Getting Correct Color Temperature Out of Lights

[Drew Hoffman]

With CTO; CTB; CTS; + Green; - Green all in a variety of increments... are there any tricks for making sure that you're using the right gels in the right combination on a particular lamp? I don't have access to a color meter and I can kind of get away using my digital camera as a guide. I'm just wondering if there are any other tricks, especially with flourescents.

[David Mullen ASC]

With CTO; CTB; CTS; + Green; - Green all in a variety of increments... are there any tricks for making sure that you're using the right gels in the right combination on a particular lamp? I don't have access to a color meter and I can kind of get away using my digital camera as a guide. I'm just wondering if there are any other tricks, especially with flourescents.

 

Color temp meter is the only way to know for sure, other than the posted MIRED shift info for each gel. But that assumes the gel goes onto a light of known color temp.

[Guest gafferdave]

'I'm just wondering if there are any other tricks, especially with flourescents.'

 

Unfortunatly the colour temp of tubes changes with age so if you're on location using, say, a corridor lit by flouries then they'll be all over the place colour wise. The only way to check for sure about the colour temp of each fixture is with a colour temp meter. Alternatively you could gel them all up the same and go with the slight differences - if you think this look will be agreeable with the production's content/look etc.

Remember you can always replace flourescent tubes with balanced ones (daylight or tungsten).