes ... colored .... u r l ~ l C C lkpel1(h upon the itllllllinalH.:e and upon lis renec11\ i l ~ . Since the pCl'l..:ci\'cU lightnes!'. is not linearly proportional to scale from to 10 ... lIscd to rcprc ... cnt perceived t h ~ rclkcti\it). lightnes ... III 1..:0101' lllea ... urcll1ent systcm ... like the Munsell ... tCI11. It i:-. fOllnd that l:ljllal s l l r n 1 c ~ s \\itll differing .... p ~ c t r a l characteristics lumens \\ III be percci\ed to be hut \\ 11Ich cmll t h ~ s a m ~ llul11lll:r equall) light. Olll! sllrfm:c el111ts or reflects 1110rc 11I1l11..:ns. it \\ ill be pl!reci\ ed to be lighter in logarithmic relationship \\ hich yields a constanl lIlcrt:
lightlh.!s:-,.
--
...
color IS .. its 0\\11 \alue before ml\ing. dark as black or as light as \\ h i t ~ . but ]1mc iokt iC') darker than pure orange: y\.'llo\\ is lighter than green. By arranging Ihe color wheel as each hue. we dcn:lop I..:olor-\ aille \\ heel. according 10 the \allie .... impk cune. \\ 1111 iolct as the d a r ~ c s { hue and )cllO\\ .. I h ~ lightest. T h ~ average person can distinguish abollt200 distinct \alue changes. \'alue 1.. 110t equal for al hue ... T h ~ Third Dimension: Chroma. (also calico InlCnSJlY ano Satura tion) color r h ~ tl'!.!nglh orlhe coloI'. or r e l a t i \ ~ purity its hrilllancc or dullness (gra) ne .. :-.}. Any huc .. mo!'.t bright 111 lis pure ,laic hen no black or "hile ha been added 10 il. Adding black or \\ 11IIe or hl)lh (gray). or adding Ihc color\ complemcnl (the color opposite it on the color \\ heel) Ilmcr .. the intensit). making a color duller. color at it.s l o w ~ s t po .. :-.ibk· intcnsity i:-. said to be neutral. Ilere Ihe a\·crage J1cr .. on can sec only about 20 le\'els chroma rhange fcmpcnllUl'e: Anothcr asp,,-'cl a color temperature. The lem a hue. This derives p ~ r a l l 1 r e is the n:lati\e \ \ ~ 1 I 1 1 1 1 h or coolness red or rc o r , ~ n g c thc from the psychological reactIOn 10 color \\armcsl
7.8. Value is the relative lightness or darkness a particular hue as shown here.
....
:;
;"'A a J J . . § : t I e ~ r y 131
YrAA ..
. (above) Warm and cool colors.
10 right) The derivation of the color wneel from the spectrum, as devised by Newton.
RED
Magenta
take longer to kc \\ an than those coming il1lo 1'00111 painted ill L,cn bod temperature has been round to difli:r by \ \ t l n l l color:-" a fe\\ degree ::. in r o O I l l ~ painted warm Lho:-.c painted cool. Color lcmpcratun; is dcri\ 'c from phy icaltcmJ1cralurc a nelltral b o d ~ \\hen heated \\ill fir:.,! glO\\ red. then orange and eventually \\hite. THE COLOR WHEEL
7.11 Primary, secondar and tertiary diVIsions on th color wheel.
Arti:-.b hu\c found it helpful to bend the linear pectrulll around in cin.:k called th color \\ heel. The British !'!ciCJ11ist Sir aa Nc\\ LOn. \\ 110 disco\crcd the spectrum in hl! !,!l!vcntccnth century. ab turned illnlO a color \\hccl. (Figure 7.10) Onlhc color \\hcel. inslea" of bClI1g at opposite e ' ( l r e l 1 l e ~ . red and \iolct li n c \ \ LO 0111.: another circular spectrum bdtcr de sc ribes Ollr perception the l;onlIIlUOll!'! hue!'!. and it establbhcs oppositl!s across th diamctcr ... Thc 110\\ co lor \\ he!;.'1 is reated by \\ rapping the \. isiblc spectrum into circle and JOI ning thl:: nil- red end (Ioing \\ eh.:ngths) to thl! I ~ l r \ inlet I::nd ( . ~
hort \\u\ elcngtlb).
Primar Color .. ;.Ire hUl:: \\ !lich cannot be mhcd and frum \\ hich all olhl.:r"- colors can be Illi\ed II light the) an.' red. green and blue Secondary Color .. arc IHIC madl! by mi\ing \ \ \ 0 p r i m ~ r RE BLUI "' agenta BLUE CiRH 1\ Cyan RLD +- GRr:EN )'ello\\ T C r l i ~ l I ) Color are c O l l l b l l l a l i o n ~ orlhc ~ c c o J 1 d a r y colo ... Tilc Pri mar y, sl.'condi.ll) and tertiary colors together make up the I\\chl.: colors thl! basic color \\ heel. (Figure 7. I ....
..
Clnemalography
132.
BEYOND THE COLOR
EEL
vcry lIseful bu it ea s nl y wi th hu spec ral The color \\ cc?l color. It tells us not ing aboul how br ht th co is or how li gh or the gray scale. da it in I c r l 1 1 ~ THE MUNSELL SYSTEM On of the mos in flue nt ia co or-mo lin sys w a ~ dev sed by un sell des red to eate Albert Henry M un se ll. Amer can rt ist. li se clear dec ma no a "rational \\ay to desc ri be color" t at wo arbi ra co or desc ibes tion instead es. Th Mun se ll sys co or in rl11 ree im hu es c rrange a cir e. ro a a e away fr0 111 r toward th ce Vnriations in axis and ariatiolls in va lu e li and ow th ce nt ra ax s. li system. \\ hich he began in X98 \\ il the creat sp ere. or trec. or is co is li ca io saw ih rull expressio wi No/a/ioN, 1905. This work has bee repri nt ed several ti mes and s ill a dard lor colo et (the meas uri ng colo ). Mu se ll mode
his sys em a ba of colors. (Fig res 7. sca or nellt gray va lu cs as the soutb pole. Exten di \H ue is gradation color at ur ation
aro whose eq or runs ag or is 2 and 7.13). Th e ax th as th no th ole d b ack or Lo nLall ro th e axis a each gray fr fu ll progressi nc ut ral gray
HUE, CHROMA AND VALUE
named hese aspecb, or qua li ties. I1 1Ic Value. "Ild Chroma. thc trad tional uses esc er s. blll slightly They are similar di fTercnt in some ways. MUI1!'!c11
HUE li ty y Mu se ll defi ed ue as "th e \\ fro an ther." th ectral co co it ca waveleng on e e ec ro agne ti ctrum It ll :0 01'. bl1guage. wc ca
ish aile be efi ed by it hut. in cveryday
is nsell selec ed five rincip co or li htl ilTcre nt cc blu c, nd rrom th "primary" co s): ed. ye ll ow me di fi ve int . g ec n- ye ll ow lllc-g ee , ur s: ye llow -r co e- ue an ed- pu pl e: e a ange th ese in a ee cas ured 01T in 00 co pass point s: co ors we si y en ifie as R red, Y fo r ed-yello". Y for ye low, e c. h prim y nd int rm diat co ll tt cd by it ss le deg ees aro un th co urth nd th ntifi place in he segment. For exa mp e. im ary ed wo ld be id nt ified ds th e m id-po in th ed seg ent. 2.5 wo as 5R since it be red owar ed purpl e, hile 7.S is re d t ng in ore toward ye ll owVA UE
Va ue was de ed by Mu ns ll as the uality by wh ch we istin fr co mm lan age it mi lig co ac k e. gu be ererrcd to as li ht ut ra ax d" Va lu rk ic ran ges ro th at refe to gray Icvel o th co hil R. YR, 7.5 I'B ack. As ations as c. e pa rt ul ti es, the is se d no th e ay alu e po in va lu c o SN wo uld on he axis. Thu middl e g ay 2N 7N li t gra y. va lu es dark gray Mu se ll 's ri in sys ack an e. th h thi lVas la Nand 9N are, es ec ti ve expa de to va lu es 0 black) throu h e). e an (w th to the Zo e Sys co urse, sec recise mb ll ll :lo system way ibl e hi ngs in rm co si color theo
13
their lieh! and dark \ a l l l l ~ withollt n:uard to thl.!ir cnlor I il:n.' arc just adding the clements co lor The 'HILIC a particular hue would be noteu with the \ allll.' alia the hue designation. I" or c\umpJc. SPB imliciltc i.l middk purph: blue at the \ alue 10\ el or 6. It ,hould be noted. too. that \ I u ' b d l \ it's ba ed llil Illl\\ scale \allic i ~ l I a l . or pcrct.!pllIal. That \\ C see dill,-:rcnces in n.:lati\ c light. not 011 a strict ..,el mathemati h e \ . . ' a u ~ \ . . ' th\..' cal ,allies from a Iiglll source or illuillinam. This eye brain combination docs not pcrcei\c all hues ano \ a l u c ~ e 4 l J a l l ~ (The ('IE syC')lel11 dcscribed belo\\ is more l11athCm
...
..
...
CHROMA
Chroma is the quality that distinguishes the dilYcrcm':l: from a pur\..' hue to a gray shade. The chroma axis exh.!nds from the \ allll.' u\ at a right angle and thc amount chroma is noted alter the alw: designation. Wc can. course. sec preciC')t..! parallels to tht..! Ion\..' systcm. Remcmber thc lonc system is \\ ay considering all \ IS ible t h i n ~ s II terms their licht and dark \ a l l l l ~ s . Ilm\ c\ er. chroma is not uniform for cvcry huc CVCI'} \'alue. Munsell n..'cogni/\..'d that full chroma for indi\ idual hucs might be a c h i e H ~ d at \ef) diffen..'nt places in thc co lor ~ p h c r c . For e:\ample. the fullest chroma for hut.: 5R (rcd-purple) " a c h i c \ e d at 5 26: Another color ",eh as IOYR (yello\\ is ycllo\\-red) has much shorter chroma 3\is and r e a d l e ~ fullc,t chroma at an (, 10: ..
7.12. (top, right) and 7.13 (bottom,
right) Advancing and retreating color in Barry Lyndon. Viewed as invidual sements within th film. th color us becomes part of the scene. When
look at them in direct opposition we can more clearly see ho they playa role in th storytelling moment in the film,
cinematography
each
HUE
Ct,I, ,,01
~ a n o u s
'-"',lied i l l "
.... ar::JUl"d"
It'Ie
_
are
al'QlvS 001. 1'18'
," nt
"",,,,j'o'lC
CHROMA
Cnroma oroeasetl >utward ,,,,,,,.'0 Irom !tie r>eU11,,1 ;U ~ l I o n g
letO
COIOf'1'
VALUE
Vatue oncreases .naease5 up afd ,, 0IadI 81 ltle bo orn 10 " ' M e the lOp ... ana !/f ys w o:;n hav no huO BIocI< ... Iocaled 0f1 (lt1ocallona c ll&d M "l'I8u !t alll>C""
In the Munsell System. reds. blues. and purples tend to be stronger at full aturation while yel h u ~ s that m cragc higher chroma va lu lows and greens c weaker hue that average fulle hrom a sa tu ration relatively close to the nell tral axis. Reds, blues. and purples reach fullest satu ration at mid-le ve on the alue sca le while ye lthese dif 10\\ s and greens reach it at hi her va lues. Th re ult ferences is that what Munsell or iginally sionc as a sphe is radicall asymmetrical. A three-d im ional so lid r prese nt ation Munsell's syste is ho \\ in Figures 7.14 and 7. 5.
tem i 14 . (above) The Muns ll formed as a tree struc tur e; the varia tions in horizonta size are du to th fact that some hues reach full satura tion sooner than others ' left)The Munsell system repre sents hue, chroma and value as three tree structure axes
COLOR MIXING COMPLEMENTARY
ee c ca ll ed Hu es direetl) oppos it e one another th color co mp eme nt s. They rc ca ll ed complement because Lh ey contain or complete the (riad primary co lor fo example. the primary re is pposi th seconda ry reen. which co ntain the primaries yellow and blue. ADVANCING AN
RETREATING COLOR
Another syc logical response: tte darke co lor mo for ward aggressively as do black. brown. dark b ue and dark gree n. Pale ones et eat. Pale green nd blue th furth es t. Pa red s. oranges and li ht. ad va ces ye ll ows recede but ot as rar as cools. Yello\\ thou n int se. (Figures 7. and 7. 3). Weight and Balance The way we sec co or depend ot only on each color area, on the th e co or themselves, but also on th e s es that contain th co or, and on thc i terac ion bet\\cen neigh boring co s. Darker hue s, li darker values. tend to be hea ier lookin than li ht ones. ye t. wa rm ntense colors lik e ye ll ,,\\, a nd ora ge a nd can ove rpower a darker color.
7. Relative colorspace vi eo.
film and
FILM AN
VIDEO COLORS PACE dium, hether it paint. telev
Th ion. fi m. fabric r printed matter. a so affects the poss ange co ors. .e . a ll th po ssible va riati ons in hu ue and chroma that can be achieved in medium. eferred as its color ga ut. n monitor and video sys ems, it is ofte n referr to as co lor pace co or th eory
7.17 Triadic harmonies
nU
...
,·
" " ~ C B " N TRANSPAR NCY AN REF LEGION lighten color. Transparcncy is the ability to ~ c c through These lend the co or to ano th er und it. Reflecti on on a farm as \vell u trans parency will w ill lighted it. In pa il1lth tran sparcncy and rcflecti\ c qual ity th paint will alTect the va lue and intensity the color as \\clL th is principle i lIsed in set painting. prop and wardrobe md ca affect lighting choices. OLOR HARMONIES HE INTERACTI INTERACTI N OF COLOR Like music co or ca be ro Co lor armo cmoti\c and express ive CCl1a co mbinat i color. as sound, hm.: ~ c c m e d to have ecial beauty or bc intrinsically pleasing in ways m o ~ t people recogn ze intuitively Th noti balance and re olution ar mp li ed color harmon y. Il armony refers to clear r c l a t i o n s h i p ~ based o di vis the color wheel. se Figures 7.17. 7 X and 7. 19 Some examples color harmony 1'0110\\: Mono hrome Co lor Harm ny refers to harmony o r l O n c ~ all th e sa hue but at difTerent values an inten it (i tin an hade Blue).
.18. below Complimentaries. .1
Split complimenta
bottom
ries.
RED ted.tnagElflla
orange
Velo.
genla
yelOWlgeoo
violel
GREEN
BLUE c y a n . t ) ~ e
Cyan
geenJcyan
HED
'
Magenla
.
~"e""900
~ /
nematograph
" 'Yellow 9'
••
BLUE cyan blue
'
GREE
ey,n
groon cyan
~'"''
An ogous Co or Il mony harmon hue close is r ouching one a other 011 the color ee , although ities. s. (i.e. ye llow llow-green. -green. green and differ nt val es and inten itie blue-gree or ye ll ow. green and b lu e). di arc based on gr up three colors armo ni cs less eq idis ant from the color wheel. marc another Ihree Ihr ee pr mary or Ihe three seco ndary co s form triadic rm ni es, but any g ou three will se ve. if the an.:: he l. c\'e nl y paced arollnd the colo Ilal'monies onies invo ve the pairin orany two Co mplementar Ilal'm th at it pp ite on another on th color ,\-heel. (i.e colo ed with green, yellow with viole Split Co plementa armonics group color not with nt. but w ith the pair colors adjacent to it co mp le and blue-violet. blue co mpl ment. (i.e. ye ll ow wit h r dwith ye ll ow orange and red orange. ed wi lh yellow-green and b lu e-green). Di scor and Di sc rdant or Colors can be mismatched r eferred 10 la hin co lors This hap or ut hanna y, ofte n referred pen en a groupi g of' rm ni s co ors are placed next o co or outside th amlO y.
INTERAGION OF COLOR AN ISUAL HEN OM EN i s based o an interac ion co r is co lor. On color 1\11 percep ti th ca nn t ee unle ss it ha arou nd it. Scicn ti sts have put ind idu als in a room pa inted in e ubj ect could nO co gu wh co or th rOOI11 was, in tead th ey sa hit Only en ot color wa introduced o the environment were the ab se co lor. More ll1p l1 ant the under tanding ow color anges w en urr ounded by touching th er colors. The efTecl (h e edges between colors or on si multaneou co nt as s reate patterns o sm ll sc e.
