Tag: behind the scenes

Renting Lighting Equipment can Save you Money

Posted on by J3551CA

It can be far more economical to rent lighting equipment than to purchase it, especially for companies just starting out in the industry. It’s especially beneficial when a job calls for specialty lighting equipment that can be particularly expensive. An added bonus is that lighting rental companies often have a crew that will perform the heavy lifting and work of setting up and dismantling the equipment.

Renting lighting equipment is especially advantageous if a highly specific specialty lighting array is required and it’s something unique or unusual to the lighting expert’s typical work. It’s convenient to own a wide range of equipment and have it on hand, but if it’s something that may only be used once a year or even less, renting can be much more cost effective.

Automated systems are real time savers. They’re also efficient and cost effective. It can be expensive to hire a crew to man the lighting. Automated equipment can require more up-front monetary outlay even when renting, but they save on labor costs.

Less is sometimes more and those responsible for lighting venues must use their knowledge and be creative. There’s a tendency toward pomp and circumstance in everything, but not every event has to be a multi-colored spectacular. Strategic placement of lighting equipment is essential. There are multiple types of less expensive lighting options that can be rented that use state-of-the-art technology.

Another way to save money is by renting wireless lighting technology. It has the potential of reducing costs by as much as 50 percent, but can be pricy to purchase outright. The same can be true of LED lighting, though pricing is coming down. LED lighting arrays use less energy, are easier to set up, and enables lighting professionals to do more with less.

Renting lighting equipment of any kind can be an economical solution for a wide range of lighting situations and requirements. Specialty illumination and technology can be expensive to purchase. Renting can soften the cost.

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.

      

Filming in Nature

Posted on by J3551CA

There’s a reason that nature filmography, especially of animals, is so highly prized. The shots can be incredibly difficult to capture. Cinematographers must first scout a location and even be prepared for hours of waiting while battling all the variables that Mother Nature can throw at them.

Many cinematographers are turning to assistance from drones to capture animal subjects in their natural habitat and obtain aerial shots. Drones can be equipped with different types of cameras, provide unique angles, and allows video capture that minimizes the danger to humans. However, drones are subject to the same types of environmental problems as traditional equipment.

Filmography is a day and night time endeavor, depending upon the subject. When filming at night, cinematographers may need a combination of remote, light intensifying starlight, and infrared cameras, along with thermal imaging.

Extremes of cold are challenging for people and are particularly hard on film equipment. From lights to cameras and batteries, they can all fail at a critical juncture. Those filming in very cold climates will benefit from bringing additional parts, batteries, and taking precautions that provide ways to warm equipment. It can be as simple as warming batteries with body heat or filming in short bursts.

Heat extremes can be encountered in jungles, deserts and grasslands. Aside from taking additional parts that can be interchanged if one fails, a space blanket can be used to shade and reflect heat from delicate equipment. Coolers are effective when power is available to operate them. Equipment will require protection from blowing sand or moisture in jungle environments. Don’t charge batteries if they’re hot.

Some natural phenomena, such as fog, clouds, rain and sun, can actually be used to an advantage in filming. It’s imperative that cameras and any equipment be waterproof for filming in locations that are prone to fog and unexpected rain.

In fog and snow, different camera settings will be required to pick out details rather than showing a solid wall of gray or losing the subject in the “noise” that snow creates. Clouds can appear quickly and while they can be great to mask overly bright sunlight, always travel with appropriate illumination methods to counter their effects.

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.

      

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.

            

The Top Jobs in Film and Television Behind the Camera

Posted on by J3551CA

Ask anyone who’s worked in film and TV and they’ll tell you the real talent is behind the camera! Sure, the actors dish out the charm, looks and words but they would be nothing without an army of talented, highly-skilled individuals working feverishly in the background to produce a polished final production ready for the audience to enjoy.

If you’ve ever sat through the end credits of a show and wondered just what some of those strange job titles actually mean, the read on and we’ll give you a little inside knowledge…

The Gaffer

Every movie set requires electricity to function and a gaffer is the person responsible for everything to do with this. He or she will be fully responsible for making sure there is power on set, from making sure all the plugs are pushed in and flicked on to ensuring everything is safe and up and running before the talent arrives on set. If you’ve ever seen a movie set and noticed the amount of lighting and other powered devices, the gaffer is the person who feverishly makes sure all this works.   All hail the gaffer!

