Summer 1 - TCF 444: Advanced Lighting

Finale

Readings:

Kyerra- 5.6

Alex- 4

Background- 16

Before TCF 444 the extent of my lighting knowledge was to make sure you saw what you needed to see to get the shot and it not be under/over exposed. After taking this course I can say my lighting knowledge is far more extensive as opposed to where I started. (Cues Drake’s “Started from the Bottom”.) The first week of class we learned about the quality of light, intensity, motivation, sculpting, and directional and bounced light. I had an opportunity to DP in the first few days which made me realize actually how much you have to take into consideration. In regards to lighting I was able to better understand f-stops and exposure. I also started to learn the ropes of using a light meter. During this time I learned the importance of three-point lighting and how all the lights work together after you build them one by one. What you don’t see is also as important as what you do see. I also learned how many lights I can safely plug in at once to avoid killing people in electrical fires or simply blowing fuses and circuits. I also found it handy to have worked different positions and knowing their roles and limitations. I got some pretty good practice in during our DP projects as to how to pre-plan and captain the ship. It was definitely an experience in which I will say I could definitely do better and will in the future because of that experience. I now find myself looking at things and wondering… “where is that light coming from” and the usefulness of a lighting diagram as a starting point for a shot and tweaking it as necessary. Ultimately, I feel that all I’ve taken from this course will make me a MUCH better filmmaker had I not taken it.

Lighting Portfolio- Horror

Horror Lighting:

Readings:

Shot at a 4.0, 50mm Lens

Daniel- 2.0

Readings:

Shot at a 4.0, 50 mm lens

Kyerra- 2.0/1.4

White blanket- 1.4

Coming into TCF 444, I had a little bit of experience with lighting from working on the lighting crew in high school but that was about it. Lighting is one of the most challenging aspects of cinematography that I have encountered. I did not realize the importance of lighting initially but as we progressed in the semester I realized that lighting can change not only the mood of a scene but the story. During this class, I have seen how much work goes into the design and set up of lighting. The teams that are responsible for lights have to be organized and know how to communicate with each other to work as a team efficiently. Not only is lighting extremely difficult but it can be dangerous and safety protocols need to be followed to avoid damaging lights, catching them on fire, tripping, or blowing the circuit by using too much power. During my lighting project, I saw how difficult it actually is to light a scene for a particular genre and how much artistic thought goes into it. Learning the angles that lights can be at the convey a certain scene or location has been one of my favorite parts because it allows you to control what is exposed or the length of the shadows. Changing just the angle the light is from the camera has a much larger affect on a scene than I imagined. Another interesting aspect is not only what lights are used, but how light reflects off of surfaces. I believe that learning what goes into lighting will greatly help because good lighting is one of the most important things when filming. The cinematographer needs to be assured that the lens, camera, lights, props and scene he/she is not going to cause any unnecessary reflections, glares, etc. Learning how to operate a light meter and how it affects the settings on the camera is probably the most interesting thing I have taken from this class because the light meter can assist in telling the cinematographer what settings the camera needs to be at. This class has been a great learning experience because it has taught me how to better my films in the future by knowing how to properly light a scene.

Lighting Portfolio: Heavenly

Out of all of the TCF classes offered to students, I find that 444 is one of the most useful. I do not say this with the slightest hint of exaggeration. This class is beneficial to anyone that is looking to make a career out of media production/film. Without knowledge of lighting, a scene will lack cinematic aesthetics regardless of how well thought out the plot of the story is. I am the type of person that feels the need to teach myself everything. I am mostly successful in my attempts to learn whatever it is that I am pursuing without an immense amount of problems, but this class was a huge help in further expanding my skill set in regards to film. A person can Google, watch YouTube videos, and read about lighting as much as they’d like, but without hands on experience, they cannot truly say that they have mastered the art of lighting. This class provides an abundant amount of opportunities to gain hands on experience. I have learned many new facets of lighting that I had not thought of prior to enrolling in the class. I consider myself a fairly skillful photographer, and I approached this class with the same mindset as I did when thinking of photography lighting. I soon found out that this was a completely different ballpark. I learned the importance of positioning, reflecting, etc. I also learned a lot about the various lighting tools and equipment needed to successfully light a set. I did not realize how time consuming lighting a set could be. I also did not know of the procedures that have to go underway in order for the functionality of the set to operate in a smooth, non-hectic manner. In 201, they briefly touched over these topics, but in 444 these subjects were covered more in depth. Now that I have acquired a more in-depth knowledge of lighting in film through this class, I feel as though the next filming endeavor that I come across will be greatly enhanced. I have retained much valuable information, and I hope that they continue to offer this class in the future to further better the skill-sets of upcoming filmmakers at The University of Alabama.

Still-Shots