Lighting and Grip Final Exam Study Guide

Vocabulary and technical definitions covering lighting quality, equipment, stands, power calculation, and light fixtures.

Source

The quality of light, categorized as either soft or hard.

Methods for softening light

Bouncing light with styrofoam “stop signs,” using diffusion paper, using silk, or putting fog or haze in the atmosphere.

Throw

The height, distance, and angle of light, which is affected by the time of day, location, and mood.

Exposure factors

The brightness of the image as affected by throw, diffusion, and gels.

Rembrandt light

A light positioned at $45^{\circ}$ up and out from the subject.

Rim light

A back light positioned straight behind the subject.

Kicker

A back light positioned behind the subject at an angle, usually placed on the same side as the fill light.

1:1 Ratio

A key to fill ratio where there is the same amount of light on both sides.

2:1 Ratio

A key to fill ratio where the key is $2\times$ brighter, representing a one stop difference.

4:1 Ratio

A key to fill ratio where the key is $4\times$ brighter, representing a two stop difference.

Paper Amps

A safety measurement where you divide watts by $100\,\text{volts}$ to calculate the amps a light needs without using $100\%$ of the breaker's capacity.

Arming out

The process of placing a light or other equipment on an arm attached to a stand.

Knuckles

The components on a stand that are turned to loosen or tighten the grip.

Baby attachment

A male or female attachment size measuring $\frac{5}{8}''$.

Junior attachment

A male or female attachment size measuring $1\,\frac{1}{8}''$.

Hollywooding

When a crew member holds a bounce or stop sign by hand instead of rigging it to a stand.

Dead soldiering

Prepping stands in production and grouping similar items together to the side in a line.

C-Stand sandbagging

Placing the sandbag on the highest leg, with the arm weight over that same leg and to the right of the knuckles.

Gobo head

An attachment for a c-stand with a female attachment and a slot for a baby male pin.

Lollipop

A junior-sized gobo head.

Combo stand

A junior-sized stand capable of accepting both junior and baby-sized attachments.

Cardellini

A clamp used to tighten around a speed rail that features a baby male attachment point.

Duck bill / Platypus

A clamp with a wide mouth and a male attachment point, ideal for holding stop signs for bouncing light.

Baby plate

A flat plate with a baby male attachment that can be screwed onto apple boxes or ceilings.

Apple box height settings

New York (tallest), Chicago (middle), and LA (shortest).

Flag

The durable outer layer of a net sandwich used to block out light completely.

Single net

A light modifier with a green outline that reduces light by $\frac{1}{2}$ stop.

Double net

A light modifier with a red outline that reduces light by one full stop.

Silk

A light modifier with a yellow outline used specifically to soften light.

Spotting

Turning a dial on a light to make the beam smaller, brighter, and harder.

Flooding

Turning a dial on a light to make the beam wider and softer.

Home run

Two double scrims used together in a light.

Fresnel light

Lights featuring a circular patterned lens that replaced plano-convex lenses.

Open face hard light

Lensless lights with a silver background behind the bulb, available only in $3200^{\circ}$.

PAR (parabolic aluminum reflector)

A light with a chrome surface behind the bulb that produces a harder light than open face hard lights.

PAR HMI light

A $5600^{\circ}$ light where the illumination comes from blue gas, requiring a ballast and protective glass.

Foot candle

The amount of light provided by one candle in $1\,\text{square foot}$; doubling or halving them is equivalent to one stop.

Ballast

A computer that acts as an energy regulator or choke to maintain the arc of a lamp.