Degradation Colors: O n ~ color adjacent to another color \-vill give a t i n g ~ its complcmcnt to thc other color. Therefore. two adjaccnt complemcntary colors brigh cn each other. Thcreforc non-
complementary colors will have the opposite
efTect.
A yellow next
grecn will gh th green a violet tinge, making thc latter appear muddy. This is known as the degradation color. to
(I
7.20. Simultaneous contrast in prac
AFTERIMAGES
Eyc fatigue by staring at a color or a bright light can occur: this what we were looking causes liS to sec an image in opposition at as relaxation from the stress one color. A red dot will give a green afterimage. One canlrain their eyes LO look into the shadow a color and you can find its complement.
tice.
THE LAWS OF SIMULTANEOUS CONTRAST
Devised by the French chemist Michel-Eugene ehevrcul, the law simultaneous contrast first described in his book "The La
Simultaneous Contrast" writtcn in 1839. When one object is ncxt 10 another it is useful any color difference between them is emphaa man in
wall.
To
do this. the visual system modifies our perception
the
red in both the jacket and th wall. but the adjustment is larger in th jacket since it is smaller and surrounded by the wall. The result this adjustment is called simultaneous contrast. Put more simply: our perception a color is changed by color that surrounds and touches it. Both colors arc actually changed by being next to each
other. When two dilTerelll colors come into direct contact. the con trast intensifies the difTerence between them. (Figure 7.20). light color ncxtto a dark color will appear lighter and the dark will appear darker. The same is true for hu (i.e. yellow greener). temperature (hotter cooler) and chroma (brighter duller). Colors arc modified in appearance by their proximity to olher colors.
All light colors seem most striking against black. Dark colors seem most striking against white.
Dark colors upon light colors look darker than colors.
on
dark
Light colors lIpon dark colors look lighter than light colors. Colors are influenced in hu by adjacent colors. each tinting its neighbors with its OWll complement.
Ir two complementary colors lie side by side. each seems
marc intense than by itself.
Dark Ilues on a dark ground which is no complementary \\ ill appear weaker than on complementary gro ground und Light colors on light ground which is not complcmcntaty will seem weaker than on a comp ementary ground.
A bright color against deaden the color.
dull color orthe same hue will further
When a bright color is lIsed against a dull color. thc contrast \\ ill be strongest \\ hen the latter is complementary. Light colors on light grounds (not complemcntary) can be
greatly strengthened if bounded by narrow bands
black or
complementary colors. Dark colors on dark grounds (not complemeIllary) can be
strengthened if similarly bounded by white or light colors.
colo theory 13
METAMERISM 1\11 this is closely relatl.:d to metamerism.
colors that match under one light ~ o u r c e . but do not mateh under dilTen:nt IIglll source are called 111etamers. They arc said to be a metameric match. Metamerism occurs bccausc the appearance color depends on the wavelengths it reflects \\ hich. in tum. dcpcnd on thl..: wa\clengths the light source. This can ha\e an important influence the selection color" for sets or props. especially in the case green ")creen or bluc "icn:cn work. Always take the light source into consideration when pre vie\\ ing paint chips. "ardrobe. makeup. etc. Obviously. tillS IS the reason that the makeup rOOI11 and wardrobe trailer should have light source \\ hich approximates \\ ha will be used on the set Tvvo
COLOR MODElS system. em. sc\c ral diflercn diflercnll color In addition to the pioneering Munsell syst
models arc used to classify colors and to qualify them according to slich attributes as hue. saturation. chroma. lightness. or brightness. Thcre arc a number models which :.Ire relcnll1t to film and \ ideo: THE RGB (CMY) COLOR MODEL
7.21. Additive colo color. r. 7.22. Subtractive color.
The red. green. blue (RGB) and cyan. magenta. yello\\ ( C ~ I Y ) mode s arc closely related; one is based on th additive primaries and the other on the additive secondaries. These arc also the most representative I l l o d c l ~ for additive and subtracti\e c o l o r ~ . respec tively. RG is also the basic color model for video and computer monitors. CMY is most commonly referred to as CMYK. The K stands for black (since is already used for Bluc). subtractive colors ( i n b and paints) adding all three primaries together theoreticall} pro duces black. In additive color. mixing the three primaries together produces \\ hite light. So black has to be considered as a separate color.
ADDITIVE COLORS J\dditi\c colors a r ~ those relevant to light and mixing colors Illl1ght. (Figure 7.21). The 1110st common examples this arc telcyision screens and computer monitors. \\ hieh produce colored pi\cls b) firing red. green. and blue clectron guns at phosphors on thc tclc\i sion or monitor screen. Additive color can be produced by mi\ing 1\ beams colored light. or by laycring 1\\0 or marc colored gels colors in rapid slIccssiol1. or by showing thc This call be illustrated by technique used in the earliest e\pl:ricolors: color \\ heels. These arc d i s k ~ whose sur 111(:nls il additi\ c colors: face is idcd into arcas solid color. hen attached to a motor and spun at high speed. the human cye canl10t distingUIsh bct\\ccn the separate color.., and secs them instead as a composite the colors on the disk. Color can also bo mixed by showing small bits ,ideo screen. color col or c1os c1osel) el) spaced sp aced together Stich as pi\cls al SUBTRACTIVE COLORS SubtraCli\ color:-. arc lIsed to describe \\ hell pigments in an object
absorb certain \\ avelcngths white light \\ hile reflecting the rest. (Figure 7.22). Any colorcd object. "hether natural or man-made. absorbs sOllle \\,a\'clcngths liglll and reflects or transmits othcr:o.: the \\a\'ckllgths len in the reflected transmitted light make lip th color wc sec. This is the nature print color and cyan. magcJ1w. and yello\\. as lIsed in four-color process printing. arc considered to be the subtracLi\'e pnmaries. The subtracti\ e color Illodd II printing operates not only \\ ith CMY(K). but also \\ ith printing inks. cinematograph
13
RGB
Red. green. and blue arc the primary sti muli 1'01' human color cep tion and are the primary additive colors. The importance RG as a color model is Ihal il relales very closely 10 Ihe ay we percei\e color with the co nI.? re ceptors in ollr retina s. RG used in id eo or any olhcr medium thai projecls
basic color model on
C O l l l p l l t c r ~
the color model Ihe color. II i, Ih and is llsed for web graphics.
CMY(K)
C) an. magenla. and yc llo\l correspond roughly 10 Ihe primary colors they arc the secondary in aft production: r ~ d . blue. and yel lo\\ colors oflhe addilive syslem. reproducing all Ihe colors we can see. BOlh models Ii,II shari Furthermore. they differ to stich an extent that there arc many RGB colors Ihal can not be produced using CMY(K). and similarly. Ihere arc some CMY colors Ihal can not be produced using RGB The e,aCI RGB or CMY gamut depends on other factors well. Every hether it be color negati"e. transparenc) film. video RG de\ icc ca era. display monitor. color pri nt er, co or sca nner. etc .. has it's O\\llllniqllc gam ut it's 11 coiorspacc. there will always be some \ariation as
THE HSB/HLS MO DEL Hue. saturation. and briglllncss and hue. lightlll..!ss. and saturation arc t\\O \"C:lria ti ons tandard for computer si milar model that
grclphics and some \ ideo applications. It closely approximates the qualities 1110St apparent to human perception co lor. IISH IlLS are 1\1 \ariation, \cry basic co or model for dcfin1I1g colors in cksktop g r a p h i c ~ program that closely matches t h ~ \vay percci\ color. This model is somewhat analogolls to Mun scll's :-.vstCIll hue, \"('lluc. and chroma in that it uscs three similar Cl:\CS to define color. In IISB. these arc hue. saturation and bright ness: in IlL S. they arc defined by hue. lightl1 ess. and saturation. HUE
The \ alues for the hue u\is run from 0-360 beginning and ending \\ it red and rUllnin through green. blue and all intermediary c o l o r ~ like greenish-blue. orange purple. etc. In this respecl. IlLS is very similar 10 I\ lulU, ell's color hcel. Although Munsell used a ditTerent method fo indicating hue. both arrange the colors in circu lar pat tern and progress them through compass points. Saturation indicates thl..! degree to \\ hich t h ~ hue difrers from a neutral gray. The \alucs run Ihun 0°0. \\hich is 110 color saturation. to 100°0. \\!lich is the fullest saturation a gi\ cn hue at a given percentage illumina chroma. tiol1. This is similar to Munsell's concept Lightness (\Hluc) inc.iiCaLc!'I t h ~ le "cI or illumination. The valuc.!s run as p e r c c n t a g ~ s : 0(10 appears black (no light) while 100° is full iliu111111ation, which \ \ a ~ h c s out the color (it appears \\ hite). In thi" respect. the lightnes ... ,,\b similar to Munsell's \ aluc '.I\is. Color .. at p c r c e n t n g c ~ less than 50 appear dnrkcr \\ ilc colors at reater than 50 11 appear lighter.
7.23. A diagram of th e system
tE
olor
THE ClE COLOR SYSTEM The.! ('I color models arc highly influential system" for mcasllJ"lng
color and di ... tinguishing bct\\ccn colors. The C.I.E. co or system \\H!-> dc\ Iscd by the C.I.E. (Commission Internati onal de 1'l:c1airagc the Int crnationa Co mmission on Illuminati on) in 1931 and has since bl!coll1c an international standard for m ~ a s u r i n g , dcsignating. and matching color:-.. (Figure 7.23). In the C.I.E. sys em. thc relati\ perccntages cach the thcon:tical primary colors (red. grecn. color theory 13
blue)
ned on
color to be identified arc mathematically deri\ed. then Chroma ti it
Diagram as one
hromati it
point. the
dominant wavelength and purit can be determin ed. i\ll possible designated on the Chromatici co ors ma Diagram whi.!thcr the ar em itted tran mitted. or rellec ed. Thus. th C. I.E . system be coordi ed with a ll ther co or de ignati systems. An co E romatici diagram ca be co sidered to be on the an Z. That ixture may be mixture orlhe three C primarie spec ified b three number X.Y an Z, ca ll ed tri timulu "alues The light from co ed objec is me ured to ob tain its Spec trul Po De it (S PD ) and th va lu for th SPD at each wa,elength multip li ed time the three co or mat hing function!) and summed to obtain X. Y. an Z. These va ues arc th en used o calc la e the CI hromati it
coordinates.
STANDARD LIGHT SOURCES IN ClE
The following C Source
tandard source
tlIr 2S5-lK Source
4ROOK Source C
tung
n-A 110 011
del
ere defined in 931: ent am wit a color tcmpcrnsunlight with
average daylight with
tcmpl.!ralUfC
temperature
of6500K. This s lightl dilTe en from the standard 5500K daylight defined b th U.S. go, efll en!. The 5500 tandard i st ill idel) ge s. for lighting in trument s, globes and co rr cc ti DIGITAL
AN
ElECTRONIC COLOR
ect onic color is di sp aycd on lCIc\ ision and co mputer
throug
s c r c c n ~
th RT II orks b) se a cat ode-ray tube (C RT) 1110\ ing back and forth behind the sc reen illuminate o act \atc th e la ss tu e. Co lo monitor> the pho ph or dot on th in id se thr ec different t pe of pho ph that appea r ed green. und ti va ed. Thcse ose togdilcr. bluc \\ n pla ce and when combined 111 differing nt ens itie can produc lllallY dif ferent colo s. The prim ar es of clectronic color arc therefore red. comb inin g diOcr ee n. and blue and other colors can be made these three co ors. There are difTerence in the meaent intc ities ur ment sys tcm or analog nd digital ideo. Th int si of each to 25 (in th di it al system). color is me asured on sca from and a co or s pecifi d el in th monitor th RG lalue,. For instance. ye ll o\l s spec ifi by tellin th computer to ad 255 red. bluc Video color is analyscd all the \'cctorscopc. 255 ee n. which di sc sse in detail in th apter on 7deo alld igh
Inematograph
tools
light ing
THE SEVEN TYPES OF LIGHTING EQUIPMENT 110\\ each DP's an directors do not need to know all the delHils piece lighting equipment works but it is essential that the) kllO\\
th capab ilitie and possibilities tions. A great deal oi'limc ca
each unit as \\ell as It
be wasted by lIsing
light
limita
picel.!
Ihe grip equipme nl which is inapproprime for Ihe job. One most importan functions is ordering the right lighting cquipmclll for Ihe jo and si il approprimely. MOlion piclure lighh fall 11110 sc,'en general categorie s: IIM s. tungsten fresnels. tungsten open face lights. fluorescent. \ellons. practicals and sUllguns. HMI IIMl s generate three to rour times the light tungsten halogen. but cons ume up 75°'0 less energy for the same output. ""hen tungslen bulb is color correclcd 10 match daylight. Ihe ad\ anlUge increases to seve times as a grea deal th spectrum is absorbed by Ihc blue ge (color lemperalure blue or CTB. Sec Ihe chapler co or balance). Because IIMl s are more emcienl in cOl1\erling power to li gh they generate less heat than tungsten lamp \\ ith th same OUlPUI (Figure K.1). 11M land l'or Ihe basic componenls: is from Ihe Lalln symbol fo mercury 1I g) \\ hich is used primarily 10 creale Ihc lamp \ohage. is for the many rare earth metals such as sysporsium. thulium and homium which cOll tr ol th co temperanlre th output. swnds for iodine and bromine which are halogen compounds. The halogen serves mu th sa t.! function as in tungsten halogen lamp in pro Ihe bulb and ensures thai the rare earlh longing Ih useful life metals ain conce ntrat ed in the ho lone the arc. HM lamps ha\"e tw ekctrodes made from tungsten \\ IHcll proj eel inlo a cy lindrical or ellipsoidal discharge chamber. Unlike IUng stell bulbs which have continuous filament oftungstcll \\ ire. II\1b creatc an ectrical arc \\ hich jumps from one electrode to another and generate light and heal in the process. Color temperature as it is measured for t u n g ~ t c n bulbs or sunlight does no technically aprl) discharge lighting sllch Iluorescents) 10 11M Is (or to othe types because the} producc a quasi-continllous spectrum. In actual prac lice though. tht.! same mcasurements and color tcmpefalun:: Jl1l.!h:r arc uscd for all types video and motion picture lighting sources, In an II lamp tht.! basic mercury discharge spectrum is \cr:- dIScontinuous and conCl'ntratcd in a fe\\ 11arrO\\ bands. The output the rare earths fills out th spectrum and produces a spectrum \ l ' l } close to daylight. Sourct.!s. especiall} those \\ ith other than contlllu ous '"nat ural'" spectrums. can \ary in h O \ \ well the} "shO\\" the color mctamerism in the chapter on an object. Recall our discussion color theory. Metamcrism is whae an object appears to he i.l Cl.!rtalll color unde one li ght sourcc but looks quite ditrercnt under another. The farthl.!r source is from true spectrum. th greater this mi..., match \\ ill be ..
8.1. (previous page) Lighting can be a character in ttle story as well as merely illumination for the subject and the sets: Bladerunner (Warner Bros. 19821. 8.2. Below, a 12K HMI with desert wheels. (Photo courtesy Backstage Equipment Inc.)
COLOR RENDERING INDEX
Lights arc classiAed according 10 Color Rcndering Indes leRII. This is method quantifying ho\\ accu ately a lightlllg ource an object (sec th discussion displays the color metamerism aplcr C % / ' T"('o/'r). CR 90 or abmc (on a scak in Ih e 010 100) is considered neccssary l'or (ill11 and \ ideo \\ork. The CRI is especially important \\ hen judgll1g fluorescelll and other gas di .. charge sources. J-'or most IIMl th e color renderin!! inde\ i .. l!rcater than ...90. and thus abo\e the 11111limlllll for film an ideo. h ~ n lirst \\ ere nOI dimmable b,u unils ha\ e become all developed. II tv ab \\ hich can be dimllled to -tOo their rated output \\ hicll cor...
Cinematography
30°0 their IIglll outpUl. Therc is somc Iight shin color tempenllure under these conditions. Under nOnllai conditions a decrease in \oltage to the ballast will make the light ~ h i f t slightly cooler. This is the opposite tungstcn bulb \\ hich gets warmer as the \oltage drop ... n : : : ~ J 1 o n d
...
to
...
