[Tech1] Lighting

[patheigham]

When I transferred from TV to the Film Industry, and was Boom Op on a good number of features, I found the BBC training invaluable in sussing out the DoP’s lighting plot, to see which lamps would give problems to the boom.
One commercial I worked on, shot at Hatchlands, a National Trust property near my home (probably the nearest location I’ve ever had!),
was the first Nescafe Gold Blend of the subsequent series. The DoP was none other than the great Freddie Young. He paused by the sound table and enquired who was the boom operator. Me! Asked me my name and said: ”I’m Freddie, and you won’t have any problems”. Standing in the artistes’ position, I took a look – perfectly textbook standard 3-point lighting – key, fill, back.

I learned some new words in this industry: ‘Charlie Bar’ a thin strip flag to put a shadow across the lady’s bosom to enhance the cleavage!
The name of a certain lighting effect has derived from its first use in film. One example is the "obie," a small spotlight that was designed by the cinematographer Lucien Ballard (1908–1988) during the filming of The Lodger (1944) in order to conceal the facial scars of actress Merle Oberon. I saw this in use, later, mounted above the lens and it was fitted with a shutter, so that when the camera tracked in, the brightness could be progressively reduced.
Some ‘new’ DoP’s favoured soft light all round, and built walls of poly to bounce light off – this made it physically difficult to get the boom in, but lessened the shadow problems.
Best
Pat




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From: Tech1 <tech1-bounces at tech-ops.co.uk> On Behalf Of barryaustin2000 via Tech1
Sent: 31 August 2019 18:09
To: bernard.newnham at ntlworld.com
Cc: tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk
Subject: Re: [Tech1] Dad's Army

I suppose that’s been the big change in lighting over the years, the change from “classic” lighting to “natural”  lighting. 

I suppose we were following the film industry, in films in the 1940’s each close up of the leading lady would have a classic, slightly upstage of her eyeline, key light no matter what situation she was in, just watch Casablanca and look at the lighting on Ingrid Bergman, it wasn’t “real”, but boy did she look good.  I suppose that all changed with Cimena  Verite and the new wave , now realism is everything, people have got so good at it it’s hard to tell if a shot is lit at all.
Whether the close up of the leading lady is better or worse than in days of yore is in the eye of the beholder. 




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