Design Filter recommendations for African American skin tones

[KeeperoftheKeys]

Hi,
I'm lighting a play and one of the leading ladies is of African American origin, I would like to light some of the acts in a warm light but she has to look the most stunning of all present on stage, which warm colors can I use which will improve her and also be all right on other Caucasian skin tones?

Preferable Lee filter numbers since Rosco is not used here nearly as much.

As far as her skin tone goes, she is more like coffee (I hope this is not politically incorrect, it is definitely no intended to be offensive if it is to anyone I am sincerely sorry).

 

[zmb]

Are you looking for a color to wash the whole stage in or something that could be used in special on the actor in question?

 

[JD]

I would think this is more of a wardrobe / makeup issue as the same colors for the most part have the same effect. The only lighting option that comes to mind is one of increased intensity in her area to make her stand apart, or, cooling down the color on the rest of the stage.

 

[Footer]

Played this game many times. Did a show once that was double cast that I had to write separate cue stacks for each actor along.

R333, R305, and R34 are all good colors to stick with. Substitute L0 with the R and thats your colors.

 

[erosing]

I've always found R99 to work fairly well in this situation, but I don't know what that would transfer to in Lee. But as JD said, it depends on the wardrobe and makeup a lot.

 

[wolf825]

FWIW I have lit & designed several shows from Africa and South America and find that R02 (bastard amber), R333 (blush pink) work OK....but especially R99 (chocolate) does very well IMO and is a favorite of mine to use....it helps warm the light out (especially out of a S4) and give a more natural appearance to darker skin tones on stage...




-w

 

[Grog12]

You light African Americans the same way you do Caucasians asians, hispanics or anyone.

 

[KeeperoftheKeys]

I'm looking for a wash, and the main worry was that a warm color for Caucasians would make the African American actress look less good/natural.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[Anvilx]

I'm lighting a play and one of the leading ladies is of African American origin,

So what color is her skin?

Last time I checked "African American" was not a shade or a color!

 

[erosing]

So what color is her skin?

Last time I checked "African American" was not a shade or a color!

As far as her skin tone goes, she is more like coffee (I hope this is not politically incorrect, it is definitely no intended to be offensive if it is to anyone I am sincerely sorry).

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[shiben]

You light African Americans the same way you do Caucasians asians, hispanics or anyone.

Yes, but lighting a person who has super white skin is different than lighting someone with more coffee colored skin, not incredibly, but a bit, just because their skin has different properties. Realistically, I view it as a similar issue to lighting anything else. With different colors on stage, you need to find gels that make that thing look the way you want it, be it a person, a costume, or a set. The nature of the beast is that we deal with people and their bodies, with all their features, be it their skin, their size, or their shape. That said, warmer colors tend to make darker skin look very nice, as has been stated before, and stay away from green, it makes dark skinned people look like grey skinned people, and its not super flattering. If you can, experiment with a few colors that you think will work, and decide which one makes the person in question look like you want.

 

[Grog12]

Yes, but lighting a person who has super white skin is different than lighting someone with more coffee colored skin, not incredibly, but a bit, just because their skin has different properties. Realistically, I view it as a similar issue to lighting anything else. With different colors on stage, you need to find gels that make that thing look the way you want it, be it a person, a costume, or a set. The nature of the beast is that we deal with people and their bodies, with all their features, be it their skin, their size, or their shape. That said, warmer colors tend to make darker skin look very nice, as has been stated before, and stay away from green, it makes dark skinned people look like grey skinned people, and its not super flattering. If you can, experiment with a few colors that you think will work, and decide which one makes the person in question look like you want.

Here's a little secret: (and while this sounds very hippy dippy its not meant too) When lighting people its not the skin that counts but what's underneath. And by that I mean blood. Pink gels help to boost help skin look flush and because its subtlely bringing out whats there naturally on everyone regardless of skin tone.

Yellows will make everyone look jaundis.

Greens will make everyone look sick and unatural.

Yes skin tones react differently, but honestly you should be far more worried about the costumes and the set piece colors.

 

[renegadeblack]

You light African Americans the same way you do Caucasians asians, hispanics or anyone.

I beg to differ.

At my high school, in the past two shows which I've done, there's one black girl in the cast (There's nothing wrong with saying shes black, it's a fact.). She of course looks darker than the rest of the people on the stage because her skin doesn't reflect as much light.

The only way that I think you could make her look brighter is if you could have a special on specifically her because it just doesn't work that you can make something darker than the rest be brighter than the rest which are already brighter (wow that sounded white supremacist).