BALLASTS
\\ ith a carbon me or an arc \\ cider. thc ballast includes a choke \\ hich acts as a current limiter. The reason for this is sImple: an arc basically a dcad shorl; if the current v'ere allowed to flo\\ freely. the circuit would O\erload and either blo\\ the fuse or burn lip. Early ballasts for HMIs were extremely hea\) and bulky (200 pounds or marc) as they contained currcnt limiters \\ hich consisted hem y copper wire wound in a coil like a trans former. This coil ballast v.orks on thc principle ofrcactal1ce (Figurc
AlIllMb rcqlllrc a ballasl.
1'
A'S
3).
The ilH'clltion the smallcr and liglllcr elcctronic ballast \\as a major impro\ cmenl. Electronic ballasts also allo\\ the unit to operate 011 il square-wave, \\ hich solvcs thc flickcr problem as \\e \\ ill sec in the chnpter on technical issues. The squan.:-\\a\ e also increases light cfTiciency by about R%. Voltages as high 12.000 vile or 1110re arc needed to start the arc. \\ hich is prO\ ided by il separate ignitor circuit in the: ballast. This (re ates the PO\\ er needed for th electric current to jump acros th gap bel\\eCn the two electrodes. The typical opcrating voltage is around :WOv. When a lamp is already hot. much higher \ oltages arc needed in order to ioni/e the pressurized gap between the electrodes. T h i ~ ean be from 20kV to 1110rc than 65 kV. For this reason. sOl11e IIMls cannot restruck \\ hile hal. Ilot restrikc. which genenttes il higher voltage to ereolllc th is resistance is a feature on Illost IlC\\ er 1 1 ~ 1 The l ~ a S O I 1 fur this is that once all HM is hot. the gases inside the bulb arc pressurized and ionized: they provide grealc resistance an therefore il high \ oltage is necessary to jump the gilp. Du to de\ itrilkation (deterioration orthe glass the bulb). \\ hich IIlCreilSes as th lamp ages. the color temperature falls by about 0.5 to K pcr hour burned. depending on the \\attage. HM bulbs should not be opeJ'iJtcd more than 25° past their rated life as there is danger c:\plosion. ....
18K
AN
12K
The IRK and the 12K HMls arc the mast po\\erful fresnci lights currently a-ailablc Like al 11Mb the) are extremely ellicient in luminous output per wall ofinpul power. The produce very sharp, clean light \\hich is the result having a vcry small source (the gas r o c u ~ e d through a \ cry largc lens (usually a 24" lens arc) \\ hich I,)r both types) (Figure 8.-1). These large lights arc ill\aluable \\here \ C I ) ' large an:as arc being co\ered or there is need for high light le\els for high-specd shoot ing. They i l I \ : also a natural for sunlight effects sllch as sun beams through a \\'indo\\ or any other situation \\ here a strong wel defined beam nceded. They arc also among the fc\\ sources (along wil I-IM PARs) \\ h,ch ll balance da}light and fill in the shadows suf ficiently to permit shooting in the bare sun \\ ithout silks or reflectors. The 1 ~ ' C t that they bum approximately "daylight blue" (5500 degrees ke in) is tremendous advantage in these situations: no light is lost 12K or 18K is used to fill in sunlight it is th to tilters. Orten \\ he only unit operating on a gencrator. Ifit \\as drawing on one leg only. the load would be c\tremcJv difficult to balance and might damage the generator ........
8.3. The ballast act a tra ns me to provide operating voltage and also starting voltag e w ic can be as high as 20 OOOV It is so a current limiter
the ool< of lighting 14
8.4. A 12K/18K HMI, currently the most powerful fresnel light available. (Photo courtesy of Arri Group.)
Most 12 and 18Ks arc 220 volt lighh but sOl11e arc 110 \olt unlh which can make load balancing diflicult. As \\ ilh any large light. coordinate with the gcnnic operalOr before firing it up or ~ h u l 1 i n g It down. Be sure to clarify with the rental house \\-hat lype or pm\cr connectors arc used on the lights VI hen you arc placing your lightlllg an grip order ror the job. Th most significant new development in IIMl is the l l C \ \ "tlickcr rree" ballasts which usc square-wave technolog to prO\ide flickcr less shooting at any rrame rate. With sOl11e units there IS a penalty paid for fli cker-free shooting at frame rates other than sync sound speed when the high speed flicker-rree button is selected on these units they operate at a significantly higher noise level. rthe ballasts can be placed outside or shooting is MOS. this IS not a problem. I eader cab es ar Ih power connection rromthe ballast 10 the light head itselr. Many larger HMl s can only lake Iwo header cables: third header will usually result in a voltage loss too great to get the lamp to fire up. Square-wave refers to the shape of the sine wave of the altemutll1g current arter it has been reshaped by the eleetrunics the ballast. Flicker is discussed in more detail in the chapter on Tee/mica//ssue, but sufTice it to sa here that the nonnal sine wave II curren leaves too many "gaps" which become visible the camera shutter is not synchroni7ed to its rhythm. By squaring the wave. Ihes gaps ar minimized an there is less chance flicker This is especially importan you are shOaling at anything other than nonnal speed: high speed photography in particular will ereale problems. II is impo nanl to noLc that Aicker can be problem in video also. j l l ~ t us with film cameras. 6K&8K
6K and 8K IIMIs can handle many the same jobs as the bigger lighls. particularly where the area covered is sm ller. Although they generally have smaller lens they still produce a sharp. clean beam with good spread. In many applications they perform admirabl) as the main li ght: servi ng as key, window light sun balance. etc. Some 6K an 8K's are 11 vo ts and so me arc 220. depending on the manuracturer an the rental hou se. They ma require \ancl} connectors or se Siamese splitters. When ordering any large lamp, it is crucial to ask these questions and be su the enta house will provide the appropriate dlStribulton equipment adapters. Failure to do so ma result in Ihe lighl not being functional. Some makes II Is provide ror head balanclI1g. This is accomplished by li ding the yoke support backwards or for wards on the ead. This is a userul reature when adding or subtract ing barndoors. rrames or other item \\ hieh radically alter the bal Ihe light. ance 4K
Th
2.5K
sm ll er IIMIs. the 4K and 2.5K arc general purpose Irghts. doing much Ih e work thai used to be assigned 10 5K and 10 tungsten li ghts. S li ghtly sm aller than the bigger HMIs. they can be easily fl ow and rigged and wi ll fit in some rairly light SpOlS.
1.2K AN
UNITS
smallest lamps th 1.2K and 575 11M I. arc versatile unlh Light weight and rairly compact, they can used in va riet orstluations. Th elec troni cs ballasts ror the small units have become portable enough to be hidden in places where larger unils might be visible.
Th
Cinematography
RULES FOR USING HM UNITS
Always ground th li ht and the ba ll ast with appropriate grou ndin g equipment Check th stand and ballast with a YOM meter Icr leakage by measuring the vo lta ge between the tand and any gro und le vo s, bu anything above 10 There \\ ll usually be ent ial problem. 15 ,olts indicates a Keep the ballast y. On wet ground, sc boxes or rubber mats.
Avoid gell in dirt finger mark on the lamp s: oil fr om the skin \\ ill degrade the la ss and create potential failure int. Many lamps come provided with a special cleanin cloth. Ensure th at there is goo co ntact between the lamp ba se and th Co ntamination will increa se re ld ance and im ir proper cool g. Th fi llin tip (nipple) sh uld always be above th discharge. th wise th re is a risk a cold po de elopin in ide th discharge cha mber where th fi ll er substances ma condense and han ge the photometric properti es. abo ve fat es ull in pre Prolon ge runni voilage ma mature fail ur e. Exte nd ed cab runs ma redu ce th voltage to point hi aITeets the Litpul and ma re ult in the lamp not firing. Ex.cessive coo ling or dire t airflow on the lamp ma coo th lamp belo\\ it ope at ng te pera tur e hi ch can result in light wi th high co or tempera tur and inferior RI. All bulbs are rated for ce rtain burning posi tion s hich ,ory fro plus or minu 15 degrees to or lTIinus 45 degrees. III ge cra l. bulbs -1K and abo ve ha ve 15 degree tolcran ce \\ hil !')ma Jl cr bulbs ha ve greater range POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
eti es failta function properly. Be sure to lr header cab le s on an fc\\ they ar most co ml11on cause or malfunctions. T h ~ sa fet sw tch on the ens can so ca sc trou se ves an mportan func ion. ble. Never try bypass it. ho weve s. The ass fil11M hould never be operated withollt he ss ters out harmful ultraviolet radiati on which ca damage someo c's eyes nd gi unburn When they thcm fail to fh:C: Check that the breakers ore on. Mo t ha than breaker. Afte killi the power, pe len an check th ero hi ch co nta hc le ll ng Make urc it is oper s\\ it ating properly a d making contact. 'Niggle it. but n't be the light v.on·t operate without it. viole nt If th fails. tr ano her header cable. you run ing lhan one heade to li ght. scon ec ndi try each vi duall y. Look fo broken pi s, ga ag in the receptac e. c. eck th power. HM won't fire if the voltage is low. Gen erally th need at lea t 08 volts to fire. Some ha a volt it 20. 220); be ure i 's n he right po tion. (1 ag ,y th ea with a differen ba ll as and ce ve rsa wo do et th lig cool. Many li hot es trike 11M Is ma
XENONS
ilar to Ml as they arc a gas di sc harge arc with a XCl10ns arc ba lla t. They feature a po ish d parabo ic enee or which gives em the tool s
lighting
8.5 Xenons produce an incredibly powerful and focused beam the will break most ordinary windows and mirrors if placed too close. Mat thews makes this mirror specifically for Xenons. It is no designed to be used for other applications. (Photo courtesy of Manhews Studio Equip ment, Inc.)
ama71ng thro\\ and :.Ill11o:-.t l a ~ e r - l i k e beam collimatIOn \1 full ~ p o t they can project a tight beam ~ e v c r a l blocks with a r d a t i \ e l ~ small mount ofspn:ad (Figures R.5 and X.6). Xcnons arc \cry cfficicnt \\ ith the highcst lumens per \ \ a l l output any light. Xenons curn.:ntly come in fivc ~ i / e ~ : a K. ::!K. 4K. 7K and 10K. There is also a 75 \\all sun-gun unll. The I -.. and 21-.. units comc in 110 and 220 volt Illodels. some \\ hlch can \\<.111plugged. This produces a high output light \\ hich can be rluggeu into a wall outlet or a small portable generator. The larger xcnons are e:\tn:mcl) powcrful. and Illllst be lIsed C:lullousl): at full spot they can quickly crack a \\indo\\. Just one c,ampk their PO\\ er; \\;th AS 320 film stock and the light se at full SpOI. -IK deli\ers f 64 at -10 feet from the lighl. The current supplied by the ballast to the hulb is pulsed a result flicker is not probll!11l for \cnons and thcy can he lIseo I(Jr high speed filming up to 10,000 Ii". Xenons do, ho\\o\er, ha\e i.l somc disadvantages: al xCllons arc expensivc to rent anti l\ cooling fan which makes thcm v C I ) difficult to us in sound filming. Also. becausc the bulb placcment imd refh.:ctor design. there i .. always a holl! in the middle the round beam. \\ hich can be mini mlled but never I.:ntircly eliminated. Due to the parabolic reflectors. flagging and l:lIlting arc dlllicult close to the light: nags cast bizarre symmctrical shadows. Also. the extrcmely high and concentrated output means that they burn through gel \ery quickly. Many people try to compensate by plaelllg the gel as !ill· as possible from th light. This is a mistake: the safest place to gel is actually right on the face of the light a\y. Sc\enty-fhc watt xcnon s u n g u l l ~ ""ere developed for the They arc e,cdlcllt for flashlight effects. They come in both .\ (I I) \olt) and DC c O l 1 f i g l l r a t i o l 1 ~ . Most ha"c motorized Hood :-.pot COI1trois which can be operated during the shot. As with larger xcnons. thore is hoic or a hot spot m the center the beam (depending on the !Ol:us) which cannot be climinated. Xenon bulbs do not shin 111 h.:mperatun: as they age or as voltage shifts. CARBON ARCS
For many years. the Brute Arc \\as the most powerful light mail able. It was the standard for lill to balance sunlight. night extenors and "111 efTects through \\ indows. Dating back to MO I, the arc was the first high intensity electric light. It was used in theaters and then adopted by th film industry as the only source bright enough to
(1982) wa the first use of xenons in a feature film. Jordan Cronenweth used them very effectively as powerful and evocative story an d design elements. 8.6. Bladerunner
CInematography
usc \\ ith thc c\trcmcly slO\\ cmulsions ,I\ailnbk thcll. It \\a:-, the
only anificial aiternali, e \\ ere then Ill!ccssary.
Ihc all glass or all 'ky-lighl sludios Ihal
by crcating an actual an.: betwcen tw carbon ekctrodcs. Sincc thcy arc not enclosed in g l a s ~ and surrounded by spccial gases. the an.: burns the negative and positive elec trode arl! consumed and so hm "l! to be continuously a d j u ~ l c d to Thl!) producc light
keep thcm 111 thl! correct position. This is done \\ ith small electric motors. Even \\ ith feed molors and complex geared mechanisms. arcs requirc an operator to monitor them constantly and adjuM the of 1110tor "flaming au!." Arcs require power (215 amps for huge amount ...
Ihe standard BrUle) " h i c h calls lor a 00 cable run for cach lighl) and Ihe facllhal ilmusl be DC. " h i c h dielales cilhcr a sludio \\ ilh DC power or large DC generator (Figure 8.7). Brute Ar has lighting quality which is distinctive and quite beautiful. Because the plasma arc which creates the light OLitput is quilc small. the arc almost a point source. Th \ c l ) small source Th
Ihe plasma arc. combincd " i l h Ihe very large lens. produces sharp. specular lighl \\ hich has a very clean. "wrapping" qualily. This combined wilh abililY 10 change Ihe color Ihe arc makes it unfortunate thaI they are 110 longer economically feasibk. Arcs can be either daylight or tungsten balnl1cc \'vithout gels, something is accomplished by using either that no other light can do.
·",hile-name" carbons (daylighl balance) or "yello\\-name" car bons (tungsten balance). Fo daylight balanc usc, the \\ hite-name Y-I filter is lIsually added 10 carbons rlln high in ultraviolet and counteract this. M T - 2 converts the white-flame carbons 10 tungsten
8.7 The carbon arc was for decades the only really big light in motion picture production. For history of film lighting see Morion Picture and Video lightmg, by the same author, also publishea by Focal Press.
color balancc.
All
called \vhich to the that is
supplied through
ballast. \\ hich is also grill. Thl! grid serves two purposes: it is giant resistor limits ClIlTcnt flow across the arc ~ l I 1 d reduces the \'oltage optimum 73 \olts \\ ilhollt reducing the amperagc. Voltage too high or too 10\'-' can calise the electrodes to burn improp
a r c ~
ha\e their po\\cr
erly and inefficlenlly. While Ihe 225 amp Lile\\ale BrUle is by fa Ihe most common Iype DC arc. olher si7e arc available. These include Ihe 150 (150 amps). Ihe Baby BrUle (225 amps) and Ihe Tilan (350 amps). Only few Tilans ever e\iSled. Arcs creale a good deal
ultra\ iolet To correct this. \\ arming
cb arc Llsed:
V-I for daylighl balance carbons and a VF-IOI or an MT-2 plus V-I lor tungsten balance (yello\\ l1ame carbons). Arcs are unfortunately expensive to operate as they require not opera only a very large generator but so each one needs its lor 10 feed and trim the carbons. n addilion. Ihe supplied po\\er must be DC (direcl current) and so il must eilher be a dedicated gCllnie or aile \\ hich can supply AC and DC at the same time called a ··conclII"ent"' genllie. TUNGSTEN FRESNELS
Tungslen lamps arc just bigger versions ordinary household bulbs; Ihey al hm filamenl lungslen " i r e jusl as invented by Thomas Edison. There arc IwO Iypes lungsten fresnels: studio and baby. The "sludio" lighl is Ihe full size unil, Ihe "baby" is smaller hOllsing and lens, making it more compact for location use
(Figure 8.8). a rule Ihe baby version is Ihe housing Ihe nexl smaller size (for example he 5K is simi ar 10 studio 2K). Th baby lighls are much favored for localion work.
the tools of lighting 14
TWENTY
The biggc:,t tung:-,lcn light no\\ III usc I:, the 20K. It 1:-. largL" llllll \\ ith tremendous OlitpUt. Many jobs that \\ ere (anneri done 0) the 10K arc no\\ done \\ ith this light. Most run at 110 \olts and sC cral model .. com(' with built-in dimmer (Figure X.9).
