In a time where everyone can get their hands on a camera, lens, couple of lights and a good friend that’s willing to model for you — essentially, anyone can be a “photographer” in their own right today. “Taking pictures,” as they would call it, and sure, it is the undeniable truth that we live in an era where the technology is accessible to any person who wants to pursue an art form such as filmmaking or photography. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing, on the contrary, it has never been a better time for creatives to use the resources that grow in number as each day passes by.

What really matters at the end of the day is how we use these new tools. Be it a light, camera, lens, support system — what have you. Yes, they make our jobs easier to a certain degree, but we shouldn’t fall into a pit where that’s our main goal. Instead, we need to ask ourselves how these new advances in technology will improve our storytelling and the overall quality of our work.

In MoodyDarkRoom’s case, each tool he carries with him on a project or photoshoot serves a clear purpose in bettering his craft as a visual artist. Oswaldo Cepeda, the man behind the curtain of MoodyDarkRoom, is the kind of creative that excites us the most in today’s age. Just from his portfolio alone, you can instantly recognize a photographer who’s striving to convey a vibrant, yet grounded perspective of how he interprets reality. And with that point of view, Oswaldo and his photography stands out amongst the sea of content that we see permeate every day.

With this in mind, we had to bring Cepeda into the studio so he could give us an insight on his creative process and demonstrate how budding photographers can enhance the mood and look of their photographs. From color contrast to texture and even special lens filters, Oswaldo goes through it all.

Intro To Setups: Camera and Gear

For this demonstration, we asked Cepeda to develop three distinct looks: the simplistic, casual “Red Business,” the bright, divine “Heavenly Euphoria,” and the edgy, punk and futuristic “Grungy Sci-fi.”

Time to prep for each setup. For each, Cepeda employs two amaran 300c’s with the amaran Spotlight SE modifier and barn doors, with the amaran 150c’s on standby in case any less-powerful fills, or “splash” as he puts it, are necessary.

To rig these lights, we’re gonna need something that will stay out of your model’s way, and therefore, thankfully, out of the shot. Additionally, something practical for the small space at play would be ideal. Enter the gobo arm, of which Cepeda brought his own; an extension arm capable of booming out to eight feet, that way it can be set up entirely off the set while still providing a safe and sensical rig for any light. Clutter begone.

Now, when deciding what camera to shoot this undertaking with, one may think they need to break the bank on a new, expensive camera to keep up with professionals. Cepeda stresses, however, that a photographer or videographer does not need the most expensive camera to get the job done. His camera of choice for this project is the Sony a7 III, certainly not the cheapest one on shelves, but one that includes the tools required to nail it. That’s a relief for the wallet.

As for lenses, Cepeda went fairly tight, with a 50-millimeter prime at minimum, and a 28–75 millimeter zoom lens at his disposal. Also utilizing a Dream FX Filter, he will be able to give, as he says, a “glow to the highlights… [it] helps the highlights roll off into the shadows a bit more… it just brings the whole image together.” Filters like this he recommends solely for studio work, as shooting exteriors with it may prove to be too much of a distraction rather than a useful tool.

Lastly, the model themselves is needed to make all this setup worthwhile: Kim Rose, an artist and creator in Los Angeles, is the one for this shoot. One of the first questions Cepeda asks her: “is there a side of your face that you prefer?” It may seem like an odd question, but it means the world to Rose and most other models. Believe it or not, most models have an answer to this question, so it is paramount to start the shoot with it. “They’re going to be more confident,” Cepeda says. “You’re going to get better photos at the end of the day.”

Setup #1: Red Business

Let’s get to it. To kick off “Red Business,” Cepeda takes a look at where he will want to focus the camera. Despite not being the top-model camera on the market, the a7 III includes the touch focus feature, allowing for a quick discovery of focus with a simple tap on the camera monitor where you need it. Focusing on the subject’s face is key because, well, they are indeed the subject, but it is also a good idea to get an “eye track” if possible. The windows to the character’s world are the eyes, and many cameras nowadays come standard with the feature.

The background around the model is lit almost entirely with a dark red hue, so Cepeda transitions the key light, one of the amaran 300c’s, to a warmer color to match. The harmony of color temperature in the whole image creates a much more appealing image. Furthermore, the use of barn doors on the 300c gives the lighting team more control over the light itself, as opposed to using a bounce board; whether or not you want a large wrap-around or a more controlled, precise beam of light on a subject. “I can adjust it,” Cepeda explains. “I can maybe give it a little bit more and give it a little bit less… [barn doors] just give me way more flexibility when it comes to lighting.”

