Rta 211

Properties of Light

1. Wavelengths, Frequency, Intensity
2. Light is electromagnetic, radiation (EMR) it has both electric and magnetic properties
3. Light travels in waves but unlike audio or the ocean, these waves move in different directions
4. As our ears our receptors for sound waves, our eyes are our receivers

Safe EMR Wavelengths

Radio: Travel long distances through atmosphere
Microwaves: Mobile, bluetooth, kitchen, WLAN
IR: Heat, therapy
Visible: Light and Colour

Dangerous EMR Wavelengths

UV: Sun, bad tanning salon, some light
Xray: Medical, security
Gamma: Nuclear Fallout, science and medicine

When Lightwaves Encounter Objects

Reflected: scattered off object
Absorbed by the object
Pass Through
Refracted through the object

Visible Spectrum

The wavelength of light is from 400 to 700 nanometers
The freq of visible light is colour - ranges from 430 Trillin Hz - seen as red, to 750 Trillin Hz seen as violet

How to measure light (fc)

Foot-candles (LUX)
1 Foot-candle is the amount of light on 1 square created by from a uniform source of light one foot away from the source.
Can also be based on a camera's Fstop

Foot-candle Example

Full obstructed sunlight is 10000 fc
Cloudy is 100 fc

LUX- Metric

Amount of light being generated at a defined distance in order to have a sense of what the lux value is

Reflective Meter

How much light is being reflected back into the meter

Incident Meter:

How much light is hitting the surface of the meter

Qualifying Light

Direction
Intensity
Softness
Colour

Direction of Light

Light observed through shadow - creates depth

Intensity of Light

Changes based on proximity
Relationship between source and ambient light level

Softness of Light

Defined by the shadow
Hard Shadow-well defined
Soft Shadow-lesser defined
Also defined by size of source vs subject (closer softer, farther harder)

How is colour measured

The colour of a light is measured in degrees Kelvin

Inverse Square Law

Between the 1st and 2nd meter, the brightness already decreases by 75%

Contrast Ratio

Each stop doubles light
Measured as a relationship between key and fill light

Amperage (amps)

How much power is flowing

Voltage (Volts)

The pressure or intensity at which the power is flowing

Wattage (Watts)

Energy created or energy required

Average Circuit

15amps

Average light power

250w per light

Tungsten

Black body radiators
Draw High energy
3200 kelvin
Dimmable (Effects colour temps)

Fresnel

100w-50 000w
Fixture allows to spit and flood
Dimmable - dimmer \= warmer

Fluorescent

Gas mixture ignited and controlled by ballast
Different colour temps
Draw low energy
Output softer light
Non dimmable

HMI

Gas mixture ignited and controlled by ballast
Daylight and colour temp
Draw low energy
Emit UV light

LED

Light emitting diodes
Range of CT and colours
Very low energy draw compared to output
Many small point sources
dimmable
Low voltage
Expensive

Barn Doors

Used to control illumination
Narrowing doors will result in narrow shaft of light
Good for directing light

Broad-lights

Very Soft
Hard to control: Barn doors will have no effect
Massive black fabric will help direct

CYC Lights

Designed to cast light down (or up) CYC Walls

Bounce and Reflectors

Able to use white or reflector

Lighting Modifiers: Diffusers and Flags

Silk: diffuse or soften light
Flag:Block/cut light
Net: Reduce Intensity

DMX Controlled Lighting

Digital Multiplex:
Controlled via a lighting board or app
Allows to adjust from ground
Used in studios or stages
Uses 5pin XLR or Wireless

What is colour?

Property of Light

What is our eyes is used to see colour?

Cones

Long Wavelength Cones

Red

Medium Wavelength Cones

Green

Short Wavelength Cones

Blue

Additive Colour Mixing

RGB

Subtractive Colour Mixing

CMYK

Additive Colour Systems

Uses Light
The more you add, the lighter the colour becomes
Will eventually get white light

Subtractive Colour Systems

Uses Ink or Paint
More you add the darker the colour becomes
Eventually Black

Colour Descriptors

Hue
Saturation
Brightness

Hue

Based on our colours (colours of the visible light spectrum)
Most colours we see are impure (washed out by various other wavelengths of light)

Saturation

Called CHROMA strength of the purity of a colour
High saturated colours appear richer and deeper

Brightness

Value or lightness - how dark a colour appears
Highly saturated colour appear richer and deeper

Colour Models

Additive and Subtractive and Grey Scale

LAB

L-Luminance with black at 0 and white at 100
A- red/green axis
B - Yellow/blue axis

HSL

Hue
Saturation
Lightness

Relativity of Colour

Colour not absolute - based on colours that surround it
Colour not in eyes but mind

Factors that Influence how we see colour

1. Light Environment
2. Surface Reflectance
3. Colour Temperature
4. Surrounding Colours
5. Colour Juxtaposition
6. Colour Constancy

Light Environment

We need light to see colour properly
Purkinje Effect
Too much light and colours boom
Colour is light reflecting off a surface. A matte object vs a reflective object will reflect more light and colour respectively