TENNERS
The 10K rn:snel comcs in threl! basic ersions: The bab) 10K prm ides high intensity output IIh " u r l compact. casil) transportable unit \\ilh a f' fre .. ncl il:ns. The basic 10K. knOll as a "tenner" or swdlo 10"-. h,,,
~
}O"fresnel.
The largesl light or this
8. , A head cart with standard assortment of tungsten fresnels. (Photo courtesy of Backstage E q u i p ~ ment.)
··Big Eye·' tenner \\ 11Ich has a 2 ~ " lens, The Big Ey is a very special light II IIh qualit all its Oi n. The DT (10K) bulb 1'1'0\ ides (Cllrly srnall source, \\ hile the extrcmely tnrgc frc nd is large radiator. The result is a sharp hard light II ith real bite but II ith II rap soli. light quality on subjects nround quality which gi\cs it close to the light. Thi is characteristic orall \ery big lights \\ hich g i \ \ . ~ s them unique quality. It i:-. important to ne\·er usc 20K. 10K or 5K pointing ~ t r a i g h t up (this applies to large IIMIs and xenon, as \\ell). The len, blocks proper \ 'c ntilation and the unit will overheat. /\Iso. the filament \\ ill not be properly ~ u p p o r t e d and \\ ill sag and po ss ibly touch the s ~ . hther condition \\ ill enust: the bulb to fail and overheating m a ~ crack the len, The failure II ill cl somebody hundred, dollars anti put the light ou ofcolllmission. group IS the
FIVE
/\lthou!.!.h it is mailable in both \crsions. the babv 5K far more general purpose '·blg popu!J; than the larger unit. It can work light" and f111 used against 10K. The 5K is also ca lled SCIl IOr. JUNIORS
The 2K fresnel is also known as dellce or junior. It has cnough po\\cr to bring single subject or :.H.:lOr lip to rea so nahle c\posurc. the lens. Deuces arc also useful as c\'cn \\ ilh difTusion in rront backlighb. rim and kickers. Bab juniors (called B J ~ ) arc the more compact and an extraordinarily versatile unit. BABIES
8.9
20K
fresnel tungsten. (Pho
courtesy of Cinemills.)
Thousand wall units (I Ks are also kno\\ n babit!s. :es or 75(Js. The I K i, u,ed as an accent light. a spla'h on the \\all. a small back light. hard fill an for dOLen, other uses The baby can u, enher a 75 lIalt bulb (EGR) or 1000 "alt bulb (I:.GT) th IIldeh used name 750 comes from the days before quartz halogen II lien th 750 tungsten bulb was the most common. Mo arc no\\ used \\ ith K, al,o the I K quartz bulb. but arc still called 750s, The Ba called a Baby Baby. is the small size version. Because it sma ller wide:- spread than the studio 750 and tillS can lens and box. it ha be lIsd"u1 n:aturc \\ hen hiding small units in nooks and crannies. TWEENIE
The
PEPPER
nc\\ hl1!h speed films, the tweellie is oftell just the right light for the small all jobs. jobs baby used to do It is \ery useful for a number easily hidden and can function as a quick accent, slate li ht or an eyesighl. There is also a 400w Pepper which is similar to all inkie (Figure X.I 0), cinematography
t w c ~ n i e
is "between"' the I
and the inkie With th
INKIE
At
PEPPER
or 250 wa ll s (de pendin g on the bulb). th inkie or Pcpper i po\\'crrulunit. but lip c l o ~ c it can de li ve urpri ing amou nt p r i t 7 li t. Th inki is grea for a ti light on the se t. as an eye li gh t. sma ll fill, or for mergenc la t minute light lO jllst raise thl! c\posu l! bit 011 a sma ll area. ~ o ( )
OPEN FACE
Some ~ K . and 65 unit arc a\ uilabic as "open ru cc" lights. that is. thl! ha no lenses but the have so me SpOI flood focusin g. They arc rm\ bu th uo have it tremendous output for their Th ey arlo! good for boullce or hooting through difTu sio (Figure 6.1 I)
,.
PARS PA Slands
th e shape parabol the reflcctor. parabola i \\ hieh col le cts all rthe light ra ys and pr ject th the on y sha Oll in th e same direc tion In conjunction \\ illt thi s. all PAR units ha\"c a lens. \\ hich function primaril 10 concentrate or pread the beam. Tungsten part generally cO l11e with a fixed len \\ hich i pa ch the same as a car he dli ht. IIMI orthc unil: the) are prelly alway!'i come \\ ith se interchangeable lenses: th ese go \\ it beam from a er 11(11'1'0\\ beam Th di sadvan tag PARs is that th beam ge era ll CQ\ ers nl a very mall area and is it easi y c ntrollable but it is not er) co mrlil11 nt ary li ht nor userul for many purposes" hi ca ll fo just raw light powe in J \ R ~ come in two basic \arictics: 111m ve io s co so lid as Mole Ri cha rd so n' rotatab hOllsing lcPar (F ur 8. 2) ld or Ci IlcQucen (Colorlran), \\ hi h ea ure bamdoor and sc rim ers: and in Ililllsicr thc'lIrical version ca ll1!d PAR call. Theatrical lighh an not genc rall as turdil built because th ey are generall hung in theater an d then left alolle. The don gel th rough trea ment and athe sc conditions lhat film and video light do PAR (especially NS s) ca n qui kl burn through evcn the toughest gels, l11e lt bead board nd set l11u sl in dill'u on fire. P A R ~ \\ itll dichroic coa ti ha ve an output whieh s ve close daylight (blue) ba lan ce. Small PA 48s and 36 arc also ava ilable at 0l\cr \oItagcs", \\ell as 110\. Ne rl all es r bulb are also ilable in no \oIts \\ hich is th e standard in Europe and much the rest the \\or le\. PAR GROUPS lll best kno il ei P A R ~ an: also mack in gr UJ the ax I3rut e, PO\\ crfu lunil "ith trcm ndou punch and Ihra They arc se in large night c'{ iors and in large sca le interior appli mi ons: aircraft ha gars, arena !'!. ctc. They can also be sed directl or thr ugh gel, muslin. c., \\ very high li ht le ve needl!d to get through
ffi 10. (top) The Pepper
ompact
versatile small light. Photo cour tesy of LTM.)
an
. (above) Th
open face 2K,
Mol
Rich rd on
sually called a Mighty le Rich Mole. (Photo courtesy ardson .)
8.12 . Mole tesy
K MolePar (Pho to
Mole Richardson .)
ur
hea\
diITusion Ma\i Brutes and Dino arc si milar in esig but difTerent in i/ M a ' \ i ' ~ come in co nfiguration or 12 :x PAR 64 lamp s; th most C0 l11111 11 being th e 9 lump head Dino is 36 PAR 64 lamp s. th de ign exist as "ell (Figure 8. 14) th er \arialio Fay lights arc clusters 650 IVall AR 36s and come in si ngle lamps up to (o 12) lamp configurations. The Wendy lights co me in panels \\ ith the same PAR 36 lamp aily OWE) and are 49 co nfigurati a m p ~ in the lar The can be ordered with noml FL ). medium Aood (MF). pot (SP) or very narrow pot (VNS) lamp s. Same goes with the MolcPar or Pilrc which li se the ame AR 64 as th Dinos and i Brute but are ingle laillp fixtures. The bulbs are hOllsed in banks which ar individually oricl1tablc
th
ools
ligh ing
Ruby Seven working along 8.13 side some 24K multi-Par units. (Pho to courtesy of Luminaria.)
lor S0l110 control. All the bulbs arc individually switchabk. hich makes for very simple intensity control. All PA group lighh allo\\ for spot. medium and flood bulbs to bl! interchanged for dilTcrclll co\crages. Also called 5-lights, 9-lights or ::!- light s. depending 011 ho\\ many bulbs arC' incorporated. FAY light lise PAR 36 hulbs (650 watts). Thc FAY bulbs arc dichroic daylight bulbs: tungsten bulbs can also be used They can be sed daylight fill in eOl11bll1a tion with or in place 11M s. The arc not esaclly da ylight balance bu arc very close and can corrected with gels. Mo people refer to any PA 36 dichroic bulb as a FAY. bu In fact there arc several types. FAY the ANSI co do lora 650 \latt PAR-36 dichroic daylight bulb with ferrule contacts. If th e bulb has screw terminals it is an FBE FGK. With heavy difTlI iolllh csc lIllIh C31l he used as large- source soft light (Figure X.16). THE RUBY
14. Th Dino, or in this illustration Mole Richardson's Moleeno, consists 36
PAR bulbs. (Photo courtesy
of Mole Richardson.)
Cinematography
Multi-PAR units arc an outstanding source orrav.. "firepo\\cr:' The} pro\ide lot of' output per walt that can he conceillratcd inlo a small area or flooded with some degree prcl:ision. They ha\·c l 1 o \ \ h ~ r l ! fr esnel. hmve\ l!r. the degree control to "spot" thel11. The particular, it is dillicult if nOI i l l 1 p o ~ individual bank ca be panned left and right and the \\ hole unil can be tilled up and dowl1. but there i no \nlY to foe liS al Orllll: h ~ a d . . . , or flood hel11 in truly unilorm wa y. Tho Rub So,en sohes this problem with an ingenious me hani that tilt the allIer ring in or out. mo ing on the axi the cenler bulb ( F i g u r ~ 8.13 and X.IS).
HM PARS PA arc a,ailablc 2.5K. 1.2K and 575s. These orc ex remely popular as bounce unit to create hafts and for ra\\ power. The maller ones can be mo\ed easily. where mOVIng a scaf fold and eavy light i major operation. IM PAR s arc dliTeront li·olll tungsten units in lhat they have changeabl lenses which can be added to make a narrow spot. a medium flood \\ id Aood and al and an ext de Aood. with tung en PARs the beam is the lmit call be rotated withi its housing to orient the pallcrn. [very II AR will corne with it own se oflcnses.
SO FT LI GHT
Studio soft lights co,,,ist olle or more 1000 \\ att or 1500 \\ a11 bulb .. din:cted into a ·'clam .. hdl" \\hite painted rc.;ncctor \\hich bounces light in a random pattern. making light \\ hich is appar l'IlII) as large as the I"ront opening. The) \ary from the I studio soli (the I3aby soli. also kllo\\ II as a 7S0 soli) up to the po\\errul XK Studio Soft. \\ hich has eight indi\ iduall) switchahle bulbs (Figure X.17). \11 ... of lights lul\'c certain basic problems: they arc extremely incf'ficiclll in light OlitpUt: th!.:y arc bulky and hard to transport: like all ... oft li1lhh the\ ar dilTicuh to control. \\ hill: the i:u!.!e rdkctor docs make "'1 hI.: Jigl;! "soft," the nllH.iolll bounce J 1 a t t c r T 1 ~ l 1 a k c s the light till :-.0111('\\ hat r ~ 1 \ \ and unpleasant. thi:-. ra\\ ness. sOI11(, people put some diiTuslon :\.., a n:sult c..!r the soft light for an} close-up wurk. Big studio sons through a large 1. I fralllt: probabl) the t:asiest and quickest way to create a lan.!t: so source in tht: "iLUdio. Onen u..,ed \\ ith the studio IS the Cl!.1.!.c n . ~ c . \\ hich minimi/es side spill and docs make the heam a bit mOI:e controllable. Soft lidlls see most their usc in telc\ ision studios on source \\ ithout additional rigging. SilH.:e \\ here they pro\ ide thc) arc more or less permanently 110\\11. their bulkiness is not problem. Small compact ,"('rsions the 2K and I soft 1ighb. an: called lights. Thoy the same \\ idth but hal I' the height sort light similar wallagc. Because their compactncs..,. zips arc great for slipping into tight ..,paces. ....
...
CO
8.1 . (above, le The Ruby Seven. PAR based unit that offers addi tional controllability. (Photo courtesy of Luminaria.) 8.16. (toplTwo Mole FAY lights boxed in with some 4x8 floppies for con tral.
CORRECTED FLUORESCENTS
Color corrected Huon.:..,cel1l tubes gained enormou.., populant) in recent years. Pioneered by the Kino Fl company. they ar extreme]y Iight\\ eight. compact and portable sources. Acilie\ing a truly so light can be dilTicult and time consuming. If it's done b) bOLIllclIlg alTa large \\ hite surface or by punching big lights through he'l\ diffusion either way takes up lo room and calls 1'01' flagging to control it. lot Kino Flos had their origin in 1987 While \\orklllg on the film Bar/"·. Dr Robby Mueller was shooting in " cramped interior that didn't leave much room for a cOll\entional bounce or diffusion solt source. His gall'cr Frieder Ilochheim and best boy Gary S\\ ink came up \\ ith an answer: fo fill and accent lighting, they constructed high-frequency fluorescent lights. By using remo ballasts. he fix nlCes were maneuverable enough to be taped to walls, hidden behind drapes and mounted behind the bar. Kino Flos \\ere born (Figures R.I X. X.19 and R.21). the tools
lighting 15
8.17. The 8K soft light useful, bu strict y for studio use. Big softli ht are very popular in television 1 i g h t in9·
n a l Un li ke o r c ~ c c n l ballasts \\ !lich can be 4uite noi:-,y I 1 \ ~ n l i they ag th ei ba lla \\cre dead quiet an th ei li gh es ecia ll was flicker fre due to the higher th normal frequenc} There arc the se ty es lights. Their secret n o v ~ SC era companies that mak is two-fold: n r ~ t . th ballast ar hi li minates fr equency whic the pOi ntial problem orAicker hich is always pre ent \\ ith fluores ce nt ype so urces. Second. the bulbs arc trul y color cor ect. They precise ma da li gh Cl nd tungsten. Co ored bu lb s arc also a\ail able for \"(triOlls efTects as wc ll as for grccnscrccn. ~ s c n : c l 1 or re scree Kino makes a variety largt.: rigs which can either front li ht backlight an Tcc s screen. co correc t. high-frequenc) fluorc sct.:l1 :.. IS An added b nu thm th ey ge t.:mtc ess t.:at than er tung ten or k r a b l HMI. For thi reaso the ha\ become ve popular l'or lighting te ev ion et s. for ews and ther t es programming ortable fluorescent arrays ar ilabl i'om seve ral so urCl:S. The Lo\\dl unit. for exa mp e. ses 120 vo lt. -l 'oot. l-pin tubes. and the flicker ee ba lla st serves as a counter-balance for the ead. The unit unl\\ on y amps and f'olds do\\ n to a co mpact. hi ghly portable pac'agc. Fluorescent ri gs arc often lI se d as a front fill when shooting in fluorescent- it indu trial si tuati
CYCS STRIPS NOOKS AN
8.18. (belowl The Wall-a-Light from Kino Flo. Kinos can be rebulbed for tung ten day light, bluescreen, greenscreen and otner color condi ons. 8.19 (below right) Photometries for a 2 ft 4 bank Kino Flo.
BROAD
no -fr ill s. \Vhen just plain outpu eede broad li ar :o.tril: utilitarian li ht s. They t.: just box \\ ith double-ended bulb. As si mp as is. th broad li ht has an mportan ace in film hi s tory. In classica Il l1 ywood hardlighting. the fill ncar the camera \\as genera ll y a broad li ght \\ ith di user. Thc distincth 'c Icature make blend th broad light is it cc tangul ar beam pattern. wh ing th n a nat \\ all or eyc much c ~ l s i e imaginl' ho\\ ditlinllt \\Quld to bc moothl y combi ne th round. otty bea rm ghties or fi ·cs el li ht s. The mall es \ crsion name tlt e broa is thc nook. \\ hi clt. as implies. de ed for fitting intu nooks and cra nnie (Figure X.20). The nook li gh t co mp l. rav.-light unit. ll ll fitted \\ ith an Fe ilM 000 \\ att bulb The nook is st a bulb holder \\ ith aren't it ellec or. lth oug b a r n d o o r ~ art.: u a l l ~ a\ai ablc. nook ll ca ge for mu subtlet y. bu the arC::ln efliciellt and ve satil e so urce for box light large silk erhcad lighh nd for rr ays rg punch through n i.lmc s. number unit arc pecificall designe for illuminating c ) c ~ cn lct.: I and os part th ey arc an large backdrops. Fo th 1.5K in mall boxes: th ese are call cycs, cye s tr ips or Far eyes (\\ ic create more c di tribution lip and do\\ n the background. Their primary haracte ri stic the asymmetrical thro\\ \\ hieh PUh PHOTOMETRIeS (wIREFLECJQRh 2ft DISTANCI IN tNMUlU
'OOTCANDlU lUX:
cinematography
15
2ft
.6
32
3510
..
