Month: October 2018

How to Light Live TV

Posted on by J3551CA

When it comes to live TV, you literally only get one chance to make a first impression.  Everything is captured exactly as the action happens, meaning that if something goes wrong, there is no way of editing it out or starting again.

The cameramen, the sound crew and of course the lighting guys all need to be ready and waiting to capture everything and be on standby to deal with anything that could, and often does happen.

Lighting Live TV – How to Make It Happen

Illuminating a live set is a challenge, but it can be done.  Experienced lighting directors and their crew will have no problems in creating a lighting plan that takes into account any sudden changes or potential problems that could arise during the filming.

As a basic guide to lighting a live TV production, the following lighting set up can help ensure that the newbies are ready for anything:

Get Set to Capture the Action

Your first light on set should be the key light that is positioned about forty-five degrees to the side of the camera.  Whether you are recording live tv or pre-recorded, your key light is vitally important.  Your key light should be focused on the main subject, so get ready to move it around should your subject make any sudden movements (think Tom Cruise on Oprah’s sofa and you get the idea).

Your backlight should be placed directly behind the subject, in line with the camera.  Flood that light down at a forty-five-degree angle to produce a crisp, but subtle border around your subject.

The fill light should be set at about half the intensity of your key and backlights, in order to provide a softer glow that doesn’t produce any harsh shadows.  And finally, your background light should be subtle and unobtrusive and merely there to bring the background up to an acceptable level.

Be Ready for Anything

Preparation is the key when it comes to successfully lighting live studio situations.  Even though the Director has probably spent serious time explaining to the guests that this is where they should stand or sit, and this is the camera they should look and speak into, things can still go mobile in an instant.

Being able to direct the entire lighting set up to follow the action is an absolute must, as suddenly losing an excited guest in a sudden sea of darkness is a definite no-no!

There are two ways of handling wayward actors or TV guests when it comes to keeping them illuminated.  If they suddenly move along an obvious line through the studio, call upon your extra fill lights to overlap the distance and create a reasonably level constant light. If you have planned your lights to overlap, this shouldn’t cause too much of a drama when it happens.

Random movements can cause bigger problems, but a reliable base light should help keep the worst of the shadows at bay.  Not entirely ideal, but sometimes the best you can do at short notice, the base light will keep all shadows within an acceptable contrast range.  For more improved lighting, have the director, presenter or anyone on set gently persuade the subject to return to their original positions.

Expert Live TV Lighting from Frank Gatto & Associates

You can’t control live television, and that is exactly why it is so exciting to watch.  From a crew perspective, it can make for a more challenging proposition, but never one that is impossible.

With over 30 years of experience behind them, the team at Frank Gatto & Associates are skilled enough to capture all of the action, no matter what happens.  If you have a live studio event that needs to be captured in all its glory, speak to the experts at Frank Gatto today at 561-368-0101.

Frank Gatto & Associates, Inc. are specialists in lighting for television events of all kinds.  If you have an event that needs expert lighting, please call us today to see how we can help.

Phone: 561-368-0101

Email: frank@frankgattolighting.com 

We can be found on Social Media at the following links.

            

How to Light A Haunted House

Posted on by J3551CA

Nothing says Halloween like a super scary haunted house experience. Halloween is now the second most decorated holiday after Christmas here in Florida, and however, you are celebrating, creating a spooky atmosphere is essential for ensuring that your scare fest is the best ever.

The humble haunted house, for example, is one of the most popular Halloween attractions ever.  While haunted house attractions rely on props, sounds and actors, they would be nothing without the clever use of lighting. The use of shadows, bright flashes of light and craftily lit crevices create a feeling of drama and suspense as you travel along the attraction.

Here are some of the lighting techniques used to create some of the spookiest haunted house experiences even known:

Black Light

Black lighting goes hand on hand with fear when it comes to illuminating everything from stage shows to haunted houses.  The light throws a purple sheen over everything in the room, and also helps neon colors to really “pop”.  Blacklight is created via ultraviolet or infrared radiation, which is invisible to the human eye. Black lights can be as simple as single bulbs that can be plugged into an electrical socket or can be a huge back panel that illumines entire room at a time.

