New 6-Week Cinematography Lighting Workshop Starts February 9

Click the button above to download a flier describing the lighting workshop.
A half-hour video (watch it below, at bottom of page) about the workshop by Video One Productions Facilitator Fred Harshbarger is airing over Village Television on Sundays at 1 pm throughout January. The Video Club will offer a similar workshop series about audio (capturing sound for video use) later this year.

NOTE: The Video Club expects to issue our Winter-Spring 2022 Learning Opportunities Schedule in late January or early February with more classes to take.

Lighting Workshophop

LEARN BY DOING
The Video Club’s Video One Production team is busy designing hands-on workshops for members and residents to develop their video skills with regard to lighting and audio. The first workshop will address lighting and will meet in-person on Wednesdays from 10:30 am to 11 am in the Video Studio starting February 9 (no class meeting on Wednesday, March 2). Proof of Covid vaccination, including booster, and masks will be required. The Video Club will offer a similar workshop series about audio — capturing sound for cinematic use — later this year.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
There will be no lectures as such. At each session, your small group will be given an assignment (see list below) which you are to complete over the next week. The Video Studio will be reserved for class members to use on Wednesday afternoons. At the following class session, your group will present a video of your work. Several “resource coaches” will be available during class sessions to help with any questions you may have.

Cinematography has two main components – camera operation and lighting. The workshop will emphasize lighting more than camera operation because lighting is the more challenging skill. Today’s semi-automatic cameras can get a good image even if the operator is unskilled, but cameras cannot compensate for poor lighting.

HOW TO ENROLL
Taking the full series is strongly recommended. COST: $25 for series of 6 sessions or $5 per session for club members, payable in class (cash or check). Non-members will pay an additional $15, covering 2022 club membership. Pre-enrollment recommended but not required. To enroll or for
more information, contact Dr. Tom Nash, tomnash36@gmail.com.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. Use three-point lighting in the studio to shoot a volunteer model. Do this three times, once using hard
lights (fresnels), again using soft lights (LED’s) and a third time using a mix of hard and soft lights. Experiment with varying the amount of each light. What did you learn? Shoot short (10 second) examples of each set up to present at the next class meeting.

2. Use three-point lighting outside in sunlight using the sun, reflectors and/or diffusors. Try using the sun as the main (key) light, or the back light. Choose a shooting location that lets you select a background that is darker than the foreground. Again, recruit a volunteer model to be photographed. Record 10 second examples of each set up. (This exercise won’t work well on a cloudy day.)

3. Light an interview set up in the studio. Use cross key lighting. Set the cameras far enough apart so that you have “over the shoulder” shots (OTS). Choose the lighting instruments you think will give the most
flattering images of the participants. Attempt to do this with only two lights. Does adding lights improve the images?

4. Light a short dramatic skit (scripts to be provided), performed by two actors and set in a home. Try to enhance the mood of the piece through lighting. Considerations: Hard or soft lights, color of the
light, overall bright or dark look (high key or low key), light “motivated” by practical lights or windows. Shoot the scene single-camera (film) style and edit it together to present to the group.

5. Repeat the above exercise with a different skit.

6. Green screen. Shoot a background. Then, on the Video Studio’s green screen set, light the actor(s) to match the background. Pay attention to light color, direction, and hard or softness.

RESOURCE COACHES
Jack Crawbuck – Camera
Fred Harshbarger – Lighting
Tom Nash — Lighting

Below, left, Fred Harshbarger demonstrates the magic of green screen in preparation for the upcoming 6-week hands-on Cinematography Lighting Workshop. Right, outdoor lighting with and without a reflector are demonstrated as actor Jules Zalon appears in a scene from “The Hole in One,” currently in post-production. Outdoor lighting issues will be included in new workshop.