Month: February 2019

7 Reasons To Love LED Film Lighting

Posted on by J3551CA

LED lights are becoming increasingly popular within the film industry, and their ease of use, affordability and availability mean that this trend is set to continue for many years to come.

LED lights have many benefits over and above the usual traditional incandescent, fluorescent and halogen options, and as specialists in providing first-class lighting services in Florida, we are fully aware of just how useful LEDs can be.

Here are just 7 reasons why we love using LED’s to offer our clients awesome lighting solutions.

  1. They are super energy efficient

LED lights use about 50 percent less electricity than traditional incandescent, fluorescent and halogen bulbs do.  This, in turn, makes them far more energy efficient, and cheaper to run.  LEDs also aim light in a specific direction unlike conventional bulbs, which emit light in all directions.  This unique capability to direct light in one direction helps to also reduce the risk of wasted light and energy.  This directional lighting capability reduces wasted light and energy.

  1. They last way longer

LEDs don’t “burn out” or fail like incandescent bulbs do. Instead, they start to dim over time. Quality LEDs have an expected lifespan of 30,000–50,000 hours or even longer, depending on the quality of the lamp or fixture, whereas a typical incandescent bulb lasts only about 1,000 hours.  A longer life means less need to replace them, saving you both time and money in the long run.

  1. They keep their cool

With less than 10 percent of the power used by incandescent lamps being converted to visible light, the leftover energy makes them very hot to use and touch. Such excessive heat and ultraviolet radiation (UV) presents a burn hazard to people and materials, especially on hot, close-knit film sets and in studio.  LEDs emit virtually no IR or UV meaning that they remain cool and present virtually no risk of overheating.

  1. They offer instant light

Many traditional light sources can take up to 3 minutes to provide full brightness.  LED lights, however, come on at 100-percent brightness almost instantly, meaning you can get filming right away without having to wait.  This also makes them an excellent choice for large sets or spaces, like sports fields, that need to flood with light very quickly.

  1. They are really tough

Because there are no filaments or glass enclosure to worry about, LED lights are resistant to breakages and mostly immune to vibrations, falls and other impacts.  Because they are mounted on a circuit board and connected with soldered leads, they are not completely unbreakable, but they certainly are a whole lot tougher than regular light bulbs are.

  1. They can be easily controlled

Some lighting systems are really difficult to control.  LEDs, however, can act as semiconductor devices making them incredibly easy to control. Some LEDs can even be dimmed to 10 percent of light output while most fluorescent lights only reach about 30 percent of full brightness. LEDs also offer continuous, opposed to step-level, dimming (where the shift from the 100-to-10-percent light output is smooth and seamless, not tiered).

  1. They offer amazing color capabilities

Modern LED lights can offer beautiful variations in color and brightness that can completely change the way your audience see the subject.  Choose from extra warm white 2700K, warm white 3000K or cool white 4000K for subtle differences in standard white light, and just about a gazillion different colors if you need something different.

LED Lighting from Frank Gatto & Sons

We offer amazing film and TV lighting solutions across Florida and beyond.  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.

            

Lighting Always Makes A Difference

Posted on by J3551CA

Lighting is used in a wide variety of different ways to enhance or change the way we see the action in front of our eyes or the landscapes that surround us.  Here at Frank Gatto Lighting, we know exactly which lighting works best for live events and how to use it effectively to create awesome looking television.  Because we are experts in our field, we also appreciate that there are many different applications for first-class lighting all around us.

On Stage

Any stage production will need great looking lighting to ensure that the audience never misses a moment of the action happening in front of them. Great stage lighting can draw the eye of the audience exactly where you want it to be, as well as helping to set the mood or emphasize particular pieces of the play.

Stage lighting is also used to work alongside audio effects, like a flash of lightning during the audio of a thunderstorm for example, and different colored lights can be used to enhance emotional aspects of any performance.

In the Studio

Carefully planned studio lighting is vital for producing high-quality footage.  Most of the lighting techniques used in a studio setting are based on the standard 3-point lighting arrangement that uses a key light, a fill light, and a backlight.  This type of set up offers the most effective studio lighting and is an excellent starting point for creating special effects. Spotlights are also useful in a studio setting and can be utilized to add drama to a scene or highlight a person talking or draw the viewers eye to a particular part of a scene.

In landscaping

It’s not just action and drama on stage and TV that can captivate an audience, as enticing design and beautiful surroundings are also enhanced by the use of great lighting.  Nowhere is this more evident than in the landscaping of outdoor spaces.  Lighting designers add depth and interest to landscaped areas with the clever use of high-quality lighting, strategically placed to maximize the overall aesthetic of the landscape design.  From streets scenes and public spaces to golf courses and private clubs, landscape design works so much better with well-planned lighting.

In photography

Lighting is a key element in the creation of high-quality photographic images.  Not only does it determine the contrast between the bright and darker areas of an image, but also the tone, the mood and the atmosphere of the piece.  Different types of photographs demand different types of lighting, and depending on the subject you are shooting, you will usually need special lighting to take good pictures.

For truly awesome images it is necessary to control and manipulate light correctly in order to get the best texture, vibrancy of color and luminosity on your subjects. By distributing shadow and highlights accurately, you can always create professional looking photographs.

Professional Event Lighting from Frank Gatto & Associates

If you would like advice and assistance with the lighting for your next live event, speak to our experts 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.