With the camera and lighting good to go, it is now just the matter of working with Rose to find the right look. Cepeda recommends a Rembrandt light to achieve his trademark “moody” look. It is more dynamic and gives the face a lot more depth than otherwise.

He attempted two different directions of where she should look: at the camera, then at the key light. In terms of keeping track of where shadows lie, where she looks may not seem like a massive adjustment. But, as one may tell, it makes all the difference.

Setup #2: Heavenly Euphoria

Cepeda’s next task was to find the “Heavenly Euphoria” setup. The position of the lights remain, but now, with the all-white, soft look of Rose’s new wardrobe, their color temperature needs to change from the warm reds of the previous setup, to the angelic glow of yellow and white. If only there were a way to change the lights to the next setup in an instant. Well, there actually is. Cepeda paired his phone with each of the amaran 300c’s and, via applications like Sidus Link, he can now calibrate all lights to switch simultaneously with a tap of his finger. Easy peasy.

An additional tool is brought in for this particular shot: the smoke machine. It is essential for a biblical look, as in recreating the clouds of heaven or something of the sort. When first activating the smoke machine, one will need to spread out the fog it emits by fanning it around, turning it into haze. God rays unlocked. Cepeda warns to remember the goal is to make the fog look like “atmosphere,” evenly spread rather than clumped together and uneven. Add in the Dream FX Filter, and this shot is shaping up to be heaven on earth.

After some initial photos, Cepeda reports they look good, but he would like more separation from the foreground to the background; the white background mixes too well with Rose’s wardrobe, leaving her not as pronounced in each still.

The backdrop must be switched from white to black, while still keeping the white-balance in line with the light’s temperature in use. According to Cepeda, this is the best thing to do for a situation like this. At the same Kelvin temperature, the lights are easier to work with and color grade in post-production.

Finally, Cepeda tilts the top light on the gobo arm to give a greater sharper angle on the subject. In this particular setup, the shadows fall towards the camera, meaning the camera is able to pick up said shadows. “Where there’s light beams, there’s also going to be shadow beams,” said Cepeda. Thus, when you have a setup with this angle of your light, the overall depth of the image will be much more prominent. “The more intense the angle, the more intense the shadow beam,” added Cepeda.

Setup #3: Grungy Sci-fi

For Cepeda’s third and final trick, he will transport viewers to the edgy, futuristic world of cyberpunk. With the white backdrop flown out, a direct, harsh spotlight comes in. Ultimately, with Rose in front of it, she will be shrouded in shadow to be as dark and, um, “moody.” as possible. Gobos can add texture to lights, and can be simply plopped in front of the bulb to create neon-inspired shapes, as seen below.

In terms of color, Cepeda takes the advantage of pairing colors from opposite ends of the color wheel. An advantage? Well, for example, starting with red and then bringing on the blue will give you a clash of purple, a notable “punk-ish” color from the genre intended.

The purple will not be one hundred percent “clean,” so the addition of neutral white lights will balance the color out and ultimately merge the colors into a seamless, crisp purple. For looks of heavy contrast, that white “splash” will save you from color banding, or unpronounced color in an image where each one blends together with little to no discernment. Cepeda advises to always incorporate a little bit of white light when working with RGB (red, green, blue) looks.

At this point, Cepeda is playing around with Sidus Link and his camera, trying to find exactly what color combination and camera settings will work here. Once the color has been settled, he has his camera rested at 200 ISO, f/1.4 (to keep a shallow depth of field), and a shutter speed of 1/250. Note that shutter speed is the one subject to change as he plays with different exposures.

The Sony a7 III has many functions to find focus and exposure, but Cepeda advises not to always trust what the camera tells the user. The camera may recognize underexposure and convince you to overcorrect, when in reality the exposure was all intentional. “[Rose’s] in the highlights, and she’s what matters,” elaborates Cepeda. “That’s what I’m paying attention to.”

Lighting angles were focused on in the past setups, but here, Cepeda has Rose try different angles for herself. Whether she is sitting or standing, the camera angle must adjust with her, along with the angle of the spotlight to match. This will present multiple different looks while not having to adjust too much of the setup.

Even more styles from science fiction, like the ones from The Matrix, can be recreated with the tools on hand. Swapping out the current gobo filter with one that is reminiscent of the odd green coding at the start of the 1999 classic. The key light with the filter is set at 100% intensity, while the back light of the second 300c is set at a mere 7%.

Although at a low intensity, it gives off the impression of a brighter light while not being so since it does not have the filter slapped in front of it. At the end of the day, it will give the separation, contrast and depth worthy of the other-worldly Matrix.