1.2m
eAt«
fjxtur
6ft I.Im
.os
97
t9
t4
20. (above) The Mole nook light; a very handy compact unit that can be tucked into a variety of spaces. (Photo courtesy of Mole Richardson.) 8.2 1. left) Color correct fluorescents in the form of a right light for the camera. This is the ITis. made by Softlights. (Photo courtesy Softhghts.)
ou tput at the lOp or bottom, depending on the orientation orlhl! unit. The rcason for thi is that cyc light must bl.' either placed at the the eyc but the CO\ crage I l 1 U ~ t be.: l.'\en. Placing ry top or bottom lighb must be.: donc cnrdtilly to achic\e.: this cO\cragc. Strip light;., arc gangs PARs or broad lights. originally used as thl!
...
HINESE LA NTERNS AN
SPACELIGHTS
Chillc:;c lantcllls are the ordinmy paper glob!..! lamps available II hOllscwarc s t o n ~ s . A socket is suspendcd in::.idc \\hich holds clther "l11odiul11 base bulb (household. ECA. I::CT. BBA. BeA. etc.) or a I or bi-post. Just nbout any ri is possible if the.: globc is large ..
th
tools of lighting 15
8.22. (top) Spacelights and lekos in use on a miniatures shoot. (Photo courtesy of Mark Weingartner.) 8.23. (right) Two Musco lights set up to light a large background for a water sFiot. (Photo courtesy Musco Lighting. Inc.) enough to keep the paper
sare distance Irol11 Ihe hot bulb. Control painting the paper or taping g!.!1 or diflhsillil It
is accomplished by it. Similar in principle arc spacclights (Figure X . 2 ~ ) . \\hich arc basI cally big silk bags \vith sc\"cral K nook lights inside. For establish ing an e\en overall base le 'cl 011 a sct, they ca be quite lIseful. \\ilh bit or rigging. they ca be made dimmable. although it is not <.:011\cnienl. When cabling. you \vill v.ant separate them into dilkrCll1 circuih to gi e you soml: degree or control o\'er the level. SELF CONTAINED CRANE RIG
Is There arc a number or units \\ hleh consist 51..:\ eral large II rigged 011 crane (Figure g.:!3), M O ~ I also carry their genera tor. Musco \\as the fir"!! orthesc. but now there arc sc\cralto ChOll"lC from. These units can prm ide workable illumination up to a half mile 3\Va) and are lIsed l'or moonlight clTccts and broad illul11l1Hltion of' large areas. The main Musco unit comes \\ illl it n 1000 amp
generator. \\ hich is typical
this type
unit. Th
oK
heath arc
indh idually aimablc b) a handheld remote control \\ hich operate lip to 1000 reCI <1\\ a) from the truck rh boom allo\\ placement th
heads at lip to 100 fecI in th
...
air.
LEKOS
theatrical light b u t " l"eo Th ellipsoidal reflector spot (Leko) occasionally as a small elTcets light hl.!C311SC its precise beam con trol by the blades. Becall,e the blades and gobo holder ar located at the rocal point the lens. the leko can focused sharpl} an pat
ICll1cd gobos can be inserted to gl\C haq)ly detailed shudO\ clli:ch. Not alllckos gobo holder slots and iryoll need on y O l l l l l l l ~ 1 specify when ordering (Figure :-).2-1-). Lekos come.: in :-.ize <.Jelinct! b) their lens si7e an focal length hueh as 6x9). rh longer the focal length the narrower the beam. BALLOON LIGHTS
Balloon lights arc a n::CCJ1l dc 'c lopl1lcJ1t which pro\ ide PO\\ crful and tkxiblc I l l ' \ \ tool ror night c\lcriors (Figures H.:!5. H.1(i am X.27). They generate son. general filllighl for large areas. Perhaps their grcalc'-Il ad\antagc is thut tht..! arc much easier to hide than a crane scalTolding. They arc also faster to ,",el lip. Th disad \ an lage IS that thc) can be ,'cry time consuming and c\pcnsi\'c to gcl
Wind is a f"ctor hen flying balloon lights. he sm ller the balloon. the 100\cr the acceptable \\ ind spccd:-; for keeping the balloon alnfL IS-20 mp lo the "nailer balloons (2 mp for the large o n e , ) " general upper limit ofsafcty. good referencc to o b s e n c Ilag irthcy'rc napping straight out. it's too windy. ..
Cinematography
8.24 .{above) A leko being used as an o n ~ c a m e r a
light.
8.2S. left Balloon lights in use on boat movie. {Photo courtesy of Air star.}
PORTABLE UNITS Portabll..: handhdd. I:wlter) operated unih arc gClll!rally t:allcd SlIll gUllS. T h c n . ~ an.! 1\\0 basic types: tungsu:'11 an 11 M!. Tungsten SUIl batter gun:-. arc lIsually either I::! \ olt or 30 \ olt ilnd p l l \ \ cred rw belts. Some arc '-Ipt.:cilkall) designed as "Iungulls but ...,omc arc 120
\ all lights crlcd by changing th bulb an power cabl!.! (Figure X.2X.) Iypically. a tungsten sungun \\ill run for about fifteen to l \ \ ( ' n t ~ minutes. Sungllih \\ ilh 11\11 bulbs an..' d a ~ light balance and 11101'1..'
c l l k l c l H than tungsten units.
DAY EXTERIORS
Da) (,.\lcrior call be approachcti in tlm.:c \\il)""_ filllllg \\ illl lurg.e units sLlch u Brute Arc or 12K 11M!. bouncing th c\isling light \\ ilh r('Acetor.., or O\ cring Ih(' :-'C(,llI.:' IIh a large "ilk to controilhc :!9.) conlra:-.t. suall) it is some combination orthe three (Figure ..
..
CONTROLLING LIGHT WITH GRIP EQUIPMENT Ollf.:e \O h,-1\c li!.!ht "orkin!.! ha\c to f.:olHrol it. ...... oo Oll g ~ t be) ond \\ hal ('
but in relation to ligilling control it Itlll 111(0 three ba ic Cf.ltegorie redul.:tion ....hat!()\\ f.:a..,tIlH! and dll1'I.I lon. RcduCIIl!.! the amollnt d o n e " itll nels. 'flle same Cramc lig.ht" itholll altering. the 411alit) ...
..
..
...
..
..
LIGHTS
..
8.26 . (below, left) Photometries for a
16K HM balloon light. (Photo cour tesy Airstar.)
8,27 (below) A balloon light on a night shot for a car commercial. (Pnoto courtesy of Fisher lights.)
INDUSTRIES
16K 1-1\11 t-'()OTC,\ ,
:t.sn 01 ~ x " . , , ,
I'MOOl"n
S17.l:
11K
II!>"
P'C)\\U: WATrACg
SOt..kcti
I$)OOIWDCO! 20IVlPH
' \ ~ 1 1 ' : t
LlCIITI;";C ()PEltAnrooc IIEICUT \I _, 'DO"It4CO' 30'·120'
...
....
\ I ) ) £ ~
It-XlI)'!1 \ 1 . \ . ' I I l I ~ - o n
li
'illl,.
WTa'Ib
mbl.
1l'\I lrs\GE
\\'T.
CASE SIZ£
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th
t ~ o l
q l l l ng
15
lIsed for nets can be covered \\ nh while silk-like.: material \\ hich medium ht.::iWY d i I T l I ~ i o n . \\'h(:11 they arc co\crcd \\ illl bhu.:k is du\'ctYllc they art: flags and cullers. \\ hich can control spill. cast shadows or block on flarcs from the lens. The samc silk-like m:'lIcrial also comes in larger sizes for butterflies and o\'crhcaus. These come in \ariolls ! ' l i / c s ~ commonl\': -h-t. 6.\6. X,X, 12 12 an 20\20 These arc n:fcrn..:d to as Xby. 12b"). etc. (Figure X.30). FOR MORE INFORMA ION ON
LI GHTI NG
Lighting is a \ ast subject: hen: \\ c hm croom CO cr the bn:-.ic tools For morc on lighting IcchlllqUCS. photometric dat u. gn eqUip ment and Il1cthods. dl.!clricai distribution. bulbs and SCI.!J11.! lighting 'h /('() Lighting by lhe same author. examples sec HUliol1 Pic/II/'e also Jlublished by focal Press Photometric data. bulb deSignation, lights. gel c h a r l ~ an color correctio data ca for all t y p t : ~ bo be found ill The Filll1l11l1Aer Pocke! Relerel1c('. ab a Focal Pre book. ,-
S.2S. (top) A sungun With handle. S.29 (top. right) lighting "wa tk and talk" is often a triCKY business. Here, the gaffer and key srip are "HoIIXwooding" (hand hold.ng) a light d.f fusion and reflector card. S.30. (above. middte) Ftylng a 20x20 silk requires an experienced crew. (Photo courtesy Matthews Studio Equipment.) 8.31 . (above) The soft side a reflector board. (Photo courtesy Matthews Studio Equipment.)
cinematography
.....
lighting
as
storytelling
STORYTELLING In prc\ iOlls chapters we ha\'c looked at the technical and practical aspec lighting In this chaptcr wc \\ ill look at lighting ke)
9.1 (previous page) Philosopher Giving Lecture On TheOrrery,Joseph of Derry. (Photo courtes th Derry Museum, Derry. England.) 9.2. (belowl Caravaggio's The Calling St. Matthew. The lighting carries a great deal of th storytelling power of th image.
of
Cinematography
15
clcmcnt sto rytelling. Lct's di\'crt our attcntion from film for moment and look att\\o paintings. Stud) ing classical art uscful in that the painter Illusttdl the whole tor in single framc (not to mention without dialog or subtitles). Thus the painter muSI employ every aspect \ isual lan guage to tell the story "fthe painting as well as layer it \\ Ith subtes!. symbolism and emotional content. As \\ it thc films Kubri('k. Welles and KurosClwa, it is also useful 10 study thc visual design as nothing in the fi"clmc is accidental. E\{:ry elemcnt. e n ~ r ) color. e\'CI} shado\\ is then: for purpose and its part in thc iSLIal and s t o r y t ~ l l ing scheme as been carefully thought out. First. let's look at this beautiful painting by Joseph Derry. Figure 9.1 on the prc\ iOlls pagc. It is ca ll ed .1 Philosopher Giring A /.('(' fUrl.! 011 The One/:\,. T h ~ orrery is mechanical model the solar systcm. sort like small planetarium. This painting wa made at around Ih same time that Nc\\ton publishcd his nc\\ t h c o r i c ~ physics and gra\ itation. The philosopher has placed a lamp 111 the center the dc ice to rcpn:scilt the sun lor his students. The bcatlli many the paint ful sing le source casts light so reminiscent ings de La Tour. It is clean, simple light \\ hich makes the f ~ I C ~ S glO\\ \\ ith fascination and the excitement learning. Light also has a grl.!tlt power to fonn space. In this casco the central source forms ::-,p herc space \\ hich envelops the studcnh. Outsidl! II is another ..,pacc. sharply delineated. Within the sphere light ignorance. As N ~ \ \ to said. is knO\\ ledgc, outside is darkness " \ ~ I h a t \\ c kno\\ is a drop. \\hal wc don't kllo\\ is an ocean." Ckarly the light represent:-. kno\\ I c d g ~ . the illuminating pO\\ cr or the great mystcr) thc uni\CrSL\ but it is nol.lust s)mbol II tells the story Itsdf. Let's go back briclly to ou primary esample. Canl\i.H.!gio's The Col/ill':!. ()(SI. \fOl/hl'H- (Fi!.!ur..: 9.:!). i\., \\ m ~ l l tioncd bricl1) In thc chapter 011 J , \ I I a I I . O J l . 1 ! , I I ~ / g e . the light I., a ('rucial part thc design. It carries major portion the storytL!l1ing as wcll. Th b o l d n e . , ~ orcan.n aggio· .. i ~ i o n (amI \\ h a l l 1 1 a l \ ~ s thIS painllng. the g ~ n c s i s urthe Baroquc .. opposed to merely an ('\.tension the Rcnai .. sancL') is that he scts this talc Ihun the Bible in C O l l l l l l o n ... cl tings (and contemporary fo hi., timc) diml} lit t ~ l \ (Tn. S ( l m ~ local 1 0 \ \ Iii\:., arc drinking anu playing caruso Christ. \\ ho is gi\ ing Matthc\\ hi .. calling as disciple, is mostly in shadO\\. nlmost back1!round charactcr. barely s c ~ n in IhL! back at the fur right. hi olltsl7-e chcd hand bridging til": gap bct\\een thc t \ \ O groups. The 1 ~ l l . " t that he is in shadO\\ Is Important, as i., the ~ l 1 1 n l l s l a ~ h light that I ~ I I I . , across his face. II Janson dbcu ..... es the painting 111 hiS /11" " " l O r \ ' /1'1: lo s1 decisin: thc strong b...:am light abo\ Chnst Ihat IIluml natcs his face and hand in the gloom) interior. thus carrYlIlg hi., ('all across to Matthc\\. \Vithout thi ... light. so natural \..:t so c h a f l . ! ~ d \\ ith mbolic meanlllg. the p i c t u r ~ \\Qu ld lose it I;lagic, It... pm' cr to make us aware the di\ inc prescnce." Thc lighting is c h i a r o ~ c u r o at i t ~ besl: not only docs it create strong con tr sts and clear!) delineate the charactcrs in sharp rcllL!f(thc lig the light urt.!s almost jump out at us), the strong directionality guitks the eye anti unifies the composition. What IS unimportant tall .. into shadO\\ and thus docs not distract the c)c. \ccoruing to Fdmund Burkc Feldman in ll'ie lies of' 1 /,\/fcl E.'"/}(!I'ic:"cc:, "In Baroque painting, light is an aggressin:! liberating rorcl'. >\ slllull
amollnt it is l:J1ough 10 n ~ \ " c a l th pirilunl o p p o r t u n i l i c ~ that lie hidden." Jerc the strong beam su ligh is the hand arGod ilselL reaching into th d u ~ k y tavern to pluck Mnllhcw out the d a r k n l : ~ s . The light coming rrom outside clearly th prese nce the di\ inc truth; it penetrates the dusty darkness ignorance in th ta vern. thus the shado arc equa ll y important ignorance, lethargy and '1101 LUl1gllage the also form wasted lives. As \\c discussed in negativc spaccs \\ hich arc imponant compo itionally They arc both 1 ' 0 \ \ erfui. enigmatic paintings that carry depth meaning and conte nt far beyond their mcre visual beauty th kind thing we tri ve for evcry day on the sel. A ll that i mi ssing is a producer in lhe background saying. '"It's awfully dark, couldn't \\e add some fil ight ORIGINS OF MOTION PICTURE LIGHTING Il storica ll y. 1110tion picture lighting has gOlle through a number periods. At first it was purely functional. The low peed the film
and the lenses together \\ ith lack high-power. controllable light sourccs made it a nccessity to just pour as much light as possible onto th scenes. As result. Illo films were filmcd outdoors in broad da ylight. E\ en .... tudio :-. \\ re outdoors: sets wcre built on the back lots II open air. using the su as the luminaire. The \ery first tudi o \vas de\ eloped by K. L. Dickson. tho co-creato (\\ ith Thomas Edison) motion picture tc chno logy Called "Black Maria:' it was built on a rc\oh ing platform. so that it could be rotated to 1'0110\\ th .... un as it crossed the sky during th da (Figure 9.3). In Ne\\ York. \\ here the film indu tr \\"as born. stud io!>. were built \\ ith la ss ceilings 011 th top noor buildings. The only form Illu slin. \\ hi ch cou be trl.!tchcd across co trol \\as hUl.!e tents tile ceiling to so-nell
9.3. (to p) The Black Mana, devel oped by Edison and Dickson, the first method of controlling lighting for filmmaking. 9.4 . (above) D.W. Griffi th and hi cam era man Billy Bitzer examine piece of negative in front of some Coo· per-Hewitt tubes, one of the earliest artificial lighting sources. (For a more extensive aiscussion of the history of film lighting see Motion Picture an Video Lighting, by the same author, also puolished by Focal Press).