The Best Boy

It may be a strange job title, the best boy is the person who works directly under the gaffer, ensuring all their commands are carried out. In other words, the gaffer shoulders the responsibility whilst the best boy does the actual work!  If you need something electrical sorted on a set, chances are it’s the best boy you’ll deal with rather than their boss.

The Dolly Grip

Ever seen those little train tracks on movie sets? Those are dolly tracks. They usually carry a little platform with a camera crew on it, allowing a smooth transition of bulky camera equipment, delivering a seamless, smooth shot. A dolly grip is a much-loved individual who has to lay these tracks and push the dolly camera platform along. Often found between takes massaging their lower back while making “Oooh!” faces.

The Line Producer

A line producer is a mystery to anybody not actually involved in that day’s shoot. To those on set, however, the line producer is mother and father all rolled into one. They are the person responsible for handling all the logistics and running of the set on a day to day basis. They work tirelessly to ensure every element of the shoot is ready to go when needed, from camera operators and props, through to making sure that the cast is ready to be in their places when the director calls “Action”.

The Foley Artist

Most people don’t realize that movie sets are incredibly noisy. A studio set or an outdoor location has so much background noise that sensitive microphones and cameras can pick it all up, leaving most of the audio recorded on the day rendered useless. This is where the foley team steps in. They replicate the sounds needed, from walking on gravel and opening doors right through to all the squelchy sound effects used in horror films. They can be found doing these using ingenious methods, usually involving vegetables and hammers, and, once added to the film, it all gives a seamless extra layer of sensory enjoyment.

The Lighting Technician

Remember at the beginning we looked at a gaffer? Well, working closely under that person is the all-important Lighting Technician. This talented person is responsible for maintaining and utilizing the myriad of lights required to bathe a set in brightness (or gloom) to meet the Director’s requirements. Whether the need is for a gloriously sunny day or a moody, atmospheric night shoot, you can bet your last penny it’s all achieved through the use of lighting. The techs work under the watchful eye of the Lighting Director and are responsible for positioning the lights, making sure they stay working and all other aspects of illumination.  Without these unsung heroes, you might as well be making a radio show!

Studio Lighting from Frank Gatto

Our team provides first-class studio lighting to some of biggest names in the business including HBO, ABC, ESPN, CBS, NBC, Fox, Showtime, Telemundo and Univision. Speak to us today to find out more about the services we offer 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 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.

            

How to Light Your Event – Safely

Posted on by J3551CA

Lighting an event is not just about impressive effects or wild light shows, it is also about keeping the perfumers, crew, and audience as safe as possible from huge lighting rigs and other equipment.  Accidents happen, and as a professional lighting company, it is our job to ensure that our lighting rigs and equipment is always 100% safe on every occasion.

Because we work on a wide variety of high-volume projects and events throughout the US and internationally it is always important to us that we always operate under the highest level of safety.  If you are worried about the safety of any lighting devices at your event, follow our checklist to ensure that you are always protected:

  1. Plan your lighting in advance

Just throwing a few tripods on stage and hoping for the best is never going to have the successful outcome you are looking for. It’s not just the way they look that will be a problem, but without proper planning, there is nothing to stop your performers from crashing into them or tripping over dangerous cables.  A lighting plan will not only ensure that the lighting looks on point throughout the production, but also ensure that every piece of lighting equipment is safely positioned on the stage, well maintained and safe to use.

  1. Check your equipment

This should obviously go without saying, but sometimes the pressure of pulling together a live event can see important safety checks overlooked.  At the very least, you should ALWAYS check the condition of the following:

Plugs

The cable clamps should hold the cable outer sheath firmly; the color code should be correct, and the wires should be fully inserted.  You should also ensure that the terminals are always tight.

Lighting Bars

Check that the lighting bars have at least 3 fixing points so that the bar can remain in position if one fixing fails.

Safety Chains

Always fit a safety chain directly between the luminaire and the bar or suspension point. You should also be sure the never simply rely on just a hook clamp or bolt and check that all accessories such as barn doors, color frames, and color changers are secure and cannot fall out of the guides.

Fire Precautions

Some lights can get incredibly hot and pose a risk of catching fire.  That is why you should never enclose a spotlight in scenery, and always ensure that the spotlight is at least 0.5m from the nearest flammable object. To protect yourself further, you should always be belt o locate the position of the nearest fire extinguisher when working on stage and find out how to use it in an emergency.

