Month: March 2019

Top Jobs Behind the Camera

Posted on by J3551CA

Frank Gatto & Associates, Inc. considers lighting and angles every day in the production of TV programs, sporting events, award ceremonies, and the corporate world. The lighting professionals are essential to every on-camera production. To assist those contemplating a career in the industry, the Emmy award-winning company has released its list of top jobs behind the camera.

Lighting Director

A lighting director has extensive experience and technical knowledge. They share the director’s vision for each scene and are responsible for creating the lighting that demonstrates what the director is trying to convey. These are the professionals tasked with determining where lighting will be placed, what type of lighting will be utilized, and if the use of colored lights and combinations will add or detract from the actors and specific scenes. It requires the creation of highly complex and complicated plans for execution.

Best Boy

The chief lighting technician, a.k.a., best boy, is responsible for coordinating all the lighting for every shot and scene. They’re responsible for liaising with production teams and provide assistance to gaffers.

Gaffer

The practicality of lighting tasks is the job of the gaffer. They aid in making innovative, creative and technical lighting solutions to make actors look good on camera and set the ambiance of scenes. They oversee and monitor the work of the lighting technicians.

Lighting Technicians

These are the individuals that handle the actual positioning and rigging of equipment. They conduct lighting tests to ensure the desired effect is achieved and manage the extensive array of equipment, filters, bulbs and accessories required. They also run the cable needed for operating all the lights.

Light Board Operator

A significant portion of lighting in today’s productions derives from the efforts of the light board operator. They’re highly skilled technicians that operate and/or program lighting effects to synchronize with visual and audio components.

Grip

The grips work with electricians and lighting technician to set up the rigging that will secure all types of production equipment. A grip helps “shape,” refine and control the light being used for spotlighting, diffusing, or creating shadows within scenes.

Making Magic with Light

There’s a wealth of opportunities behind the camera for anyone that has a passion for illumination and the interplay of light and shadows. Lighting jobs aren’t reserved for TV shows, movies and videos. Weddings, sporting spectaculars, corporate events, and high-profile celebrities and politicians also rely on specialized lighting expertise that can be found behind the camera.

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.

            

Color LEDs vs. Gel Filters

Posted on by J3551CA

The award-winning firm of Frank Gatto & Associates, Inc. has created innovations that have changed the way lighting is installed and used in arenas ranging from TV and movies to sports events and weddings. One of the biggest differences was the use of colored LED lights instead of traditional gel filters that were used for decades.

From the time of Shakespeare, filters have been used to set the tone or establish ambiance in a production. Those early lighting technicians used whatever was at hand, shining light through a glass of red wine or inserting silk material in front of the illumination source.

In modern times, gel filters were typically used. The thin sheets of heat-resistant material were simply placed in front of a lighting fixture to achieve a specific effect or color correct in specific environments. One of the major drawbacks to gel filters is that they have a short life and can represent a significant production cost when they need to be replaced.

Newer types of materials were developed that were less expensive to make, but still had limited life spans and had to be replaced with regularity. Another problem was that the colors varied substantially depending upon the manufacturer.

Frank Gatto is a pioneer in the use of LED lighting across multiple venues. LED lighting offers enormous savings and they use less power making them eco-friendly. The lights require far less maintenance, they provide better color consistency and facilitate better color rendering even in slow motion filming. LED illumination is more flexible and versatile than traditional forms.

LED lighting emits little heat compared to other types of lighting, which makes them much more comfortable for anyone that must work under them for long periods of time. They’re equally applicable for studio lighting, on film sets, and can be used for shooting in outdoor environments.

Less space is required when transporting the lights and they’re just as effective at establishing mood and ambiance. They can be combined efficiently with Fresnel lenses to highlight or scoops to reflect and have the same ability to diffuse light as old-fashioned lighting techniques.

The work done by Frank Gatto has revolutionized the way lighting is used. His techniques are utilized on TV and movie sets, for exclusive sporting events, corporate activities, award ceremonies, political debates and even weddings. LED lighting provides high-definition quality illumination for any event that’s cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

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 Lighting Affects Actors

Posted on by J3551CA

Lighting is an essential element for any performance whether it’s for a TV show, a blockbuster film, or a major theatre production. The illumination used affects an audience’s perception, but it also affects the actors and their performance. The award-winning company of Frank Gatto & Associates, Inc. has an in-depth understanding of that and views illumination as a “character” in its own right.

Perhaps the most obvious effect of lighting is the way it affects actors physically. Traditional lighting methods emit a significant amount of heat. It can be difficult for an actor to give their best performance when they’re overheated and uncomfortable. It takes a toll on their mental, physical and emotional ability to provide accurate portrayals.

Lighting is a major factor in every scene of a production. It provides ambiance and makes any given scene more “real” to the actors. The right lighting enables actors to lose themselves in the scene and give a performance that’s more personal and emotional to the audience.

Illumination techniques have the power to highlight an actor, pull them to the forefront of an audience’s notice, and provide more depth to their character. Lighting also provides clues for actors to say certain lines or change positions. The correct positioning and use of lighting techniques also affects an actor physically to soften features or create a harsh counterpoint. Illumination is a gateway to the imagination.

Unlike acting in the theatre where an actor obtains immediate feedback from the audience, TV and film actors must rely on their own abilities, scenery and lighting for their portrayals. Actors must convince their audience to suspend belief for the duration of the TV show or movie and lighting enables them to accomplish that through the creation of effects that helps them portray any emotion and appear more believable.

Light is the foundation upon which movie magic is made. Frank Gatto & Associates, Inc. is an innovator in the use of lighting and techniques. The company’s methods showcase actors to their best advantage, enabling them to tell their character’s story to the best of their ability without the draining heat of old-fashioned lighting strategies.

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.

            

The Challenge of Lighting Different Skin Colors

Posted on by J3551CA

Just as certain make-up is used for different skin tones and colors, lighting professionals face many of the same challenges when providing illumination for TV, film and theatre performances, along with weddings, special events and corporate engagements. Lighting specialists must “paint” all the actors or subjects with light that shows them to their best advantage.

Lighter skin colors tend to reflect light, while darker colors tend to absorb it. The different colors also create different levels of shading and shadowing and poor lighting choices will make an individual appear an entirely different shade than their actual skin tone. Those disparities become even more pronounced when shooting under certain conditions.

The color of the garments an individual is wearing also affects how a studio or venue will be lighted. An element that many individuals don’t account for is skin texture. Even with make-up, imperfections and flaws are more obvious on darker skin. It’s just one of the variables that Frank Gatto & Associates, Inc. works with every day. The award-winning lighting specialists have provided illumination for high-profile celebrities, politicians and CEOs around the world.

The issue becomes even more complex when providing lighting for two or more people of different colors, tones and textures. The light has to flatter and highlight while maintaining the integrity of color. When the use of colored lighting is required, it becomes much more complicated. Some colors can’t be used with certain skin tones or the subject looks washed out, sallow, and unhealthy.

Lighting plays a significant role in the psychology of the way a still image or film is perceived and the same is true of the subject. Colors have an emotional impact on the viewer and lighting can be used to show that someone is healthy, vibrant or down on their luck using different lighting techniques for any skin color.

While color correction methods are available and regularly used in the film industry, it’s not an option when filming live and it adds significantly to post-production costs. When working in those types of situations, appropriate illumination requires professionals like Frank Gatto & Associates, Inc.

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.