...
9.5 . The b lack·and-white noir period is one of th highest achievements of film lighting as story element this frame from Mildred Pierce (Warner Bros., 1945).
FILM N IR
Ccrtainly. onc th highlight:-. lighting a:-. toryt lling is th cra the rorties and fifties. primarily in film nair: American films the mystery. sllspense and dctccti\'c genres. nearly all thl.!lll in black-;Jlld-\\ hite. The noir genre bcst known ror its lo\\-key light in !>.tylc: ~ I ( J e light. chiaroscuro, shadow (Figure 9.5). This was, cours\.? onl) olle th \ ariolls c1elllents visual yle: they also lighting as storytellll1g
15
9.6. Although not strictly a nair film, Citizen Kane is of the same era and employs the same techniques of visual storytelling with lighting that is expressive, visually striking and makes specific story points. Here the reporter has come to the vault where Kane's memoirs are kept. As the guard brings forward the sacred book which we hope will contain the ultimate secrets, the single beam of light represents knowledge reaching Into the darkened space in much the same way that it does in the (ara·
vaggio (Figure 9.21.
Being a backlight with no fill. it leaves the characters in complete silhou· ette. representing their ignorance of the knowledge. (Citizen Kane. RKO. 1941. Now owned by Turner Classic Movies).
9.7. An example of the classic meta
phorof noir the characters trapped somewhere between the dark and the light. good or evil. knowledge or ignorance. In this frame from The Big Combo, which we previously looked at in Visual Language, the detective and thewo man have triumph ed over the bad guy and are emerging from the darkness int o the light.
As in the shot from Citizen Kane (Figure 9.6), the light seems to exert an almost palpable pull on them. Backlit and glowing, the fog forms a concrete space distinct from the foreground space of blackness and emptiness. Silhouetted and faceless. the shot is about their situation and the resolution of their conflict, not about their individual thoughts or expressions at this moment.
cinematography
lIsed angk. c o m p ( ) ~ i t i o n . lighting. montage. depth and I1lQ\l!1l1cnt in e\prcssi\"c nc\\ \\ays. Many factors came togcther to inl1ucncc thi:-. :-.tyle: technical inno\.ation:-. :-.uch a:-. tlIster, finer gmincd black und-\\ hite negative. faster Icnses, smaller, more mobile camera doI lies. cameras light enough to hand-hold and portable pO\\cr supplics. all perfectcd during \\'orld \N'ar II. alle\ iHted many the logistical problems pn:\iously connected \\ IIh location filming. the This enabled filmmakers LO !!ct Ollt to thl: dark. mean streets city \\ ith its shado\\ alleys fr'aught with unkno\\ n dangers. hlink ing neon lights reflected on rain-soaked pavemcnt and all orlhc Ill)-ster: and menacc thc city after dark. I3cyond just thc grill) rcalit)- and !!roulHJedncss that comc "lIh actual locations. the challell!.!cs and ~ a r i o l l s difficulties lighting in and around real structufes tend to force cincmatographers to e\perimcnt and be bolder \\ Ith their IIght II1g there is less a tendcncy to just do it th samc old \\ i.ly it', ahnlYs becn done back in th studio. Thc second result the \\ ar was the influ.\ uropean dircclllr, and cinematograph!..!rs \\ho brought \\ illl them thc ·· .. full heritagc (iel"mnn expressionism: mo\ ing camcra: oddly angled shots: a chianbcul"O frame inscribed with wcdges li1.d1l or shadO\\ \ ma/cs. truncated by foreground objects or ptll1cluated \\ Ith glintiilg ht:ad light:-- bounced of mirrors. we surfaces. or thc polished steel of" gun burrel." (1\1ulI1 Siher and Lli/abeth V,urd. Fi/III\(lII'I. RUI al Ihis is more that iust \islIal stvle: II is inherenth a part the storytelling. an inicgral n a r r a t i ~ ' c dcvice. ":'\ sith..:-III close-up may reveal a face. half in shado", hall' in light. at the pre cise momcnt Indecision." (Siher and Ward). Bevond nnrrali\c. it bt:comcs part character as \\cll noir \ \ a ~ tile hirth th protagonist \\ ho is no so clearly dcfined as purely good or c\ il ith Walter NefT in DO/lhie /1/(/cII1I1ilr or Johnny Clay (tbe Sterling Ilayd\.!n character) 111 th Killing and so many otht:rs. they art: l:har actcr:-. full 01' contn.l<.lIctioll and allenallon. In thclr \'el") being the) may be pulled between good and evil. light und dark. illuminalion and shadO\\. This reflects the confusion and scn",e lost idcals that returned \\ IIh the \.etcrans and survi\'or:-i th \vac It also rcllech the "/eitgeisC' the times: the growing undercurrent that no all things can be known. ·· .. the impossibilit) Single. stable point \·ie\\. and thus the limits tn all seeing and kno\\ ing." {J.P Tcllolte. /()icC!s Inlhe Dark) that \\ hat is unseen in th shadows m:.l\ he as significant as \\ hat is secn 111 th light ...
LIGHT AS VISUAL METAPHOR Him thill l l ~ l ! S light more recent C ' \ t l l l l p k , L ~ I \ tllrn 110\\ 10 ..... torytclling perhaps belle!' than an other metaphor an the l110dcrn era: Barry Lc,inson's T h e \ ' l I f l l r l l l . Mastcrrully photographed by Caleb Dcschancl. thl..! lilm is so visually lIllifil!d and \vell thought out that it \\ ould be possible tn cOlllment on the metaphoric or narn.Iti\ U\ or li!.!htin!.! in almost cry sccnc: here \\ \\ ill c \ a l 1 1 inc only the high poInts. In the opening shot we sec the title character alone. (kjcctcd and ohler. smin!.! at a railroad stallon. li is half in light anti half in h:'H.hm. a rnctaphor for his ullcertain future and hrs dark. unclear past. The train arrin::-. and blacks out the screen. li gets on. ,n oftitk: cqllcncc. II mysterious. suggestive [lnd suprcml.!ly simpk ...
...
(foigure
..
9 . ~ ) .
the talented young baseball plaY!.:T Roy Ilobbcs (Robt.:rt Redford) \\ ho is din.!rted from his career b\ chance cncollnter \\ ith a dark and mysterious young lady. but maies cOllll.!hack )'1.!aJ"S later as he simultaneously find:"! Ion! \\ ith his long lost childhood s\\ccthearl. It is a story 01" good \crsus c\ il in th cla sic sensl.! and Lc\ inson and Dl.!schanelusc :1 ide Hlriety cinematic and narrativc dl..!\ ices to tell it. I.!nergy. talent. As thl.! story I"h.:gins. Ro is a young farm boy full promIse and inltuu
...
....
9.S .The opening shot from The Noru faceless character lost some where in the ligh t and the dark sus pended in time: the past is uncer· tain and the future is unclear. This purgatory of being caught between them establishes the mood and tone of uncertainty and conflict between tw worlds that is carried through the rest of the film. (The Narural, Tri· star Pictures/RCA/Columbia, 1984.)
rol-
lighting as storytelling
161
dange..:r (\\c \\ill lcarn much latcr II moment but there arc hints the film thm she..: is made pregnant '5) thi ellCoull1er). As he board .. train 10 trm lO hi ma jo league tryou t. th1l1g darken a bi!. The..: only light source..: the rclatin:: small \\ il1lkms the train and \\ hile they admit pknty light. it is 10\\ angle and somc\\ hat shad0\ and makHllenl. LIGHT AN
9.9 (top) Early in the film, Roy and Iris are young and innocent, their purity IS disrupted when they meet in the blue moonlight and ma e love. We will only find out at nea rl y the end of the film that this loss of inna eence leads to a son, wh ch Roy does not know about until he is redeemed an recovers thi purity which is rep· resented by the golden sunlight of a wheat field where he plays catch with his newly discovered son. Here and In his love tryst with Memo Paris (Figure 9.13) blue represents the danger tation.
succumbing to temp
9.10 (above) The Lady In Black the temptation that leads to Roy's downfall. Sh IS always lit dimly an is somewhat shadowy an ephem eral figure; in this shot underlit for mysterious look
ounde ring in th 9.1 . A fter years narrow darkness of obscurity, Roy emerges into the light of th on thing that gives hi power th base bright sunny open space ball field.
cinematography
16
SHADOW
GOOD AN
EVIL
It hen: that he first sees the..: \\t111li.1I1 \\ ho IS lO bnng c\ 11 and tempta lion inlo his life Th Lady In Black (rigure. 9.101. \\1111 \\ li,.'1 see in silhollelle and Ii'olll Ihe back. US llally portrayed backlil or in shado\\. as befit her c\ il naturc. he i11\ ite hi to er hotel room. shoots him and then jumps to hcr death en din g. his ba .. eball hope .. Si\tcen years later. wc sec him arri\c at thc stadiUIll the 'Je\\ York Knights li is in lotal darkness he \\alks lip the..: ramp. then cmcrge .. into "iunlight il"i he enters th ballpark: he is home. \\ here he belongs (Figure 9.11). Gi\en hi first hance to pl a:-. thl.! ~ e q u e I H . : I . · \\ hat will becollll.! an important symhol. the open;., \\itll shot lighting tower the field. They are dark and sil holl etted against black torm cloud s. It IS t\\ ilight. half\\a betwcen day and night. \ ... he hlerally "knocks Ihe cove ol rlhe ball" Ihere a boh oi'lighllllng and it b c g i n light. to n l i l l . Lightning. thl.! pO\\ erl'ul form light a:.. pure C l l e r g ~ . re urring symbol throughollt the fllm bnngmg the PO\\ cr nature Coming back int th dugollt. \\ can: introduced to a second \ i ~ l w l thcme: tile n a s h b u l h ~ nc\\ photog rapher, (Figure, 9.14. 9.15 and 9.16). hi teammate adopts the lightning bolt i.I:-. a shoulder As one in SIgn ia. the team t a k e . : ~ ofT: i.I sy mbol the po\\cr light and cncrgy that Ro ha brought lO the squa The are on hot ... treak. ~ o \ \ \\ meet the Jud!!,c. halfo\\ner ofthc tcam. Slim\ ami e\ il. his lliee.: complctely d;rk. lit o n l ~ by th dim li ht tl1m ~ s c e p s through th closed \cnctian blinds (l-"i ure 9. I::!) Ili nice is obscured in to !!,ct hl11 to lo se so he can bm th ... h<1dO\\. After the Jud uc trie team. Ro rcbutT. h i n ~ and 011 h i ~ way out defiantl ), flip s the i'oum light :.. on. Then the bookie emergcs from the hadow s. Their aHempt at briber) ha\ il nlikd. the contri\ c to set him lip \\ ith ~ l e m o (KlITI Basinger. \\ ho al\\ ay:-. \\ ea .. blac"-) at fane) re .. \\ hich cast an tamant. \\ hen: th..: only illumination is the table am adlkd for R o ~ minolls lIllderlight 011 the.: charactcrs. although fill ( p u r i l ~ ) and Mcmo (,,1\\ beauly). She lake him 10 Ihe bcach and in a reprise the love scene bClween Ro and Iri the are b a t h ~ d in blue Illoonlight. BUI Ihis is slighlly dilrerenl moonli hl Ihan \\ sa\\ \vith his bo hood girl: colder and har her; sensuous. but not romantic (f:'igure 9.13). Sht! c o m ~ s to seduce him and she is COI11pklci> in , i l l ~ o U C H C . sexy bUI IJllmyslcrious. ..
9.12. The Judge, the most elemental
evil in the film, claims to abhor sun light he stays always in th dark; only a few meager slits of light manage to seep into his darkened den. 9.13 As Roy begins to fall victim to the temptations of fame and the glamour the big city, he once again is silhouetted in dark blue even the car headlights seem to be glowE-ring at him as he falls for the seductive Memo Paris.
FADING FLASHBULBS NC\.I Cllllll':-. a ml)ntagc S!.!t]lICIlCC offtashbulb!-! popping. s y l l l b o l ! / l I l g fume. cdehrit), glamour an the seduction the Iii"" l i l ~ \\ hich \\ ill distract him li'om basl'bull. Ro descends inlo slump. bringing the tcam do\\ \\ illl him. In decline. the flashbulbs still go on but in manclolls subtlet\ \\ sc them in S[0\\-1110Iioll at the end o f t h l . : l r hurn cvcle a" tllL ll de Ollt. iri", comes to a Uilmc In \\ntch. lI11hc1\110\\ J 1 ~ . .. to Ro\. _'\s the team is losing and R ~ \ is "trikinL!. out. In ,land, lip (I igllt'O 9,19). He Iranslu;elll \\ hile hal i, b a ~ k l i l h} inglc shan ,un ight. making her appear nngdic Ro) hilS h01111: rlln that breaks the :-.ladiulll clock Slopping time. Photographer:-,' flashbulhs go oll"anu as Ro) p e c r ~ into the crowd looking for Iris he i, blinded 0) Ihol11 an ean'l sc he (Figure 9,17), Later. I h o ~ meel an go ror a \\ alk. he lells he Ihe stOJ) his dark past. Iho) arc illl:ompklC ~ i l h o l l t . ! t 1 c . 111 darkness c\clllhough it is mi<.iti
bullt:t that has been in his
~ t o l 1 1 a c h
sends hi
to the hospital.
9.14, (belo leftl Throughout the film, flashbulbs represent the glare of fame, fortune and celebrity. For Roy, as the new hero of the team, the newspaper flashbulbs are every where 9,15, (below) They quickly become the flashbulbs of the paparazzi as he paints the town red with his glam ourous girlfriend Memo.
9.16. As the nonstop nightlife hurts Roy's performance on the field, a slowmo shot of a flashbulb fading to black represents Roys loss of power the dimmin of his light.
lighting as storytelling
9.17. (above) His long lost love Iris comes to a game. Roy seems to sense her presence, bu as he turns to look fo her, he is blinded by th glare the pho tograp her's flashes. 9.18 ,above. right) As Roy's light on th field promises to rescue th team and spoil th Judge's plans, he watches from his shadowy lair. This image is repeated at th end th film when Roy's home run seals th Judge's fate and th fireworks exploding bulbs glare on th Judge's
glasses.
9.19. (right) As Roy is faltering on th field, near defeat. Iris stands up and a light illuminates her single beam so that she is visible in th crowd it gives hi th power to hit home run and win th game. The angelic halo to sup glow makes her ha plement the white dress and th standin g pose. To reinforce th lighting effect, she is surrounded by men only, all in dark clothes and hats. 9.20 (below) As a reporter comes dose to uncovering Roy's dar k secret he sneaks onto the field to photograph hi at batting practice.To sto him, Roy hits a ball with perfect aim that breaks the reporter's camera; th nashbulb fires as it falls to th the glare disclosure, ground secrets being brought to light, is pre vented by Roy's sheer talent with th
bat.
9.21. (right) As Roy lays ill in th hos· pital before the playoffs, th Judge comes to offer him a bribe. Rather than rendering th Judge in shadow as might be th obvious choice, Deschanel arranges for the warm glow of the otherwise benevolent hospital lamps to glare on t he Judge' glasses thus th light itself man ages to obscure his eyes and partly disguise his evil. This is appropriate as he appears here no as th intimidating force evil bu as silky voiced cajoler
(inematograph
16
·'\gainst doctor\; orders. he tries to practicc in secrct. hut the: him. Roy hilS a ball that picture n:poncr attempts to takc smashcs his camera \\ hich ralls to the 1!rollnd and the flashbulb fire,", as it breaks: he is striking back at II;-e glare publiCity that hi.!'"
nearly destroyed him (Figure 9.10). Th final climactic !.!ilmc at nil!.ill and the stadiulll t o \ \ ~ r li!..!.hh burn brightly. Th Judge and the hookie watch the g a l l 1 ~ from-his sk)bo\, which \\ see from belo\\ as just a paJc )-cIIO\\ glll\\ <.1Il the partially closed blinds: an imagL: O r C \ il and cornlplionluncnng cr the game (Figure 9.1 X). Roy is struggling as his injury plagues him and It all comes tim\ n to one f1neJ\ pitch \\hich \\ ill win or lose the pennant. Ila\ing it all rest 011 the final pitch is, course. a givcn in any basehall 1110\ IC.
but the cincmtlLOgraph} and the metaphor lighting and lighlnlllg IOgcthcr \\ itll the mystical glo\\ oCthe dying spark gi\·cs this scene magical quality \\ hich makes it OIlL' the most melllorabk flnal :-.ccncs in American cinema and visually one orlhe most l11o\ing. ..
