Where should the gel be placed?

[Nick Centera]

Hey, when you are using gels on lights, how close/far should the gel be from the actual light? Does the size of the light matter when positioning it? Thanks

[Rob Vogt]

Color correction gels are usually placed on the barn doors or in an empty frame close to the source so that the effect is even wherever the light hits. Where you put diffusion gels varies on the intesity of your lights and the degree of softness you want, and of course the type of diffusion. Heres a crappy still from the last set I dped. There's a 1.2k HMI about 3 feet behind that bedsheet which was clamped to 2 c-stands.

 

 

The goal was to get the light to evenly spread out along the diffusion (or in this case bedsheet). Even though it cuts a lot of light, it still makes a nice soft source

[Nick Centera]

Do you think when using color gels that the color will change intensity closer or farther away? Like how the shadow from a cookie works.

[John Sprung]

With diffusions, frost, 216, etc., the distance matters. The farther from the light, the larger the diffusing area, and the softer the light. With colors, it only matters in that the farther it is from the light, the longer it lasts. Gels in a frame dropped into the slot will burn out quick, C-47 it to the doors and it'll stay cooler last a lot longer. This is also important because a gel that's burning out over half a day will change colors and not match from shot to shot.

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.