Fuses

When a theatre lamp reaches the end of its life, the filament frequently collapses on itself, causing a short circuit which blows the fuse. When this happens, you must never replace it with a larger one.  Always replace the fuse with one of the same size. If a fuse does fail, there could be a problem with the circuit so be sure to investigate this further before you change the fuse.

  1. Cable safety

Even if your electrical lighting equipment is in tip-top condition, having a performer trip over an exposed cable can result in injury and upset your production.  Always ensure that extension cables are tidy and are not left trailing across an entrance on stage. It is particularly easy to trip over a trailing cable in the darkness, and if that cable is connected to a spotlight on a tripod stand, it could result in an accident.

  1. Rigging Procedures

Climbing up high above the stage, with a spotlight in one hand and a color filter in the other is never a safe way to proceed.  Climbing rigging should be left to professional lighting crew only, but even then, they should look to use a tower that can be firmly locked in place, or at the very least a secure locking ladder with a fellow crew member stood at the bottom to prevent it slipping.

Call in The Professionals

Of course, the safest way to ensure that your lighting equipment is 100% safe for any event is to hire a team of lighting professionals to supply and work the lighting for you.  Here at Frank Gatto & Associates, we can provide top of the range lighting equipment that is planned and operated by fully qualified and highly experienced members of staff.

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.

            

A Brief History of Stage Lighting

Posted on by J3551CA

The use of lighting to enhance stage productions was first recorded as far back as the early Grecian and Roman times.  Even all those centuries before the invention of electricity, budding producers built their theaters facing east to west so that in the afternoons the sunlight would shine on the actors, without getting in the eyes of the orchestra.  Many centuries later, Shakespearean theaters were built with a circular opening in the roof to allow the natural light to flood in and illuminate the action on stage.

In 1880, Thomas Edison received the historic patent embodying the principles of his incandescent lamp that paved the way for the use of electric lighting in theatre. The Savoy Theatre in London was the first in the world to install new electric lights for their stage productions, swiftly followed by the Bijou Theatre in Boston as well as the Vienna State Opera.  The introduction of footlights, border lights, and strip lights completely transformed the way in which the audience could view the action taking place on stage.

Spring forward to mid-20th-century theatre and the evolution of moving pictures, and suddenly we start to see stage lighting take on a whole new meaning and become an art form. American theatrical producer and play write, David Belasco, worked tirelessly with his electrician, Louis Hartman, to develop a range of single source lighting equipment that was used to light the acting areas from above the stage as well as from the auditorium.

With the introduction of the moving picture, studios began to spring up all over the world, and advances in lighting took a new turn as mobile lighting devices were used to light the action on screen.  Soft focus lenses, basic effects and a deeper understanding of how images are seen by a movie theatre audience paved the way for investment in the lighting industry as a whole.

From the 1960’s onwards, new and more exciting lighting effects were becoming the mainstay of theatrical performances the world over.  With strobe lighting, parcans and automated variable color changing lights gradually becoming increasingly common up until the 1990’s, stage lighting had become an art form in its own right.

In recent years, the 21st century has seen a tremendous amount of technological advancements in the way stage lighting is used to enhance audience enjoyment.  Whilst the basic concepts still exist, LED technology and digital consoles allow much sharper, quicker and even more exciting illumination to take place at the touch of a button.

The Future of Stage Lighting

Without a doubt, the most innovative development in stage lighting over the last few years has been the introduction of LED light sources.  Being energy efficient, cost-effective and producing very little heat, LED is the future of stage lighting across venues of all shapes and sizes.  LED also offers endless color options that create atmosphere at every event from small intimate productions through to large scale rock concerts and beyond.

Lighting Solutions from Frank Gatto & Associates

As a team of lighting professionals with a thorough understanding of how lighting can complement every occasion, Frank and his team can supply you with every type of lighting solution for any event.

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.

            

Behind the Scenes at A Concert

Posted on by J3551CA

Whether you are working with a brand-new band or an established rock legend, ensuring that a concert looks and sounds great is a time-consuming task.  Even before the audience turns up to enjoy the show, there will have been swathes of professionals working behind the scenes to make sure that every element of the performance is carefully planned to look, feels and sounds completely awesome.

