Lights are important to help set the mood in every scene
Lighting is something that is often an issue on an independent film. I have seen many films that mixed lighting colors because they did not either have a real DP or a real Gaffer. You need to have your Gaffer and DP speak with your director about lighting prior to shooting to make sure you are getting the correct lighting instruments for the job.
Tungsten
Tungsten lights are orange in color and are used for interior lighting situations.
HMI (Hydragyrum Medium-Arc Iode)
These lights are blue in color and are used in daylight situations. They put off a great amount of light too.
Tip#1:
Although HMI’s look great, they are expensive lights to rent. Keep this in mind when planning your budget.
Fluorescent
If you walk into a room with a DP and the lights in the ceiling are fluorescent, most of them will cringe because of the light color put out by this type of bulb. There are fluorescent fixtures used in the film industry that are properly balanced to the light color you will need. The most well-known company which makes and invented these is called Kino Flo.
LED (light-emiting diode)
These use the least amount of power and are the coolest to the touch of all of the lights listed above. Some larger sizes are not available as of yet as they are still in development. LED’s can come in either daylight or indoor balanced colors.
Tip#2:
Fluorescent lighting in the ceiling is never a single color temperature so don’t count on using the existing lighting unless you are going for that particular look.
Tip#3:
LED Lights are great for close-up shots but are not powerful enough yet to be seen as any big light source from a distance. Remember this when you order these types of lights and speak with your Gaffer about how much light he and the DP think they need for a scene.
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