Filters/Gels advice

[John Sharaf]

Rick,

Is this a trick question? I don’t think any filter or gel can create such moods.

I think that what you put in the frame can enhance what you’re looking for, although confidence can really best be enhanced by the attitude of the speaker, same with professionalism. Education and innovation perhaps could be complemented by the appropriate set and background objects.

Lighting (including the effect of filters and gels) really is limited to moods like romance, time of day, historical periods (before electricity, etc.), scariness, atmospheric conditions, physical location (in a cave, on an asteroid), etc.

The creation of such illusions is really a combination of many things.

JS

[Rick Pearl]

Hi john,

Nope, not a trick question at all. I am completely new to lighting and was just wondering if there was some type of color combination that could be created or used to create this effect/mood.

Thanks for your response!

[Dennis Size]

John is 100% right. If your subjects don’t instill confidence, professionalism, and a strong sense of education, the best lighting in the world will only reveal them as phony.

You could do an in depth study of the psychological aspects of light and color however. It will reveal many things that studies have shown subliminally affect people — and the audience in an environment.
For example if you study theatrical conventions, lighting theory has always dictated that comedy needs to be “lit funny”. Lighting for comedy requires a bright upbeat stage, lit with warm “happy” colors …such as ambers and pinks. Drama and suspense, on the other hand, requires dark, shadowy lighting ….using cool colors such as blues, purples, and greens.
Similar pyschological principles apply in television (ever watch any soap operas?). If you light your videos very darkly, with textural shadows that make your subjects look like they’re in an Alfred Hitchcock movie, you will have failed in your goals.
You want your subjects to be bright, lively, and well lit and without distracting ominous shadows. You wouldn’t want them to look like “thugs” now, would you?

Sometimes the answers to questions about achieving the right mood in lighting just involve thinking through your goals….. and using a little simple logic.

DS

[Ben Ferrer]

Rick,

I agree with John that creating a mood is a combination of many elements brought together to tell the story. Color can be a powerful part of the visual communication, but should be approched carefully. Many colors have more than one implication. For example, yellow can imply hope, but also caution. In the Wizard of Oz both the Emerald City and the Wicked Witch were dipicted as being green. An interesting book on this subject is If Its Purple, Someone’s Going to Die by Patty Bellington.

Another thing to think about is using filters or gels to promote color can sometimes look forced. Consider using your color choices in the set and wardrobe.

I hope some of this is useful.

-Ben

Ben Ferrer
Director of Photography
Transvideo Studios
Mountain View, CA