An interesting fact; lots of black light and neon paint can be found at the Black Sabbath “13” haunted maze at Universal Studios Hollywood, as well as in one of the haunts at Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare.

Red Light

Red is not only the color of passion, but it is also a color that creates fear.  Flooding a room with red light makes for a really tense and heavy atmosphere, perfect for Halloween attractions.  The use of colored lights can also conjure up images in the brain, and red helps to make the visitor think of the color of blood.

Spotlights

You usually think of a spotlight as a positive force for good, enlightening a single entertainer or piece of the action on the stage.  But, when you focus the same spotlight on something spooky, it takes the focus away from whatever is happening back there in the shadows, adding ambiance and increasing the fear factor.

Strobe Lights

Strobe lights are used to change the way the audience or visitor sees the action happening in front of them.  Fast, intense flashes of light create a jerky, blinking effect which disorientates the audience and transforms something innocent in something completely terrifying.

Candle Light

Candles are synonymous with everything spooky.  The flicker of candlelight creates an instant spooky feeling, and the can be used in a variety of ways to create atmosphere.  Hidden inside at light jack-o’-lanterns used to summon spirits, or dotted around an empty coffin, candles are an easy way to raise the fear factor.

Flashlights

Finally, flashlights can be used in a multitude of ways to make a haunted house feel super spooky.  They can be aimed through the middle of a fog machine to create a pathway of light or shone beneath a face or object to make it look really scary.

Call in The Experts

If you are looking to create the ultimate Halloween attraction, why not call in the experts here at Frank Gatto & Associates.  We produce first-class professional lighting design for events and live shows throughout Florida and beyond.

Frank Gatto & Associates, Inc. are specialists in lighting for television events of all kinds.  If you have an event that needs expert lighting, please call us today to see how we can help.

Phone: 561-368-0101

Email: frank@frankgattolighting.com 

We can be found on Social Media at the following links.

            

Stage Magic – How To Light A Broadway Show

Posted on by J3551CA

Taking in a Broadway show is a magical experience for everyone.  A night out at the theatre can be whatever you want it to be – pure escapism, a fun evening out, or a journey to a magical land, far, far away.

Creating such an enjoyable experience takes the skill and expertise of many different professionals.  From the actors who enthrall us to the stagehands who keep the show going everyone has their part to play.

One of the most important elements of creating the magic we see on stage is the lighting that illuminates the set, creates the mood and adds all the more drama to the action in front of our eyes.

Stage lighting is a skill all of its own, and those that have perfected their craft to work on the stages of Broadway are some of the finest lighting directors and crew in the world.  Whether you are watching a dramatic stage show or an all-singing, all dancing musical extravaganza, only the very best lighting techniques will be found here.

What Is Stage Lighting and Why Is It So Important?

Stage lighting is a highly specialized area of theatre and there are many types of lights, special effects and techniques that enhance the look and feel of every Broadway performance.

Without excellent lighting, the magic of Broadway would be lost, and the experience would be nowhere near as amazing as it is.

By adding colored gels to the front of stage lights or lanterns, the mood on stage can be enhanced as they throw different lights onto the actors and the backgrounds.

Broadway lights can also be fitted with what is known as a gobo. This is a sheet inserted on a frame at the front of the light with a design cut into it. It filters the light, creating a picture effect on the stage. Gobo’s add incredible effects that could be used to create dappled lighting to look like the leaves of a forest or cut to create strips of light onstage which look like the bars of a prison.

The world-famous spotlight, on the other hand, has a hard-edged effect and is used to light characters or elements on the stage to focus all of the audience attention on one moment in time.

