ACADEMY ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LIGHTING
While it’s often not practical to set up lighting for run-and-gun type documentaries, a bit of kick from an LED can give a real lift to your shots, especially if you are up close to the subject. That’s where small on-camera lights can come in, sitting on top of the hotshoe. Many can even be powered fromyour cinema camera’s battery using a D-Tap connection. For ENG and documentarywork or live events, they can provide enough light to make DON’T FORGET ON-CAMERA! a big difference to a talking-head interview, for example. An on-camera light is often the mainstay of TV news crews everywhere. If it’s dark, an on-camera light can make sure there’s enough light for the camera’s sensor. Or it can provide natural, even light on the subject if the background is a mess of different coloured practical lights. And on a sunny day, it can reduce contrast and add some nice catchlights to the subject’s eyes.
Some on-camera lights can be quite large, and, considering how close the camera is to the subject, can be relatively flattering. Just add a bit of diffusion material and you have a simple, fast and effective way of making an interview subject really stand out from the background. One of the most cost-effective ranges comes from Nanguang, which has on-camera lights such as the Mixpad 41, as well as larger LED light panels. The on-camera Mixpad can be powered bymains for use on a light stand, but it’s also excellent on top of the camera, powered by a Sony NP-F type lithium battery.
IMAGES These Nanguang lights can make a big difference to your images, even when used on top of a camera for some fill or added catchlights
SFX SPECIAL! Some lights have tricks up their sleeves that set them apart from their rivals – and Rotolight’s range is definitely one of the most creative in terms of unique features. From the large Anova Pro 2 soft panel to smaller lights like the Aeos and Neo 2, which can be used on camera, the range has a few special features that can be of real use. The first is that there is a built- in flash facility, so hybrid stills and movie shooters can create their images without switching between the two types of light. Using an Elinchrom- made Skyport transmitter, the lights can be used as super-fast flash units with virtually instantaneous recycling, and they work with high-speed sync. For pure movie use, the lights also have SFX lights such as fire flicker, flashing police lights or even a fake gunshot burst of light. And there can be auto fade up or down for professional interviews. The whole range does far more than just being a stable and flicker-free LED light source – which is why they are so popular with filmmakers and photographers, too.
IMAGES The Rotolight Anova Pro 2 can be directed and used as a hard light, and has other tricks up its sleeve, like special effects
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PRO MOVIEMAKER AUTUMN 2019
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