  1. Lighting

Great lighting at events is a fundamental part of making a live show successful.  A full lighting plan will be designed by a highly skilled lighting director and his team, who will ensure that every flash of light or total blackout perfectly matches the music or action on stage.  Using huge lighting rigs and a wide variety of lamps and bulbs, the lighting design is every bit as much of a show as the action taking place on the stage itself.

  1. Staging and Equipment

If you are attending a concert that is taking place is a theatre or arena, the stage and much of the technical equipment will already be there.  But, if you are visiting an outdoor concert or one that is so epic that it will need more than is already in place, professionals will be needed to install additional staging, screens and much more.

Planning how to build up a stage is a long and complicated process.  Not only does it need to be as large as possible, it will also need to be solid enough to support the weight of the performers, instruments, lights and speakers. Special effects will need to be considered as well as access to and from the stage area, and backstage facilities for the crew and performers.

  1. Video Cameras and Screens

Many large venues use screens on either side of the stage to ensure that the audience doesn’t miss a thing, regardless of where they are seated.  The screens themselves need to be sourced and set up by professional AV teams, and the camera setup has to be controlled and edited, often in real time.

  1. Sound and Speakers

From earpieces, microphones and monitors to giant speaker stacks that push the sounds out across vast open spaces, every element of the sound system have to be carefully considered before the event.  A team of engineers work diligently throughout the concert to make sure that the sound is always perfectly reproduced without feedback or distortion, and the sound desk that they use will also need to be built and set up somewhere a safe distance from the stage itself.

  1. Controls

The sound, the lighting, and the visual feeds will all need to be closely monitored in real time throughout the event.  This means that control panels and desks will need to be installed both at the side of the stage and somewhere out front for experienced lighting, video and sound technicians to ensure that their individual responsibilities are fully taken care of and working exactly as they should at all times.

Putting on a world-class performance may be the job of the artists on stage but making sure that every single member of the audience can hear and see them is equally as important.

Here at Frank Gatto & Associates, we can ensure that your event lighting is perfect from the outset. Speak to us today at (561) 368-0101 if you would like 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.

            

What Is A Green Screen And How Does It Work?

Posted on by J3551CA

What Is A Green Screen And How Does It Work?

These days, great cinematic performances are full of special effects that show actors flying through the air or walking on distant planets, as well as many other amazing feats that just would not happen in the real world.  These action-packed scenes make for an excellent movie, and even though we might be aware that a little bit of post-production magic is involved, they still manage to amaze and enthrall us every time.

If you are a real film buff, you may have heard all about green screen technology, or seen them featured heavily in programs that document the making of a movie.  The green screen is an integral feature of modern day cinematography and is a simple, but incredibly effective way of transforming what we see on screen.

What Is A Green Screen?

A green screen is a background in front of which moving subjects are filmed, that allows for a separately filmed background to be added to the final image during the editing process. Using a high-tech process called “chroma key,” the wizards in the editing suite can work their magic to transform an actor into anywhere in the world, and far beyond!

How Does A Green Screen Work?

The green screen process works by taking recorded videos or digitally transferred films and isolating a single color that exists only in a narrowly defined area of the spectrum – in this case, green.   Green screens, or even sometimes blue screens are preferred because these types of color are so far removed from the human skin tone that they set a very obvious outline to the action in front of them.

For the green screen process to work well, the entire area must be evenly lit with no shadows, so that the separation can be identified on film and digitally removed.  Once the green screen area has been removed, computer editing software can be used to insert virtually any background behind the actor.

The Chroma key process can even work for images that are streamed live by using specially designed software that can recognize and manipulate multiple video channels based on layers defined by color.   When it comes to enhancing footage using a green screen there are endless possibilities and ways to completely transform the picture we see before us.

Green Screen For Animation

Many of the most successful and elaborate animated characters we see in the movies and on television today are also filmed using green screen technology.  50 meter high dragons or giant killer robots are inserted into pre-corded footage using bright-green stand-in characters that the actors interact with during the shoot.  In post-production, the fully rendered animals replace the green characters to come alive in front of our very eyes.

Green screen technology has grown leaps and bounds in recent years and now enables us to turn any scene into a real work of genius.

Frank Gatto & Associates For All Your Lighting Needs

Here at Frank Gatto & Associates, we provide first-class lighting solutions for a wide range of indoor and outdoor events and film productions.  Speak to us today on 561-368-0101 to find out more about our first class film and TV lighting services.

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.