To create a romantic feel, the lighting experts of Broadway use Fresnel lights that offer diffused lenses, creating a softer lighting effect overall. To add drama, a highly skilled lighting director will add floodlights to produce a clear wide-angled light, that literally “floods” the stage with white or colored lighting for maximum effect.

Finally, the Broadway stage is a great place to use a Strobe light to create fantastic special effects or to give the look and feel of an old-fashioned movie.  By producing an intense flashing light, it can make the actor’s movement appear to be jerky, which adds drama when it is used on its own.

Whatever lighting effects you are lucky enough to see next time you catch a Broadway show, every single one of them is guaranteed to delight.

Epic Stage Lighting from Frank Gatto & Associates

Frank Gatto & Associates offer first class lighting solutions for both television and stage.  We have worked with some of the world’s most famous networks including HBO, ABC, ESPN, CBS, NBC, Fox, Showtime, Telemundo and Univision.

If we could help light your next event, speak to us today at 561-368-0101.

Frank Gatto & Associates, Inc. are specialists in lighting for television events of all kinds.  If you have an event that needs expert lighting, please call us today to see how we can help.

Phone: 561-368-0101

Email: frank@frankgattolighting.com 

We can be found on Social Media at the following links.

            

Teamwork – The Important Relationship Between Lighting Director and Crew

Posted on by J3551CA

Just like any successful team, the Lighting Director and the lighting crew must work in perfect harmony to ensure that every event, live show or outside broadcast is perfectly illuminated to enhance the action that the audience sees.

What Does A Lighting Designer Do?

A Lighting Designer – also known as an LD – works hard to create a comprehensive lighting plan, while working in conjunction with the director, set designer, costume designer, sound engineers and choreographer.  They plan every aspect of the lighting design taking into account a wealth of other important issues like visibility, safety and overall cost.

The LD will carefully read through the script and have extensive discussions with the director, designers, stage manager, and production managers to understand the show’s mood and the director’s vision when creating the lighting design.

How Does the Lighting Director Depend on His Crew?

While the LD may be the brains behind the operation with his ability to create beautiful lighting plans, without his crew behind him, he would not be able to execute any of these big ideas.

Every member of the lighting crew is equally as important as the next.  From new beginners helping out on set to learn their trade, to highly experienced old timers who know every type of light and rig, every member of the lighting crew is needed to ensure lighting perfection every time.

The size of the lighting crew needed to help turn the LD’s vision into a reality will depend on the size and type of production.  Lighting technicians are always needed to rig up the lighting equipment, carry out lighting tests, position lights during shoots, manage the supply of light bulbs and plenty of other on-set duties.

The lighting crew might report directly to the LD himself, or they may be working under the watchful eye of the Assistant Chief Lighting Technician – often referred to as the “Best Boy”.  He (or she) will help the LD coordinate the work of the lighting technicians and liaise with the rest of the production team to ensure the lighting plan is correctly set up and installed.

Another important member of the LD’s lighting team is “the Gaffer” who oversees all the practical lighting issues and tasks that arise. The Gaffer will oversee all the work undertaken by the Best Boy and the lighting technicians and work closely with the LD to help make big creative lighting decisions.

For the Lighting Director to be able to deliver the lighting effects and visual enhancements that he has outlined in his plan, he needs to be able to rely on his entire team.  Successful lighting crews often work together for many years and across a wide variety of projects.  Understanding the vision of the LD, and being able to work together as a team, is what transforms an efficient team of riggers, sparks, best bots and gaffers into a highly sought after, first-class lighting team that directors across the country want to work with.

Here at Frank Gatto & Associates, our teamwork is second to none.  We have over 30 years’ experience within the lighting industry and would be delighted to help your production come to life.

Speak to us today at 561-368-0101 to find out more.

Frank Gatto & Associates, Inc. are specialists in lighting for television events of all kinds.  If you have an event that needs expert lighting, please call us today to see how we can help.

Phone: 561-368-0101

Email: frank@frankgattolighting.com 

We can be found on Social Media at the following links.