Purkinje Effect

Light sensitivity of the human eye shifts towards blue as the environment gets darker. Red appears darker and less saturated

Colour Temperature

Different colour temp in a room will effect of we perceive objects
Daylight has a higher colour temp
Higher colour temp (+blue) will saturate blue objects more

Surrounding Colours

Simultaneous contrast
Colours appear differently based on the colours next to them

Colour Juxtaposition

Aliasing is another form of colour vibration that is often seen on screen as moire effect (distorted)
When placing two contrasting colours (eg red/green) next to each other - could become colour vibrations

Moire Effect

The effect that creates striped pattern distortion

Colour Bias

Issues around our perception of colours (eg. the dress)

Colour Symbolism and Meaning

Colour regarded as the second class citizen art and Western Culture
Colour as an identifier (eg, colour coated cables or a stop sign)
EG: purple in a story - someone is going to die

Colour Harmonies Definition

Properties of aesthetically pleasing colour combinations.
Certain combinations create certain moods.

Colour Harmonies Types

1. Monochromatic
2. Analogous
3. Triadic
4. Complimentary
5. Split Complementary
6. Tetratic

Monochromatic

Single hue
Helps isolate subjects by limiting focus to line and shape
Atmospheric

Analogous

Neighbouring Hues
Easy on the Eyes
Common in Nature

Tradiac

Equidistant Hues on the colour wheel

Complimentary

Opposing hues
(Teal and orange)
Compliments each other

Split Complementary

Similar to complimentary
A wider more flexible palette

Tetratic

2 opposing hues

Steenback flatbed Editing Table

Allowed Editor to
Slice and tape film together
Play, rewind, fast forward
Sync Sound on Film

Linear or Tape-to-tape editing

Playback tapes from multiple tape players and record to single tape
Edit built in a linear manner
Similar to switcher or vision mixer in multicam
Mistake: go back and re-record over

Non-Linear Editing

Ingest footage and manipulate in a nondestructive manner
Can be collaborative
Multiple formats

Post

*don't plan to fix it in post
Post is as much planning as any other part of the production process

Vectors and the Axis of Interaction

Directional Forces that allow viewers to mental map

Graphic Vectors

Lines pulling our eyes through frame (through graphics)

Index vectors

Pointing or signalling direction

Motion Vectors

Continuing, covering or diverging - through objects/people moving- following motion through frames

Mental Mapping

Viewers having a clear expectation of what is the other (unseen)shots
Edits will then seam seamless and produce emotional responses

Cutaways and Pickups

Brief Shot directly having to do with the event facilitates continuity

Why are cutaways important?

Provides flexibility
Directly related to event
Closeups of other subjects, head nodding during interviews
Static cutaways are more flexibly than moving cutaways
Plan as many as you can while on location

Editing Organization

Logging footafe
Bins (Pictures, soundfx, gfx, vex, etc)
Building out assembly edits

When is the best time to Cut?

Cut during the action or movement

Screen Position Planning

Direct Eyes
Whats before and after?
Allow eye to follow movement

Form Cutting

Turning one object into another
Ex. Cutting from a frisbee to the sun or dissolve from a burning match to a roaring fire

Chromatic Aberration

When all the wavelengths are not bent exactly the same.

Match Cut

The cut that matches the cut before it
Texture or action too

Kill your babies

Term used when editing sequence must be cut because it doesn't add to the story

When Not to Cut

One of the most annoying editorial flaws is not allowing a character or object to complete and action.
Action can be compressed through editing

Continuity

Major concern in production
Should appear seamless
Can change shots to keep seamless look
Cut on action - when audience expects it

Jump Cuts and Cutaways

Easiest ways around mismatches action or dialogue mistakes is through cutaways
Must have a clear purpose
A roll: Action B roll: Secondary content

Pacing

Creates rhythm and emotion in audience
Tension, humour, relaxation, humour, anger

Most Powerful Tool

Controls time through editing, able to compress and expand time

Editing Process

Logging and Assembly
Offline Edit
VFX, Sound, Colour
Online Edit

Logging and Assembly

a.Organize Assets
b.Create Bins
c.Log Footage
d.Generate Assembly Edit

Offline Edit

a.Build the edit
b.Option multiple versions
c.Rough sound edit and mix

VFX, Sound, Colour

a.Edit is picture locked
B.complete vfx
c.Colour Correction
d.Final sound mix and design

Online Edit

a.Merge final sound
b.Merge VFX
c.Drop in CC footage
d.Generate GFX, Titles, Credits, Package QC, Deliver

Multicam Model

Live events, news, talk shows, reality, variety, sports, musicals, online, youtube, church

Line Cut Editing

Program feed taken directly from program out of switch
Live or live to tape
Uses DDR
No post

ISO Record

Each camera is being fed a separate recorder
Synced in by set cut in post
Cut together after
Eg. Concerts and sitcoms

Avoiding

Unassertive and uncooperative
Does not address the conflict
Sidestepping, postponing or running away

Competing

Assertive and uncooperative
When quick decisive is vital
Cost cutting enforcing unpopular rules, discipline
Good style for top-end manage, lawyer, union boss