Conclusion

With a handful of lights, a simple backdrop, a not-too-expensive camera and a model with a good side, Cepeda was able to send viewers to other worlds, even if he did not always finish with the original plan he had in mind.

If there is anything to learn from these setups, it is to play around and keep experimenting until the right shot is found, especially with RGB setups. “I went into the final look with a specific look in mind, but we ended up not even doing it,” recounts Cepeda. “Don’t be afraid to try new things. You’ll never know what you like and what you don’t like unless you experiment.”

Crafting Dreamy Photography with MoodyDarkRoom was originally published in Aputure on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

“If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re late, you’re fired.” Whether you’re in the film industry or not, these are words to live by, and it is one of the many mantras of a production assistant emphasized by veteran PA Alec Cohen.

Though they may not be as high up on the totem pole as everyone else, PAs are essential for a smoothly-operated set. But what does the job entail? What’s the daily routine? How do I not royally mess up? From coffee-runner to social butterfly, the ins and outs of being a PA are found in the following ten bullet points anyone trying to break into the wild and wonderful business of filmmaking should know.

1. Reading the Call Sheet

Funny enough, your day starts before it even begins. At the latest, all crew should receive a call sheet 12 hours before the general call time. Great… what’s a call sheet? It’s essentially a one to two page document of everything you need to know before coming to set, and that really does mean everything.

Thus, call sheets can be tough to navigate. An ideal call sheet should have at least the general call time, location address, nearest hospitals, weather conditions, parking information, the scenes of the day, and assistant director contact details large and in charge on the very first page.

Down the sheet, find yourself on the crew list. PAs are under “production” usually, and may have a different call time than everyone else. Probably earlier, so they can help the producing department set up for everyone else’s arrival.

Keep an eye out for additional documents too, whether they be location maps, photos, etc. These will inform you where to park, where basecamp is, etc. so you can not only inform yourself, but everybody else. You may come to set with a lot of questions, but chances are, as a PA, you will receive them more than ask them. Before the day, the call sheet is everyone’s bible, and this is very much true for the production assistant.

2. Prepping the Night Before

So you know the call sheet front to back. No questions? Time for bed… if you want to show up tragically ill-prepared. What else is there to do, you ask? For starters, revisit the aforementioned mantra. Don’t. Be. Late.

Granted, cities like Los Angeles make this incredibly difficult, but conjuring estimated travel times beforehand on apps like Google Maps are essential to avoid vehicular congestion as best you can. In the range of times these apps may offer you, say 20 to 35 minutes, Cohen suggests to always refer to the 35, never anything earlier. Smart move.

Set at least ten different alarms. That may sound crazy, but the phrase “you snooze, you lose” could not be more applicable here. Phones are great for this, but it is far from a bad idea to invest in a battery-operated clock, just in case there’s a “Home Alone moment” overnight.

Prepare a bag of goodies that a PA should have on them at all times. These include, but are definitely not limited to: a portable phone charger (never let your phone die), water bottle (easier on the environment), writing utensils (markers, pens, pencils, etc.), sunscreen (for blinding exterior shoots), a magnetic, travel-size light (like the Amaran MC, that sticks to anything for lighting anything), multi-tools (wrenches, pliers, etc.), and a plastic bag (that’s right, an all-important sandwich bag for petty cash and production credit cards to keep them separate from your own and from harsh weather conditions).

Set out your wardrobe for the day the night before. This way, you can grab and go. Don’t forget deodorant. You are going to want plain, neutral-colored clothing without any logos to blend into set.

Get your closed-toed shoes out. Even if the shoot is in Hawaii, flip-flops are not going to fly unless you want to lose your toes.

And finally, get as much sleep as you can. Take the night before off, try to not go out. No one likes a groggy, unprepared, hungover PA. Especially producers.

A busy night before the shoot means a significantly less stressful and worrisome day for you on set, and the bag of goodies increases your value on set while also giving you the look of a professional.

3. Your First Hour

You’ve finally made it to the day, you’ve arrived to set early and you are ready to roll. Now what? For anybody, no matter their role, the first hour on set is a crucial, yet uncertain time as they settle in. First thing’s first: find your boss, i.e. your department head. All sets are different: large or small, professional or severely indie, but usually they can either be a key PA, first assistant director, or the producers themselves. Best way to locate them? Just ask. Someone will help.

Reward yourself for being early with a snack at craft services; just maybe take the fruit and vegetable options to start instead of the doughnuts. Yes, resistance at the craft table is one of the greatest ways to get your energy up and keep it that way. You don’t want a sugar crash.

