HMI or KINO?

[Bo Mirosseni]

So this may be really a true beginer question. I come from a directing background and really want to understand cinematography. I am a director and there is to many incompetent directors out there that just dont get it.

 

So my question is...

 

When a DP goes to light a scene, is it really up to him/her to decied what lights to use, kino's, hmi's, open face etc? How do you know what type of light to put somewhere? Is it just an artistic decision or is there a rule like the key light always has to be a kino? How do you know what wattage to use for setting up?

 

These may sound very 1st timer but like I said, I never studied film in undergrad and have always been a director so I want to learn the craft of cinemtography, I have a passion and respect for the art.

 

Thanks,

Bo M

[Kevin Zanit]

You just answered your own question with ". . . respect for the art . . .", the lighting choices are driven by creativity not rules. It absolutely is the DPs choice as to what units to use, though some DPs may decide to let their gaffers make specific choices.

[Michael Nash]

Agreeing with Kevin;

 

Lights are just tools, and a craftsman decides for himself which tool to use and when. Sometimes a DP will defer to his gaffer as to which light to use, since the gaffer is usually in a better position to manage the logistics of equipment, as long as he can provide what the DP is asking for.

 

The quality of light for a given setup usually guides the choice of tool, and that quality is an artistic choice. As such, the director and the DP should be in agreement about the quality of light for certain setups. But many different units can provide the same quality of light, if they're controlled correctly.

[Adam Frisch FSF]

It's all about personal taste in the end. Many lights can do the job, but often DP's develop a style and have preferences. I might choose not to use HMI's and Kino's as much as another DP, but that doesn't mean I'm doing it right and he/she isn't. It's just taste and both wasy are equally good.

[Alessandro Machi]

These may sound very 1st timer but like I said, I never studied film in undergrad and have always been a director so I want to learn the craft of cinemtography, I have a passion and respect for the art.

 

Thanks,

Bo M

 

A simplified way to look at it. The bigger the actual source of light is in diameter, the softer the light will be. The bigger the actual source of light is the more crew it takes to place the lights and then sculpt it with cutters and scrims to the DP's desires.

 

As your light sources get smaller in diameter....lol, I'm having trouble explaining that aspect of it. Anyone else?

[Robert Hughes]

First of all, beginners don't work with HMI's or Kinoflo lights; they're just too damn expensive. You'll start off using tungsten lights like in live theater: Fresnels, Scoops, Leico's, PAR's. These all (with the exception of scoops) are called "hard lights"; they leave a definate, well defined shadow. You can also use standard fluorescent lights, which are "soft lights" in that their shadow is diffuse. You will find that different kind of lights have different "color temperature", meaning some (tungsten) are orangish, others (fluorescents) are greenish, and diffused daylight is bluish white. Lighting for cinema is a deep subject, and there are tons of books written about it; look at the recommended reading list at the top of this forum topic for reference.

[Michael Collier]

Yup. As was said before let the DP choose lighting instruments. Its best if its a budgetary question to hammer it out in pre-production. If your planning on having both HMIs and Kinos on hand, then no worries. Let the DP sort out what light works best for the look and space avalible (and sometimes power).

 

Most DP lighting is a bit of reverse engeneering, at least thats my approach to it. I look at the scene, take stock of what light is coming from where naturally and work around that (or try killing some of the natural and augmenting my own sources) Basicly we look at the path actors will be moving through and plan out how we want the light falling, quality as was mentioned before. Is the light soft? Does it need to be sourcy with lots of fall off or more ambient in nature? Is a light going up considered key or fill (or otherwise) will determine how that unit is treated (as well as the wattage, type and filtering/diffusion issues)

 

There is so much involved that really as a director all you should worry about is feeling. You may not micro manage when your actors give a certain facial experession or give them line readings, but you will discuss the feeling and aim of the scene and let them perform. Same goes for DP.

 

But like I said, if its budgetary talk before hand about what will work best for the scene. I have been on shows that can only afford HMIs or Kinos, never both, so I have worked with the director to determine what works best for me accross the whole day or whole shoot. But that decision is built on so many competeing needs that its a tough call and one left best to the DP.

 

If you want to work more closely with the DP (and I imagine you do by your words) learn the language of film look. Look at films and mark in your head if you feel the scene is lo-con/hi-con, lo-key/hi-key, sourcey/ambient, desaturated, etc.