9.22.(above) The moment before the do·or-die climactic pitch is thrown, lightning (which has always brought the power of good to Roy) strikes the ight towers of the baseball field. 23 (above. left) As Roy connects
powerfully with the ball.h is framed so that the lights of the field (rep resenting the ennobling power of baseball) are in the shot with him 9.24. (left, below) Roy's home run strikes the lights of the field: one shatters, short circuiting them all and they explode in a shower of f i r e ~ works.
VISUAL POETRY ~ l a l l 1 ~
a h01ll1.! rlill nght 11110 I h ~
.... ladlUIll
lil!hh (I H ! U r ~ 9.23).
\\h1cl1 ,hattl.'r am.i h o r t - c i ~ c l l i t . scntilllg .. p a r ~ : - \ UIlIO the hll\\cr Ulle.: orlhc truly great i l 1 l a g c ~ ofcol1lidd (I igurcs 9,2-1- an 9.25), lcmporar: cinema. as he round" the basc.:s in skm-Illotion triumph. Rn an his ccichrallllg l c a l 1 1 l l l ~ l I c ~ ar I.'lopcd III these gllm ing lirc\\o,"I.;:-.. a" millltlturc tar .. glory arl.' raining on them. A "iuII.. Ihl.! film cnc..J.... It golden glo\\ light pcrsonifil..!u c n g l l l f ~ thelll pure good: Ro) and the pO\\cr the light his talent as Sj1l1cd from th Ire\.' struck by IiI.!iHninu hm bolizl.'d th hal ....
....
....
....
...
...
t r a n s r o n n ~ d lhL'1ll an 111\ l!.!oratcd them \\ ull th c ~ " " c ' l c c ~ l l l that is good abollt haseball (and all that it s) mbolizcs ahollt -\mcrican lh 1l10C racy ).
rile
l i r ~ I 1 ~ - l i k c
ghl\\ COIll!.:S from thc e\ploding lights o f t h c Ikld
illuminating ... pint b:'hcball) .. h a t t c r ~ d b) Rll) ':-. home run becn struck by bolt lightning (hi .. taiL-nl) \\hieh hm thL' sallle IJghtning that ha", brought Roy Ihl.: PU\\ er 01" hi ullsullied talent). These tIrc ... vlllhols an thc\; \\01'''-. but there is morc subtle \\ hat makes the ",hot so haunt l"'lIal Ilh.'taphor at \\ 01'1... and II llUll!ICal about this shot is that thc lil!ht is Intd\ CHlI.:;lli\ c. \\-I1<1t C\:-I:)\\l1cn.-. it IS al o m n i p r e ~ c n t bathing glo\\ it is al arolindthelll. 1\ almost ... l.:elllS to elllHllah,: froll1 wit in hem as the\ b a s L ~ in the purl.' and simple moment beaut) triulllph in b a ~ e b 3 1 1 and the triumph right 0\ er the II1:-.idioliS attempts the Judge to inli.:ct hn .. chall \\ 1111 hi ... money-hungl) inli.::-.tatioll. \\·ilh thIS clegantl) Simple but isccral an ('\pfcssi\ c \ iSlial image an add c\tra stCIll. Le\ inson and Deschanel make the mosl I ; . i ~ c l " " oj" Illcanlllg onlO a great ... 101'). a great script and a ",upcrhl\l\e cas\. In this particular film. light i", used as metaphor 11 n : r } clear :Ind SU .. tHIIlCd \\i.I)_ In 1 1 1 0 S l l i l l 1 1 ~ . lighting part nr",toryteliing III 1110re limited and I c ~ s (weTtl) metaphorical \ \ a y ~ . bu it can al\\<.IYs (the
..
..
lighting as story elling
25 As Roy rounds the bases, he sparks from the exploding bulbs sur round him and his jubilant (eam mates in a soft gentle wash of light they are enveloped in an omnip es ent glow of the power of pure good triumphant o r e l - on of the most beautiful and hau ting images in modern cinema. The light is non directional it is all around them part ofthem within them.
cinematography
be a int s. characlC nd an cularl} the in un crly in g s ory perce pti f lime nd ace. Fil make \\ take rejectiolllst C111sch es Olle' ttitud owa \i the most ht g a SlIa mp rt nt , su btl e owerful oo ory clling Those ejec li hting c ft th ose \\ ho least understand its useful ess a nd qu ll cc as a c in l11 '-l il: tool.
controlling color
WHAT IS WHITE? ill acce t ey ues a d exte rn ca (ada ptati an very \\ h h
a \\ id range ligh as "\,-,h te." depending on enomenon is both psychologi ap ta ion. T e el1\ ro nm cnta l. color me (and color film. iv ab ll th es th gs \vi ll tell us that there ar
eno rm diff ces i th e co n ig ht. ne lit ith rdinar Ou no pt ion da li ht. ur mo tl beca se we are psyc ys olog ca ll \\ e nd
ll
side co
t ll a room lit with tung cscc nt s d one nooded \\ ith li
th
ll thrce ar ""hile light:' cally co ti ed 10 think them side-by ey ad pts. Wi hout
ri son, the eye an un re li rt ral ig ht. co or fi y se si ti ve nd un fo giv in g. ex tr
le in ica or s
abso lut e
esse nt ia l.
COLOR TEMPERATURE
In film and
id eo
de cribin th colo de ve d ro m th co
ro du
io
th
d
\vhat is neu
ideo CCD's ar color referencc i!'l
Illost cO lll on systcm used in
color perature:' This scalc is hl th eo et ca black bo (a melal object
t co ec hni ca ll own as a Planck a\ing inh 11 ia ra al ). Wh n cated to in ca desce ce th black body glo\\ co at va yi en g he tc mp tu re (Ta le 10. ), Color ms "red th ntifi ati t. ""hitc hal:' te mp atur s a cte. ev
ed
ce , co or tc
Table 10.1 (belowl Color, wave length and frequency of the major bands of th spectrum 1 .{bottom Color and wavele gt of typical sources
C
O
l
~
WAVELENGTH
m
e " ,
EQUENCY
Rl'd
800-650
00 470
Q',Hlqt'
640-590
470520
Ypliow
580-550
510590
",n
530-49(}
590·650
80 M,o
650700
Blut· 11\\.11 90
<150 44
100 760
V,oIH
430390
760 800
1"0100""'1<,
0000
sius sc
!'l
e
exp essed in deg ees Kch in in his honor ee
ng po
wa
e'luab ()
Th
5227 cgn:t:s Keh ll i!'l abbre\ia cd and the d e g r e ~ ' symbo is eca se a tungs eated to i n l . ' a H j t : ~ tt fi amc ce ee vc y imil r t il Pl radia or. he co or tcmperature equ ence is very close hil ogcn amps. but nm fur HM s. ID s (Figurc 10.2). A grap ic representa e s c l ! an SE (S ectral E n ~ r g ) - gths is ca ll ion th e \ ari s wave istr
ut io
PD (S ec ral
o\\er
(such as tlte tu
,uib ut ion).
filame
light
in c3 desccncc, ih SED is qu te si ilar to that is ca ed oo th across al \\a\e1cnglh .... c\en la ck an ad or a fa ifso c arc ronge r t han th s. is is no t ecessarily true for all ig ht so ur ccs. Flu escc nt ig ts fo examp e. ave \ cry "spiky" out uts, w il: h t be \cry eavy in ecn (F gure 0.3) Color eratures be vcry m slead ng fur many s o u r c ~ : - . (e
ec
ll
th os
hi ch exhibi
scon
uous SEDs). it is onl) an
io approxi d b rcfe re to as "corrda cd co or h . ~ m p e r a t u r e : ' Color ure ll us a grea dea abo ut the b ul! orange l:OI11an \CIY ittl c abo t the age ta green component. ponc llt li ic ca ll ro du ce ex tr cme unpleasa nt cas in thl! fi m even if th e co r t ature. ndi ca cs a correct readin eas ur e o f how close a so ur ce is pp rox imat OJ pure blal:k body ad at
.....
e.
scientdic p i O -
cent
in scale ta kes abso lut ze o as th e zero in t. A b ~ o l u t c Lero _273 Celsius on th scalc. th us 5500 Ke il in is actual ei
Ke 10 (previous pagel Bold use of color in Bfaderunner. Throughout the film, color is tightly contro ll ed for maximum effectiveness.
Ihe
pera lll rc
ei
ac 90
is th
r R nd Ind ex (C RI ). sealc tn 100 gives some ind ica ti oC th e a ili of so urce to rcnder color
otog ap ic urposes, o nl sourcl.!s with a CR ly co id ed accep ta ble abo\c ar..: ge
ra ely.
COLOR ME
ost ig ht so rces arc 110 th e spectrum: hCllct:' na row ba nd t a pur hu e. os co d ig ht s a co in ation oC\ari th ey arc s wave eng th s; th ere 11 numbcr th ca scribc th color
nematography
16
Cmdl.· Sunhght .. t (lil wo
lo
Willi",)" luoq\Hm bJII' 1200K b u l b ~
A,e with
{,UIXlO1
O O I 1 ~
H M I ~
lt qh
Mlt!dily \u Cloudy (If'
~ ~ Y " g h \
~ k y
h l u ~
Ik
.... ( ~ O O K
.3.l le GA color filt ers dISplayed color wheel. (Photo courte sy of Great American Market. as
bl e . labove) Common film and natural sources,
dcflncd on 1\\0 scale:,: red blw.:: and magenta r1L'ClInth:I). Rather. It green. /\.<::. a rcsult. most Illeh.:rs give two readouts (they ar call1!d three color mdcrs. since the measurc red. blue nd green). one lo Ihe \\ cool scale and on for th mJ1!enta !2n::cn scale. In the C ( l ~ C orthe Minnlta color meter. th m a ! , ! , c n t ~ ! . ! r e e l ~ readolll is nu in abso lute number'::.. but directl in ( l m o ~ n t o("riltratioll needed to correct th color 10 "110rl11<1I" 011 th magcnta green seak. Ro:-.co Laboratorie:-. l l 1 i . 1 k e ~ Ihl' 10110\\ ing recollllllendations for gels ba:-.ed 011 reading from Minoltn Color TCl11periltun.:: meter. LB i:-. the Light Balancing inde\. Its u:,e is based on \\ hether Oll ar lIsing d;1\ lit!,ht or tllll!.!stcn bal:lI1cc lilm. Li!..dll balancin!.! \allies arc h f ) \ \ n in lahle Ill.).
intle\ Color Correction. It d e s c r i b e ~ th gn,.::en magenta most rde\:lIlt \\ hen hooting \\ nh aspl..'cts th color :-.ollrce. It other ypes di:-. fluore:-.ccnh ..... odium \upor. mercury \apor charge sOllrce:-. \\ hich usually ha\c a large green component. Th Ilc\\cr 'Vtillolw Color Mcter II ha an e\.pnnded green-magenta <.;t:a le Rt:commended COITeCliOib arc ... hO\\ 11 In rabk 10.-J and ..
lOS)
MIREDS
Another problem \\ ith color tcmpcr:.J1ure i:-. that equal c h a n g e ~ II equal c l l ~ 1 1 1 g C S II coh'r wJ1lpt:rf.llllre an: not n c c e ~ s a r i l ) pcrcei\ ed colnr. \ chance 50K rrom 1000K to ]050K \\ ill noticeabk dini.:rt:llcc in ~ o l o r . For an cljlll\atent change in color perception at 5S00K. the color temperature \\mild need and about 500K at 10.000K. t h i ~ rea on. th mired ~ \ s t e 1 l 1 ha been de\ 1"'(,<.1. ~ l i r e e l Fo .... ti.llH.h for micro-n.:ciprocal lkgl:CCS. i r l . . · d s ;.Ire <.kri\cd by eli\ id il1g 1.000.000 b) the Kc ill \aluc. Fo c\ample. 3200K equal, 1.000.000 .1100 311 I1l1relb To compute ho\\ much color correc tioll 1\ required. )OULISC th Illired niluc .. orille su urce and the Anal
10.4. below These SED charts illus trate the uneven output typical of gas discharge sources hi ch makes them difficult control for film and video use.
..
I.
";;i,t.;... controlling color
85
Full (T
131
(T
+81
.-
(T
+42
/8 (T
20
(T
-131
68
112 CTB
Blue
49
Blue
30
Blue
12
+ 1 ~ F U U Q 9 81
40
1]1
FuUBtue
Sun 85
68
H",.",If~BI","'
Half Quarter et:g
30
. . . : t l O ~ h t h
f:!Lr
UVfiher
12
:~9-+-:Th",i.",d-".,,,:U',- Quarter Blue
C"'-f-"", ,h -!.h",.'u".
t-"'--r-,, ::.4PlusgrN'n P l u ~ 9 r e e ! ! .
..
+1'3
I'
full Plusgleen
. ~ m u s g r{'e 2 Mmu59reen inuS-green
Plu5grecn 1!L4 1/2 P ' u s ~ n
12 Plu sg een
Table 10.3. (top) Light Balancing Index for the most common correc
tion geis.
Table 10.4 middle Color compen sa ting as indicated by the Minolta Color Meter II. Color correction applies only to the magenta green balance. Table 10.5 (bonom) Color compen sating values as indicated by the Minolta Color Mete r III.
Cinematography
desired co or. so urce at 5500K and \\ ish to COI1\ ~ r t it YO LI a\ lu bt act th mired the desired color from that 3200 th sou ce. 5000K 200 mireds 3200K 312 mired an then 112. On the 312-200 11 mir s. 5 orange ha a mired value mired scale, lus sh ift value means the filter is yello\\ ish. minu'l va lu the filter \ ill give a b lu hift When combining fillers. ea add the mir ed v(l ill es. COLOR BAL
NCE OF FILM
co or film ca
accura el
ditions. In manul:,clure th rately und er
render co lo fi
uncler all lighting con
lm is adjus ed to render color accu-
particular condition. the tw
Illo st common being
average daylight 5500K an a"erage film ). ic s se tungste illumin ti lilm de ed lor 3200K There is hird , w h i based on th ow is sed "p oto" bulb s, which \\ere film ), rath r than 3200K; th ese arc rare now 3400K Give th rac that provid in tungs li is cost and le ctric it intensive, hil e unl ight is lI ually fa more abundant. most motion ba clure films arc ype ced tun gs en. The idea is that \\e ut a co rrect in fi lt er
filter on
en we can Illo
alTord to lose light to
ractor in th unlight. Kodak and Fuji no day li gh balance film availab e.
have se' era
BALANCE WITH CAMERA FILTERS There arc thr ee basic reasons to change the colof lights To correc th e color the light 10 match the lilm yp si ng ca mera filter) (instead To match various lighting SO Ufce For elTeet or mood To hoot film undcr "blue" light in th e 5500 degree th typc area) a 85 ora ge filter i used. T 80A or 80B blue fi(ter, Il)r oo in da ylig ht film ith WH rlll light ra ely used. and in most ou ld be combi ed wi th cases UV filter because tungsten f1Im IO em te th ca nn igh proporlio da light and 11M Is UV There is some li gh t oss when ing co rectio filter and the filter adjus the top Fo convenience. factor mu be used t m a l 1 ufacturer li an adjusted Exposure In dex ich ll ows 1'01' th Alter loss. en using this adjusted E do not also usc the lilter factor. n01 technicall the same as AS (American Standard Associa tion) w ic is th sca lc se to ra film for till pholOgraph y. but 111 practice they arc the sa mc This is because the speed color film not easured in th sa wa as ack-and-\\ hi emulsion (sec the tC!->ling chapter on Exposure). Color film eed determined on cans blaek-and-\\hite Yo wi ll so noti ce \\O dilTerenl as we ll. This is 110t related fil correction filters. ince n o n ~ arc eeded. It as to o \\ i th the fact th ai ack-and-\\ hi te films -a in their sens it vity to colors. In mos cases the EI for tung ti tcn light wi (1 be lower. Mo bl ack- an d-w fi available Imla most or arc panc romatic. meaning th ey arc re at ve se si ti ve th vis ibl e spect rum. Ea rl black-and-white fil s were orthochro ma c: th ey were se iti ve to lu light at all. Thi mcant that ha ve ac wi th lu eyes ap eared hit eyes. Smaller color es can also be corrected w th color filters. as \\ell. If the sce nc lighting is 2800K lor example (too warm). then an 82(' lilter will co rrect th 3200 gh reaching the film There arc three basic filler families used in Aim a n d , Id eo pro ductio conversion, li ght balancing co or compen sa ting ThiS app ies to both lightin gels and camera filters. COLOR
10.5. (left) Extension frame mak it possible to gel these Mu scos car shot. Photo ourt esy Mu sco Lighting , Inc 1 (above The Minolta olorT perature Meter II.