Along with eating right, you want to mentally prepare based on how you personally operate in the morning. It’s going to be a long day, and you know you best.

Another tip Cohen admits can be odd but true is to look like you know what you’re doing. All the time. Don’t wander, resort to your phone or sit. Directors like Tarantino and Nolan are even known to take issue with this, and no matter who’s on the crew, you don’t want to get on anyone’s bad side. You never know who is watching, so act accordingly.

A busy PA is a successful PA; always look for something to do. Grab water or snacks for talent and crew, walk with purpose and be friendly. Ideally, respect, quickness and kindness towards others will convince your peers you know your stuff, and that kindness may rebound back to you. Never be afraid to ask more questions as the day unfolds; everyone has them. Remember, you were hired for a reason. You belong on set as much as the rest of the crew.

4. Walkie-Talkie Essentials

If they are available on set, walkie-talkies are something a PA needs attached to their side at all times. There is a lot of etiquette that comes with handling one, however.

Firstly, ensure you are on the correct channel. An organized production should have a list of all channels made out, one for each department. Channel 1 is more often than not for production, and channel 2 is open for “walkie checks.” Call out “walkie check,” and you will get a “good check” or “copy check” in return when you are good to go.

In order to avoid sounding like an amateur over communications, here’s some basic walkie-lingo to keep in mind. “I’m going on a 10–1.” Translation: this person is headed to the restroom, and will be off walkie for ten minutes at most. “10–2.” That person… will take a little longer, assuming you have caught onto what the 1 and 2 stands for. “10–4” means “Roger that” or “Copy that,” and “86” means “cancel that” or “we don’t need that anymore.” If you know your numbers, you know how to talk on a walkie.

5. On-Set Lingo

“Points!” You may not know what that means, but all you know is someone is charging at you with a c-stand. All they are asking is for you to, kindly, get the heck out of the way. They have an object in tow that can spell harm for anyone it comes into contact with.

“Striking!” Wow, it just got a lot brighter. It is the electric team indicating they are turning on a light. “Shield your eyes” would be a more direct translation; you do not want to be on the wrong end of a hot light.

“Saving!” The opposite of striking. You can open your eyes now.

Furthermore, a “hot brick” is a charged battery, a “cold brick” is a dead one; not a literal brick. When everyone’s faces light up at the mention of “Martini,” it is for good reason: it means the last shot is on the horizon, and the day is nearly done. When an assistant director has you on “lockup,” you are placed outside of set to stop any and everyone from entering a “ hot set,” or when the cast and crew are going for a take.

6. Key Responsibilities

Now you can talk the talk, but here’s how to walk the walk: knowing exactly what your responsibilities are on set. Passing out walkie batteries, serving as a bridge between departments, answering questions when producers aren’t around, etc.

These are the basics, but the truth is every PA’s job will vary depending on the set. Bottom line: be ready for anything. No need to feel overwhelmed, as a solid department head will always deal out tasks for you; you will be too busy to worry. Cohen boils the job down to “a blood cell making sure everything is running smoothly.” A small, important part of a greater whole.

7. How Long is My Day?

Well, this is the exact definition of a varying answer. The key thing to keep in mind is even though a usual work day lasts 12 to 13 hours, producers can stretch that number as long as they can. As of today, no unions for PAs means no set-in-stone hours. United States labor laws aside, PAs are at the producer’s whim. This is honestly the case for everyone in a way, but far more so for a PA.

“Your day can be six hours. Your day can be a day,” as Cohen puts it.

8. Doing a Run

Not a workout, but a quick trip away from set. Doing a run means going on a mission to retrieve whatever the production needs. Water, batteries, emotional support. You name it.

Although you want to be friendly on set, Cohen advises to not drive your own car on runs; productions should provide a vehicle, especially professional ones. If you absolutely have to take your car, take pictures of your odometer, fuel tank meter and before and after shots of the exterior of the vehicle, just in case there’s any damage sustained.

In any situation, safety should always come first. If you feel uncomfortable driving a massive truck, or the location you are headed to is shady, be open about that. Producers would rather have you speak up than for something bad to happen to you.

Runs may never occur on a day, or a PA could spend most of their day out and about. It simply depends.

9. Red Flags

For a PA, red flags can come up anywhere and everywhere. Cohen boils it down to two instances: working as a paid or unpaid member of the crew.

When unpaid, you are not there for the money, you’re there for the experience, connections, free food, everything a set has to offer.

You should never be asked to go on a run if you’re not making money, especially on professional sets. This is asking too much; that is what the transportation department is for.