            

Starting A Career in Lighting

Posted on by J3551CA

If you want to begin a career in lighting, you should consider becoming a Lighting Technician.  As a lighting tech, you will be called upon to work in the lighting department on a film, stage production or television broadcast. You will work alongside the lighting designer to ensure that their vision is brought to life by the correct positioning of the lighting equipment and the programming of the lighting system.

Your day to day duties will vary dramatically depending on exactly what you are working on, but they could include anything from interpreting the lighting plot, to ordering more light bulbs. You will also be required to work alongside other members of the backstage or production crew, so you will need to have good communication skills and be a team player.

To become a lighting technician, you may consider getting a degree or working your way up from an entry-level position, gaining skills in lighting on the job. You can find lighting technician jobs at concert venues, theater, film studios, and in television broadcast production companies. Lighting technicians also manage the lighting needs for special events, such as speeches, outdoor concerts, and large receptions. In any lighting tech role, you need to know the fundamentals of electricity and design concepts.

The Hands-On Route

There are different ways to become a lighting technician, and however you get there you will need to be dedicated to providing first-class lighting solutions, as well as being prepared to work unsociable hours on productions and be available at a moment’s notice.

One of the most common ways to move into the lighting industry without direct training is to utilize your skills and experience as an electrician and diversify into specializing in theatre or set lighting. You could also take a lighting technician course or apprenticeship.

It is also helpful if you have some experience of working in theaters or live music venues too.  While at university or college, you could try working on a student film project or join dramatic companies or drama societies, as gaining an understanding of lighting for the stage will give you a good grounding in the technical aspects of the job.

The Degree Qualification Route

Alternatively, you could study to obtain a degree in theatrical production arts or similar.  These types of courses will teach you more about programming lighting, the use of new technology and how to operate sophisticated lighting tools, as well as offering an introduction to architectural and theatrical lighting design.

As a lighting technician, you will need to not only understand how lighting works, but also be able to demonstrate high-level technical and creative skills in order to follow instructions that ensure the desired production lighting is achieved.  These skills will also be worked on when you undertake a course that is designed specifically for individuals who want to work on lighting within the creative industry, as opposed to within the residential or commercial sector.

Could You Be A Lighting Technician?

As a lighting tech you will get to work on some super cool stage and television events, including live studio records, music concerts, and even world-class sporting events, but you will need to be flexible and when and where you work and be able to work long hours in a physically demanding job.

First Class Lighting from Frank Gatto & Associates

With over 30 years of experience within the lighting industry, Frank and his team have all worked hard to be some of the very best in the business today.  Call the team at (561) 368-0101 to find out more about their leading lighting solutions here in Florida.

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.

            

Spotlight on Outdoor Lighting

Posted on by J3551CA

Here at Frank Gatto & Associates, we are often called upon to light up outdoor filming, concerts and sporting events to make sure that they look absolutely awesome at all times. 

With over 30 years’ experience in the lighting industry, we know tons of stuff about how best to light up an outdoor scene, but in this week’s blog, we thought we would share some of the basics with you.

Sunlight is the best light

Sunlight is the most beautiful light on earth, and if you can harness its beauty to its full potential you won’t need any other light to make your production look ace.  But to ensure that you get the most from that big ball in the sun you need to be able to control where or when it will shine, and how it will affect the overall look of your production. 

Understanding the Principles of Outdoor Light

At its brightest, the sun can shed more than 10 times the light of one typical indoor instrument. The downside to this is that when it shines brightly, it also casts very dark shadows.  The difference between these light and dark areas is commonly called the contrast ratio, or contrast range.   Our eyes can compensate for the high contrast range of a bright day, but cameras often don’t cope so well and need a much lower range to be able to capture detail accurately.

The goal of outdoor lighting design is to lower the contrast range without damag­ing the natural look of the subjects and the outdoor setting. As we already mentioned, the very best outdoor light source is the sun, but the light it gives off needs to be diffused or redirected to point the light in the right direction and alter the way in which it illuminates the subject.

Reflect the Light

Learning to use reflectors is easy as light bounces in predictable angles, meaning you can move reflectors around to help redirect the light.  When you are working outside, portable, lightweight, collapsible reflectors are available in a range of sizes and colors that will reflect the sunlight back upon the subject and reduce the shadow.

Reflectors only really vary in terms of their size, how much area their reflection covers and the color of the light they reflect.  All of this will be determined by the size and style of the reflector. Mirrored surfaces reflect the most light over a small area, while white surfaces usually cover larger areas, but with less light. Some reflectors have a gold foil sur­face that is used to bounce the light with a warm, rich quality that really flatters skin tones, making these a favorite with actors on location.

Diffuse The light

Diffusers are used to filter beams of sunlight and just like reflectors they are easy to use to help harness the light from the sun. Diffusing sunlight is an effective technique that removes shadows and reducing contrast. It does an excellent job of brightening dark areas while retaining much of the outline and contour.

A diffuser can be made from a wide variety of materials, but it is the porosity of the same that determines how much light passes through.  The diffuser will need to be suspended or positioned between the subject and the sun, and its positioning will dictate how the shadows fall and where.

Outdoor and Location Lighting from Frank Gatto & Associates

If you have outdoor lighting requirements, we are on hand to offer professional, practical and awesome lighting wherever you need it.  Call us today at (561) 368-0101 to find out more about our first-class lighting solutions.

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.