Shooting a video in a room can be complex but also dependant upon the cameras. The Blue
screen/or green
screen for instance cited would be a background used to isolate the person in front of it for adding a differing and changing background into it by way of editing such as your weatherman’s blue
screen he does his forecast in front of. Were it just someone at a
desk or
podium in reading messages, such a background could be more if used at all instead of the company/division banner behind, more like used by the normal news people with the picture sized blue
screen behind them with the
logo or photo of what they were talking about. This if not instead with
current technology, no need for a blue
screen, the
image is placed either on video monitors behind or even in front of the news person. Blue screens other than for weather forecasts are for the most part 1970s technology.
In any case, I’m sure your dad should probably be contacting someone at AFVN if I remember right as the military TV
network for some expert advice much less perhaps gear for equipping him or the proper sources to shop at. Depending upon the cameras used and the need for light, it can be just some
track lighting as a possibility, to some specialized KenoFlo flurorscent banks on C-Stands with
incandescent type sources just added for toning.
We use some Juno
track wash lights with 250w bulbs for instance in close proximity along with the
Altman 650Q fixtures and Q-Lites for video shoots. MTV, Wanna be a DJ for instance was lit with these hung off a
truss in a normal sized room. This in additon to Lekos and PARs with the high output lamps to add highlight and shadow over the general
wash. A four
Fresnel Arri Flex lighting kit having two three inch three hundred
watt and two four and a half inch six fifty
watt Fresnels plus various screens and filters is used otherwise with some
wash lights during the NBA
Playoff games for player interviews. Cinegel by
Rosco would also be a useful part of the
Rosco website to check into for technotes on using
gel on film.
A question of
color temperature and output most likely as to what fixtures you can use. A standard
stage Fresnel has a fairly in-effective and dark lamp to be using. A high output lamp is not only at the cost of wattage have a high output but frequently also have a high
color temperature that will read well on film. Remember also that shadows and what your eyes blend won’t be blended by the camera. For this reason illumination and washing out is frequently more a
cover it all and add
effect over this than lighting angles
etc. in usefulness. Also you need more
wash lighting so there is no
drop off’s in
intensity across the set as you move around it.
Dimming and control probably won’t be wise either. Remember that as you dim the lamps your
color temperature and
intensity drop with a
spike towards the cooler amber
shift. This amber
shift on camera is much more drastic than with the eye. Instead of doing a lot of dimming with more than just the key lights as it were at most, but not the
wash ones and in starting simple, I would think it would be much better to lamp the fixtures with the desired lamps to achieve
intensity at their full output than to get something larger than need to dim them. Most studio lights have switches on them and it’s not only to turn off the draw before un-plugging them.
Here is some sources amongst many that might have more to read up on for what you need or want to do:
Bardwell & McAllister Inc. (Motion Picture
Fixture & Rig Equipment Manufacturer/Dist.)
http://www.bmllighting.com
Kino Flo (
Fixture Mfr./Distributer)
http://www.kinoflo.com/
Lowell Lighting (Omni Movie Lights)
http://www.lowel.com/
MSE Studio Equipment, Inc/Matthews Studio Equipment (Movie Rigging Supplier)
www.msegrip.com
FAZETRON STTV Lighting TV/AV/Video Sales & Service (Production Co/Dist.)
http://www.stagelighting.com/
Studio Depot /Mole-Richardson (Theatrical Supply &
Fixture Mfr..)
Www.studiodepot.com