Another is getting posted as a constant “lockdown” or “fire hazard watch” guy or gal. “It…defeats the whole purpose of coming onto set” Cohen explains. “The whole reason you’re there is to see what’s going on and get a feel for it.” If this happens, suggest the idea of rotating tasks with other more experienced PAs.

For paid gigs, operating a vehicle you are not comfortable with, crossing over into different departments and essentially doing more than what should be expected of you are among the biggest. You should not be setting up lights or swapping camera lenses if you are a PA.

Stay in your lane, and producers will hopefully preach this too.

Getting Paid

The shoot is over. You worked hard, and if compensation was promised, it is time to get what you deserve. Unfortunately, however, you may have to work a little harder to do so.

Upon your hiring, you will obtain another document called a crew deal memo that lists the scope of your work, as well as what and how much you are getting paid.

According to Cohen, the popular avenue for payment has become a “net 15 or net 30,” in reference to the amount of days a production has to pay you upon completion of the shoot. This can prove troublesome, as late payments, unresponsive producers and the like can spring up.

If you do not get paid after the window has passed, reach out to the respective state’s labor department after, and only after, attempting to sort things out with the production company first. Always be polite and respectful. Companies have been shut down for this, so make sure you get your due.

10. Get on Set, Stay on Set

Learning how to be a PA is all well and good, but how exactly does one get on set in the first place, and remain on future sets? Say it with me: it simply depends. You never know for sure.

The only thing you can do is stay outgoing, network and keep your finger on the pulse of the industry. Connect with as many people as you can while on set. People want to hire people they trust, and sometimes all it takes is one recommendation to go far.

There are some websites to get you started. Staff Me Up, Mandy and Sharegrid (who just recently started opening users to jobs). They don’t guarantee work, but they can at least get the ball rolling.

Whatever your endgame is in the film industry, know that being a PA can help you build experience, connections and confidence. “Work hard, connect harder” is another mantra to keep in mind. Take every opportunity you are on set to make a good impression, and you will build a healthy career. Just don’t be on time, because you would be late.

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Production Assistant’s Handbook was originally published in Aputure on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

“We need a hard key light.” It’s a seemingly simple request, but it leaves an untrained ear stuck. What even classifies a hard light source? Can a light be soft? Does this director or DP know what they’re talking about? To answer the third question at least: yes, they do. They’re talking about the quality of light for their current shot. A light’s quality is something that has always reared its head throughout film history as a crucial stylistic, or necessary, choice for any project.

From identifying and analyzing hard and soft lighting and looking back to see how lighting was implemented over the years, we’re set to take a deep dive into quality of light so that you can manipulate it for your own work.

Hard vs. Soft Lighting

So, what exactly is the quality of light in reference to? Brightness, intensity and color accuracy are all good guesses, but in the end a light’s quality refers to how light changes the subject’s look, whether it is with a hard or soft source.

Got harsh shadows? High contrast? A murder yet to be solved? You’ve got yourself a hard light source, popular in noirs of the forties like The Maltese Falcon or even the horrors of today like Insidious. No matter the genre, it can appear anywhere drama is to be had.

On the other hand, an all-encompassing “wrap-around,” even lighting and little contrast are all qualities of a soft light. Find it in a comedy like Happy Gilmore, as it has also become popular in today’s war films like 1917 or All Quiet on the Western Front. Perhaps the quiet, lighthearted moments of a story call for light on the softer side. Ultimately, the amount of contrast and emphasis on a subject’s features is what should be sought after when determining whether or not a light is harsh or delicate.

History of Light Quality in Filmmaking

But how did we get here? Why is hard or soft light so important to film history in general? Well, let’s go back a hundred years ago, where films were shot without sound in mind, back to back next to each other as various crew from various sets shout commands and swears. At least, that’s if Damien Chazelle’s Babylon (2022) taught us anything.

Because of this run-and-gun shooting technique and the state of gear at the time, most shoots relied on natural light; studios implemented glass windows in their ceilings, with sunlight diffused through cloth to obtain an even spread of it. Either that, or gas-discharge light fixtures that were often massive and unbearably loud to make up for the meager film stock that can only handle a maximum speed of 100 ISO… Ouch.

But then, sound came and changed everything - as sound does. So did war, and by the 1940s, the old, boisterous lights were gone and the over-reliance on soft light diminished with the bleak wartime state of mind. Thus, DPs at the time achieved bolder, sharper looks to match it, with the heavy contrast brought on by hard light sources.

