Lighting gels can add drama and emotion to a scene.
In the world of digital video production, lighting can be the difference between a good video and a very bad one. Colored lights, meanwhile, give filmmakers the chance to paint a scene a certain way, adding any number of emotions to the picture. If you're looking to add a little color to your shots, colored gels are one way to achieve the effect you want. To make the colored gels work, include a bit of planning and troubleshooting to your production.
Instructions
1. White balance your camera. Among the troubleshooting steps you can take for lighting in digital video, this one is probably the most crucial. When you're planning to color your scene with a gel that makes it blue, red or another color, be sure to white balance your camera first to get the camera to recognize true white in the scene. Before you add gels, hold a plain white card in front of the camera and press your white balance button. If you do this after placing the colored gels on your lights, a scene that's supposed to look blue could look yellow because the camera thinks your blue hue is true white.
2. Completely cover your lenses. When you're setting up your gels, the idea is to cover the lights with a certain color. If you don't completely cover the light with the gel, you'll find that some light escapes out the sides, causing your light color to soften or change. Use a gel frame designed to cover the light source to ensure even coloring.
3. Take test shots. After you've white balanced and set up your gels, the only real way to know what the scene is going to look like is to take test shots and view them on a proper monitor. Don't rely on the LCD monitor on your camera; instead, take some sample shots and play them back on a computer or larger monitor. With the larger monitor you'll be able to tell if the light is even and colored the way you want it to be.
4. Examine light sources. If you're shooting digital video, you could find yourself in a situation where you have multiple light sources in one shot, such as a window mixed with overhead fluorescent lights. In this case, you'll want to determine what color light you want and work to minimize the light source that isn't what you want. In this example, do what you can to minimize the green hue that a fluorescent light gives off by adding in a red or blue gel. Experiment with turning off lights, blocking out windows or otherwise manipulating the sources of light in the room and then using the gels to achieve the color you want from what's left.
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