The most interesting bit of Wednesday’s class was when we’re introduced to the function of diffusion papers. I used to think that it could only make light softer but it can be observed in the images that it also changes the key to fill ratio, making the left side face of the subject more filled. The explanation to this would be that the diffusion paper diffuses the light for it to reflect onto the walls then bounce back onto the subject’s face. It essentially breaks the concentration of the light stream.
We’re shown a clip from ‘In The City of Sylvia’. I couldn’t really analyze it much in terms of techniques much but when I saw the clip I thought it was like watching carefully taken photographs that could move. The lighting was incredibly balanced and the switching of depth of field was instructive on what to look at. I’ll probably watch the whole film during the weekend to get a better sense of what techniques are used in it.
We also talked about safety on set in terms of usage of electricity. It’s a must to check out for heat and smoke sensors before setting up lights and do research on circuits of the set so it does not burn up the fuse. The formula is P(Watts)/V(Volts)=I(Amps). It’s important to calculate using the formula to make sure that the total current of all the equipment take up is under the maximum current of the circuit. And if the switch in the fuse box flicks off, find out why before flicking it back on. I’m kind of glad that I did Physics in high school.
Today’s class got me thinking about the short documentary that I filmed in Nepal with my crew. Lighting was something that was a bit out of budget for us to manipulate. We didn’t have any type of lights, all the camera stores in Kathmandu only sold tiny LED lights that wouldn’t help much. So we only used a bounce board wrapped in tin paper, which we made ourselves. When we’re filming at noon, the bounce board would do a great job on filling but when we’re filming indoors, it’s pretty much useless. I think lighting is something that I’ve always missed out on when I make films. I think the main reason is that it’s impossible to carry lighting equipment around (carrying a tripod is already hard as hell) and proper set up of lighting can only be achieved in a studio. I mean it would be easy for a big production group, but if it’s just a small crew making a low or micro budget film, it’s so hard to design good lighting during production. Most of the time we rely heavily on post-production to get things right.
I like how Film Light makes me want to look back on what I’ve made and reflect on them.