The French New Wave called, they want soft lighting back. In the fifties, the small budgets that greatly characterized this movement forbade any of the vigorous equipment the Americans developed. Ofter, the French New Wave was populated by directors focusing on a natural look, without the use of filters or any complex setups. Sunlight and improvisation won the day, and this style’s popularity reached filmmakers all over the world who incorporated it into their own work, re-captivated by soft light.

Nowadays, there seems to be no contest between the two. History’s various film movements have inspired today’s filmmakers to implement various qualities of light in their projects. Even the same hero receives different lighting qualities, from the soft lighting-dominant 2017 release of Justice League to the contrast-centric The Batman (2022). The tools have been growing with the trade; the quiet, efficient and effective LED light, for example. Quality of light has therefore reverted to an option to tell a story, rather than a budgetary constraint.

Inverse Square Law

When you are on set, there are a few ways to approach how to achieve a hard or soft light. One in particular is an equation, thankfully not one from calculus. Known as the Inverse Square Law, it is 1 divided by the distance between the light and your subject squared.

That wasn’t so bad, right? We can get even simpler, as this equation essentially means the larger and closer your source is, the softer the light on your subject will be.

By shifting the key light closer to the subject, you’ll create a more even coverage, or wrap-around, on the subject. Further away, the light source becomes smaller, and thus more concentrated and harsher the light will be.

Making Your Source Smaller or Bigger

Tools like the Aputure Fresnel 2x projection modifier focuses the beam of a light source, offering a strong and direct key light on one side of the subject, while the other cuts off into shadow.

For softer, less concentrated looks, try a Light Dome SE, for example, to widen and diffuse a source considerably. By breaking up the intensity of the light with a diffusion layer, you might run into a situation where your desired exposure will be impacted.

Not to worry though, by using applications like Sidus Link, you can easily increase the brightness of your source without having to touch the light after setting it up.

Combining Hard Light and Soft Light

There’s hard and soft light, but what if you want to live dangerously and combine the two? You actually can. For example, an amaran 200x S was used as a kick light to create an “edge glow,” something seen in Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil. Then, by placing a bounce board directly across from the light, a wide, soft source reflects back on one side of the subject’s face, yet the contrast on the other side is maintained.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, these lighting styles are meant to support your story visually. There’s never going to be a “wrong” answer, just one or the other. Filmmaking, akin to all other art forms for that matter, is a subjective medium. That shouldn’t be daunting for the up-and-comers out there, because it’s a moment where you can let your imagination fly.

That being said, the quality of light is an immensely important factor to consider when lighting a scene, for both today and since the beginning of filmmaking. Keep in mind the size and placement of hard or soft light sources, whether massive and nearby or streamlined and afar. Then, you can fully grasp which quality of light you need on set. Whether dealing with a high budget, or a shoestring one, the tools needed to project the hard or soft light look are readily available for creators of any kind.

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Quality of Light | How Cinematic Lighting Has Evolved was originally published in Aputure on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

So, you got your gear, script, coffee; everything you need to shoot your next project. All eyes are on you, but where do you even start? Sure, you have your camera, but how can you turn a raw image from bland to beautiful? How do you map out and use a space to your best advantage? Or adapt on the fly, fighting off a pesky cloud or first assistant director? Well, much of how pretty or eye-catching a shot looks comes down to how you light it. We’re here to help elevate your scene to the next level, as we take you on a step-by-step process on how to do just that for not only beauty’s sake, but for the story and the greatest emotional punch your scene can give.

In fact, the first thing any filmmaker, director of photography or the like should do is answer the ever-burning question: “What is the story?” Is it a melancholic good-bye? A heartwarming reunion? Does it have a sense of danger or triumph? Every scene is different, of course, but every scene of your project ties into your overarching story and thus should inform every bit of your lighting plan. No pressure.

Before even stepping foot on set with your crew, location scouting is essential. A “lay of the land” answers a bevy of other questions. Where are the windows; how much natural light are you working with?

Where can practical lights, like lamps, land? What is the “world” of the scene; where can the camera be, or not be? How can light be motivated? Where’s the craft service table going to be? Phew. Yeah, all that.

When checking off these boxes on a scout, professional D.P. Jucel Andrin takes into account what the genre or mood of the scene is, and by extension, the story. For example, when shooting a scene grounded in realism, Andrin considers “locations that feel like somewhere we’ve been before.” He adds, “With realism, the [light] source is often motivated by something that would be in real life, like lamps, windows…just sources that we can motivate from to build the world.”

It’s the shoot day, time to put this light plan into action, right? Not quite yet; blocking precedes rolling in the light kits. Finding where the actors should be placed is crucial, whether they’re intimate, separate, right-side up or upside down. Whatever the story calls for, right? The camera placement can follow suit, as it is one of the initial steps Andrin follows once the subject, or subjects, are squared away. “Floating [the camera] around, tapping into what [feels] best” is his usual game plan.