CONVERSION FILTERS COIl\ I.:rsion filters \\'ork in the Blue-Ora gl.: a \ i s and dl.:al \\ ith runda thl: l:l11ui I11l.:nlal color balance In rdalion to the color sl.:l1 ... iti\ il sinn COIl\ (:[:-.ion filtt:rs a l T ~ c t all parts the " ' l 1 1 o o t h color rendition Although theft: used to bl.: Illore. curn.:IlII) there an: only types color ellluision: daylight a d tungs cn. Tilt: basic filter families arc shO\\1l in Table 10 Thc cOll\crsion filtcrs \\ use 111 film and \ ideo are called eT an CTB (sec belo\\ ).
LIGHT BALANCING FILTERS Lluht RaianclI1U filters arc \\ armlll[! and coollll!.! fillers: thcy \\or].; l h l . ! enlm,: SI ':-D as \\ ilh the cOll\cfsioll tilters. hut thcy ar llSl!d to mal\e smaller shifts In the ~ l l l l ! - ( ) r a n g c axis. CORRECTING LIGHT BALANC Da light sources il1l:iuuc
Da)-light i t s d f (da) light a combination direcl S t i l l and open ].; 11Mb hite or daylight t) pc Ilunrcsccilts ('00] ( olur orrect Iluon:scenh. DIchroic sourCl!s such a r" \\ Jlh \\ hilc Ilallle carbons. 5400K to 65001\.. ! ~ n ( : r a L da Ii!..dll sources un: 111 the ra H!.C I g . h the) c:1I1 l I l g . e much Ilighcr. Ncar ~ l t l l n s c and slln:-.cl Ihe)...
...
In
! .
a l t I H l
(ontre Iling (olor 17
10.7.
taped to a 4x4 open frame
is usually the best way to add color to an intense source such as these Ruby Sevens. Care must be taken no
to get it too close or the gel will burn. (Plioto courtesy of Luminaria, Inc.)
11luch thicker are much warmer as the sun tr;;\\ ·c linQ throlli.!.i1 layer at11losphere and morc the blue \\ a\ \.!fength:-. are filtered out. The amount d u ~ t <.Ind humidity in the ai arc also lactor:-,. \\hich accounts lo the different c a l o r r n g ~ light prc\alcnt III dir ferent locales. Perhaps most 1 ~ 1 1 1 1 0 U S is the t r a n ~ l l I c e n l bill\,! light
Venice made famous by the painter Canaletlo. Correction is achicn;u \vilh either "XY' or eTO. both of\\ hich an orange filters. Thl' Rasco product is R o s c o ~ u n X5 (X5 rcfer:-. to th 131 \\ hich rattcn number equi\alent). it has mired ~ h i f t aille \\ ill comen 5S00K tn 3 ~ O O K . (Technically. hb \.!qui\"alcnt to \\ hich COIl \Vrallen X5B: Wrallell X5 hn .. Illired ~ h i n Hlluc \ erts )500 to 3400. ,,1 ightly cool for t u n g ~ t ~ n halance.) CTO
thc acronylll fo ColorTL'mpcratllrc Orange. ( ' 1 0 I'" \\armer thun X5 and has <.I hit!;her mired shift \ liluc: 159. This 1ll\.!L!n .. that 11 \\ill COIl\C ()500K 3100K, \\hich is ... cellcnt \\hen rOlTcct in!.!. cookr sources C\uch as IIMl s. \\hich arc running blu\.! or h C ~ I \ · lIscl'ul \\hen !.!.oin!2, for:1 \\ar11ler look. ... kvlit :-.illlatinl1s. It shlfi 1111red , , ~ il ." ill COI1\ en 5500K 10 2940K. (5500K 159 3 ~ ( ) mired. 01\ Ide "Iue 59. Warmer e'Juab posili\c. I 1.000.000 by : l ~ O 2 9 ~ O K . ) The dillerenee is baSle"ll) Amertean European: p r o b a b l ~ due to the fact thaI European "kyllght is gener ally bluer Ihan American skylighl (Table 10.7). is the combi na in /\ mponant arial ion color correct Il1n this is to avoid haying to putt\\ll and nelltral uellsit). The pllrp0"le separate gels on \\ indO\\. \\ hich might increase the rO l b i l i t ~ 1'01' gel noise and r e R c c t i o n ~ . not to mention the additional C l h t hich sub:-.tantial). The \uriatians arc shO\-\1l inlablc 10.9: Lnfortlillatch. no one makes a R5 plu:-, ND filter. \\ hich \\ auld he u .. eful to p r ~ ' sen\.! a natural blueness in the \\ il1<.lo\\ S. .....
10.6. Th basic filter families and their designations. Table
TUNGSTEN TO DAYLIGHT Filters fo COI1\ enin!.!.
I'··
'" cInematography
tUIH!sten ~ o l l r c e " , to nOllllllal dn\ hebl arc called I"ull blue. Tough Blue ~ J r CTB (Color Temperalure ~ l c ) Crable) O.X).
The prohlem \\ it "blueing the lights" is that rl3 ha .. t r a n ~ m i s ..,Ion or 36'}o \\hilc has il transmission or 5Xoo. This means that stop and a hall' \\ it e r B . yo u lose only \\ hile lose almost stop \\ ith CTO. CT about 2 is ,cry inelfieient: its 1Il0st to balance tungsten light!-t im idc room \\ ith the common li se da light blue \\ indo\\ light Lhal b coming in. This is a losing situa tion from the tart: the windo\\ light is liable 10 be far more PO\\ crful than the tungsten lighls to begin "itll. Ifwc then lose:2 stops ofTthe \\ arc really in trouble (not to mention thl..! tung..,tcll by adding nl t that \e also ha\\: to put an 80B filter on the len \, Ith tUllgStCI1
balanc film an \\ lose hca, il) there too) In practic 1110 people tr 10 D\ ·o ld this solution: the altcrnati\ cs arc: Put on the \\ inuO\\ and shoot at tung ten balance doing this we i.l\ oid killing the tungsten light we don't ha\c of' stop olT to li se an ~ O I 3 on the camcra and we lose t h e " indo\\s. \\ hich ma keep thcll1l11on:: in balance with the
Inside exposurc. Put I :2 gS on the \\ indow
nd
:2
blue
011
10.8 For this music video we wanted vid colo and a dreamlike effect. One tungsten bounce wa g_elled double eTO and the other flame red, the tw were on separate flicker boxes and the shot was overcranked. The result was nightmare-i n-hell feeling that fit the tone of the video.
the lights.
Put CTll on thc liglll> an let the \\ indO\IS go slig ht bl e. This acltmlly OJ more reali tic colordTect an is mllch prcicrred thc..,e days. Us da light balance lights (FAYs. IIMls or Kinos) inside. FLUORESCENT LIGHTING One the Ill os COlll1110n color problem
lee LOdaj is hootin fluorescent Th probl em l o c ~ t 1 l o n ... \\ here the dominant source \\ ith Ou esec il th th arc not a continuous pe trum so urce: in green. Another probl IS 111 1110 st cases they :m \C11 he3\ IIKlt c\ en the ma appear to be approximatcly con'cet in color. thl..!ir discontinuous "' pcctn.l ma cause thelll to rcnder color ,·cr) oo rl y. (Recall Ollr di scussion metal11erism in th chapter on 71" '01:\: Thi the Color Rendering Il1dc .\ I11ci.l un.:d RI considered nccessary lo lilm and (C I) 90 or bCller \ i eo \\ork. A':-. esult. nuore !'lce llt cannot bc corrected nl b) cham'!'lI1l.!. the co \\ ith a l.!.cI on the l i g h t i n ~ unit filter on tht.: call1c-ra le s. .... ...... \\1:
.....
\1 ..,0 beca se th ci dl':-.contl11uous pel.:tra discharge sources \\ hl(.:h Iluorescellts are 01lL: cxample) can't be considered to hon tr\1e co or temperature Tile black bod color tempemture that they approsimatc is ealled the Correlated Color Temperalure (CCT). On
NAME
TYPICAL CONVERSION
MIRED VA=LU"''----t---"ST-,OP LOSS
85
5S00K ·3200K
FullCTO
5500K
2900K,6S00K)o 3125K
112CTO
5S00K
3800K,440 0K
3200K
t81
li4CTO
5500K
4500K. 3800K
3 2 0 ~
+42
CTO
SSOOK
4900K,3400K
3200K
1/
NAME
CTB. Full Blue
131
+167
3/
stop
2/3
stop
1/
13 lr
TYPICAL CONVERSION
MIRED VALUE
STOP LOSS
3200K> 5500K
131
1-1/2
--y--
1/
CTB. Half Blue
3200K> 41 OOK
68
1/3
CTB, 1,"3 Blue
320QK
3BOOK
49
213
1/4
CTB, 1/4 Blue
nOOK .' 3S00K
30
112
3200K
12
1/8CTB.l/88Iue
3300K
Table 10.7. (left) (T filters, conver sian va es and light loss Table 10.8. (left, below) CTB filters. conversion va ues and light loss. controlling color
17
NAM
OS') 1 2 '3
E R S I O
8SN1
Oayll
8'
Oay ll Davhght to
8SNQ
ll t . ! J I l : 9 ~ I t : · f I
~ r ' M . N A I
RI
HN
IVA )0
l g ~ l t ' f l
C(
'iT
2213
] 2 l " ( '
1 ! 1 ! < U ~ f
I " ' D t X I ~ A P P I l O
I}
"' E\\11tN'
Table 10.9 to
Combination 85s.
Table 1 0.1 above Gels for correct ing green sour
practical locations it is ot alway:o. possible to turn ofT thl: tluon:s cenls and replace thcm \\ ilh O l l r n lighls. ThL' many options and co mbinations can gel be bit confusinl!. somc tim l:s rablc 10 11 o\\ [1 decision ellart for dealing \\ ith t h ~ s e situations Additional tip on shooting wit l1uore sccn include: In the field. ilmay bc nccessary to usc combinatIon ofthc:-L' le hniqu c, Whalc\er yo do. SIIOOT 1\ GRA) SCALI 10 givc the lab tarting point corrcc ti on Shooting \\ ith rdinar Auorescents alonl: and kitIng t h ~ tub rCl11m th e g ee results in very nUl color rendition Aueling so light (such as tung ten \"itll pl sgrL'cn) gi\cs i.I much fuller colo feeling to the im ge. utput units arc available "hich use color (o S e \ ~ r a l hi gh eele (full ec trum) nuorescenls and can bL' .. ed in COI1junction with IM or tu gs en lighting (\\ ilh either daylight or 3100K fluorescent tubes) and pro\ id perfL'ct (olor. The! are ve y efficient in power sage and gi\e soft c\cnlighl Full minu sg e(: is equiva lent to CC30M (30 magenta) 111 an emergency. i, pos>ibk piccc 01,(,(,30\1. on· forget that most backlil'.hted achertisinl'. sit!n.., th. as those bus helt s) ha ve fluorescent tubes ...in 1('111. The seene ma lo ok fine ut th l1u orcscent cast the lighted will be ugly If you are ;.. ootin large arca such a .. a stJpcnllarke\. till> ory o olliee. it far more lk ient to add green to your e\Iv spe no ours on ladder gellll1g or '.I\e th li ht th an han in bulbs. When you add plusgrec or Iluorofilter to li ht they gIn.' a \ery trongl ) colore li ht \\ hich to th e)-I.! looks cry \\ rung and ooesn't appl:ar o vis ally match either 11M or tungsten light. II looh absolulely awful. You \\ ill onen lind il dilli cu lt to eOI1\incl: din:clor thaI thIS the richt thin!!. 10 do TI"\ Inking a co or Polaroid. -..
..
.....
CORRECTING OFF COLOR LIG HT ARCS ll.l ultra\ iolet. Rosco Y-l or LL't.: arc;.. gi\'c all" ea '{cl o\\ rcducl.!s th UV outpu t. Co rr ec ti on \\ hite name carhon arcs osco MT2 (together \\ Jlh Y-I) or L.ce tun gsten balance: a combi nat ion 2J1. asco MT1 and V-I.
10.9 This pool room shot needed 24K to feel degenerate and raw. lightwave similar to a Dino) was outside the WIndow. The exis ing daylight was allowed to ea in ana was uncorrected. The combinat on of the (WO contributed to the sleazy. hanky tonk feel which was appropn ate for the scene. Ci
at
EXISTING
YOUR
50URCE
LIGHTS
Aoy
None 01
f1uorescents
f1uorescents
Shoot Fluorescent balance
Tungsten
fluorescent fill if necessaryl an la
fluorescents
or HMI
Replace he lamps
0.11. (left) Str ateg ies for deal
ing with off-color sources.
Use fluolescen ts only (a ding
time the green out of th
Remove e Aoy
Table
COMMENTS
STRATEGY
~ i s
leplace wi
i n g
let th
print
fluorescent lamps an
full spectrum fluorescent
bulbs which
OVide photographic
daylight or tungsten balance mlnusgreen gel to th
Ad
Cool while Ouorescents
HMls
Gel th
f1uorescents
(dayhght balance)
fluorescents which removes the green Wi th cool white fluorescelll this will resuit in daylight balance Tungsten lights can
fluorescents
T(mgSlen
be blued or HMls used
minusgreen gel. WIth warm whote
Ad Warmwl1ite
e ~ i s t i n g
Gel the fluore5cenlS
fluorescents this will result In a tungwm
(tungs en balance
balanc!'. Tungsten lights may be used or HMIswllh8S
plusgr!'en to the HMls which
Ad
matches them
Cool whit!.' fluorescents
HMls
Gel theHMls
th
heavy green output
he fluorescents Then use a came'a filter to remove he green or have he la
time
out.
HMI
general little too blue and arc vo ltage dependent. run ke tungste n. their co lor t mp rature goes up as oltage decreases. important to eck each lamp \I·/ith co r temperature meter It or co r P laroid and write th e actual co lor t mp on pi ece tape "!Lached to the ide Fo li gh cor re tion Y-I or Ra sco MT 54 ca be se r Illore correct on. sc or 11 CTO. an IIMl s a so and Illillusgrccil available. rUIl littl reen Ila ve HM
INDUSTRIAL LAMPS high efficiency lamp arc found in industrial an Var iou types public pa ce si tu3tion s. They fall into three ge neral categories: Sodium Va por. Mcwl Halid and Mercury Vapor. All these light ha ve di sco ntinuou s pectrum and are dominant in one co or The ossible hoot with thelll il' so lllc co r al ha ve ve lo CR s. It rections arc de. High pres ure so diu1l1 lamp arc ery orange and contain at dcal of green. ow pressure sodium is monochro mati light: the ar imposs ible to co rr ect. CAMERA FILTRATION FOR INDUSTRIAL SOURCES Th following arc ecomlllended startin points for lI in ca mera fil sources. Film Type
Tungste n
Daylight
Exis in
Source
Camera Filters
High Pressure Sodium
80B
Metal Halide
85 + ((SaM
Mercury Vapor
85
High Pressure Sodium
808 + ((SOB
Metal
lid
Mercury Vapor
30M
((SaM
81A + ((30M 81A+((SOM
Table 10.12.
Typical camera filtra tion for common industrial sources. ways confirm with film testing or a Polaroid. controlling color