Thursday 18 March 2010

Equipment - Michael McGroarty




Seeing as we're employing the use of redheads, I thought it'd be appropriate for me to do some research into redhead lights. Above are a couple of pictures of the head of the lights. It is one single torch fixed on a tripod stand, much like a tripod. Normally the legs are thin, so they need to be held down with sandbags, so it doesn't fall over and smash. A common sight is to see cables taped down to the floor; this acts as a safety measure; loose cables will inevitably end in disaster. They also get very hot as they commonly have a wattage of 650-1000 watts.
As for the light itself, it is very bright. However, the good thing about redheads is that they have 4 'barn doors' built around the light. Not only does this act to spread the light evenly, it also allows the user to narrow and widen the light accordingly. This makes it much more effective as oppose to torches, because they can be manipulated a lot more. They are also powered off plugs, so they last longer than torches.
The redhead is the staple of the film and TV industry. They are a general purpose light; whether it be as a fill, back light or as a flood light for larger areas. Multiple redheads can be used at once, and when used correctly can capture some great shots.
Posted by Michael McGroarty

1 comment:

  1. Good luck with your filming make sure you use some lights! By the end of today you will also need to upload your Indesign blocked designs for the review. You two have a great deal of work to do and Tom more evidence from you is needed on the blog, you seem to have switched off. Remember the end of term is a week away

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