Step One: Setting Up the Key Light

All right. Now that all the set-up is complete, it is finally time to break out the light kit and set up your key light. Aptly named, it is the foremost light source in your shot, and should be installed first so the rest of your lighting supports it. How do you go about finding it? Take a look around the set and find your most prominent source of light. Sun from the window? A large practical illuminating the space? Whichever gets the job done. As a guide, Andrin uses applications like Sun Seeker to track where the sun is heading throughout the day so as to stay ahead of Murphy, and his dreadful law.

Once the key is identified, you can decide if you want high- or low-key lighting. If you are shooting a heavenly or peaceful scene, like the Elves’ appearances in The Lord of the Rings or God’s (Morgan Freeman) in Bruce Almighty, for example, heavy exposure on the subject and/or background is commonplace. For something dramatic or daunting out of a Game of Thrones episode or a Halloween film, low exposure takes precedence more often than not.

Step Two: Contrast Ratio

The key light is the first step in shaping our look. We’ll usually want to match our lens’ aperture with our light meter reading of the key light on our subject. But how do we shape the rest of our shot? Contrast Ratios can help us understand how much more light we need. The most common Contrast Ratio is a reading of the key vs fill side of the face. If my light meter says my key side is at a f2.8, and my fill side is at a f2, then I have a 2:1 contrast ratio, meaning my key is 1 stop brighter than my fill, or twice as bright. This is great for a high-key look because the lighting is relatively flat.

But if my key side is at a f11 and my fill side is at a f2, my contrast ratio would be a 32:1, meaning my key side is 5 stops brighter than my fill side. This would create a much more dramatic and contrasty look, hence why we call it a contrast ratio. But checking key vs fill isn’t the only use of a Contrast Ratio, we also want to keep an eye on Key vs Background.

If the exposure of our actor matches that of the background, meaning a 1:1 Contrast Ratio, our actor would visually blend into the background. This can be reprimanded by an edge light, or adjusting your key to splash less on the background. “The higher the ratio is, the more contrast you’ll receive” is how Andrin puts it. A higher contrast usually means a more dramatic look.

You can use Neutral Density (or ND) filters to help control your image. These filters cut down on the amount of light hitting the camera’s sensor. Allowing you to open your aperture, and shoot with an f-stop such as a 2 or 2.8 and not have to worry about blowing out your image.

To help add exposure to the fill side, an amaran F22c was utilized. While it’s already a soft source, Andrin softened it more by using the included Magic Cloth diffusion. To avoid spilling over the room, he added the included Light Control Grid to help focus the light on the subjects.

Step Three: False Color and Zone Systems

In order to have greater control over the highlights and shadows in the shot, we need to look at the tools that can assist us in being exact with our exposure. The first being false color, which is a tool that cinema monitors offer; it desaturates your image, then uses a spectrum of warm and cool colors to show different exposure ranges within your frame.

What do we want to see when using false color? When lighting for lighter skin tones, our key side should land in pink, this would mean “perfect exposure” (not necessarily perfect for the story, though). Usually green is good on the fill side for a high key look, and dark grey for a low key look.

Tread lightly - if our shadows dip into blue, we’re losing detail and if they become purple, that section of the image is pitch black. If our highlights are close to blowing out, they’ll read as yellow, then red once they’re fully blown out and all we’re capturing is plain white. And no, you can’t fix this mistake in post.

Tread lightly — if our shadows dip into blue, we’re losing detail and if they become purple, that section of the image is pitch black. If our highlights are close to blowing out, they’ll read as yellow, then red once they’re fully blown out and all we’re capturing is plain white. And no, you can’t fix this mistake in post.

Secondly, another tool to utilize in this situation would be the Zone System. We use it as a way to check the contrast ratios across the frame. Is the subject’s fill side blending in with the dark background? Consider adding an edge light to your subject or a small splash of light on the background. Is the hair light blowing out the subject’s hair against a bright background? Save the hair light for better contrast. If your frame has similar exposure levels across the board, it’ll look flat and two dimensional.

Andrin highlights this step of the process as one of the most important. “We’re just trying to enhance the 2D image to look more three-dimensional,” he explains. “Being intentional about where your highlights and shadows are not only helps for the story element of [a project], but also just the actual production of the 3D image.”

Step Four: Color Contrast

Why stop at just the contrast of light, when you can will the contrast of color to your whim? Cinematographers tend to spice up the dynamism of their frame by incorporating a mixture of colors. This can be done through the art direction and production design; injecting pieces of furniture or paintings that offer a sliver of color, which can break up your monochromatic look.

However, in this instance we are going to introduce color contrast through the lighting. For this scene, we used a popular color combo — teal and orange. This amalgamation will help our actor, Rio, stand out from the background. This also gave us an opportunity to add a practical for more visual interest and motivation.

For example, by placing the practical light in the background of our frame, we can use that to motivate an edge light. This addition will guide the audience so they know where their attention needs to be as the scene plays out.

For the edge light, we used an amaran COB 60x, and tuned the color of the fixture so it could cast a warmer light that matched with the practical source.

Step Five: Eye Light

And now, the finishing touches. Providing a hint of refracted light to the subject’s eye, known as an eye light, is extremely effective for drawing audiences in. It is commonplace amongst viewers to look at a character’s eyes and interpret them as a window into the soul. An eye light can make viewers feel more connected with the subject, as if they’re revealing their vulnerability to us.

This can be achieved by “bouncing” light from a key with a bounce board, or sometimes nothing; Mother Nature or your setup may do all the work for you. You can bring fill lights closer too, just as long as they do not affect the exposure value.

Though optional, it is worth trying out, given that audiences are naturally captivated by the eyes of the subject. Heck, Oscar-winning DP Wally Pfister has made a career out of it. Revisit the finale to The Prestige and picture Borden’s (Christian Bale) victory or Angier’s (Hugh Jackman) defeat without it. It may be present, but not underscored without an addition of light that takes little overall effort or time.

Step Six: Haze and Filtration

Finally, you can apply haze to your scene by spreading it out along the set. This will help light spread and reach its full potential. Integrating an element like haze will produce particulates in the air that can accentuate the hard edges of your lighting. So, if you’re wanting the light in your scene to feel even harsher and more dramatic than usual — a hazer is your best friend. It is another optional endeavor, found in the dramatic and moody scenes of the likes of Alien, Mandy, and anywhere else one may find characters in intense, dire situations.

Or they are just at an edgy nightclub; your story, your pick. Andrin notes that haze simply “breathes more life” into a scene. But, one thing we’d like to make note of is to not overuse the tool as it can lessen the overall contrast in your shot.

Conclusion

And just like that, you are ready to shoot. Using these tips and tools on set can navigate you out of tight situations and keep Father Time off your back. Andrin stresses “It’s not about the tools, it’s how you use them,” and that lighting, at the end of the day, is “all about practice.” Beyond the set, you can glean more about lighting by simply turning on the light in your room and analyzing it. Pay more attention to lighting wherever you go every day. Setting up and tearing down on a multitude of projects, big or small, will lead you to become versatile, motivate you to keep pushing forward when stuck, and make your day, as well as finish your story-rich, beautiful, well-lit project.

Youtube / Instagram / TikTok / Mail List

Introduction to Lighting: How a Cinematographer Lights a Scene was originally published in Aputure on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Announcing the Aputure INFINIBARs —Connectable LED Pixel Bars with Industry-Leading Pixel Density

For the filmmakers who have been asking for Aputure tube lights for years, we heard you loud and clear! And we have been working tirelessly to create a revolutionary lighting system that would cater to the needs of lighting professionals like you.

Up to this point, Aputure and amaran users have had to choose between the mini MT Pro (Mini Tube) for high pixel density and CRMX controls, or the amaran T2c and T4c for longer fixtures without those functions.

So to revolutionize both our line up and the world of lighting design, we are launching — the Aputure INFINIBARs. These new Pixel Bars are something completely different that combines the best of both worlds, and that we know will become a staple in your lighting toolkit.

When we looked at the opportunities and how we could revolutionize lighting tools to fit our users’ needs AND tackle new possibilities, we knew we didn’t want to start out by making a standard T12 tube light, right off the bat. When designing the INFINIBARs, our goal was to create something truly unique and versatile, rather than just another tube light. We wanted to provide filmmakers with a form factor that offered greater design and configuration possibilities, while still maintaining the high pixel density and LumenRadio CRMX controls that our users have come to expect from Aputure products.

That’s why we decided to go with a rectangular form factor for the INFINIBARs, offering 3, 6, and 12 decimeter lengths, or 1-foot, 2-foot, and 4-foot lengths, respectively. This unique design allows the lights to blend together when connected end to end, opening up new creative possibilities for filmmakers.

Infinite Blending Design

The INFINIBARs are not just another ordinary linear light. The rectilinear form factor of the INFINIBARs creates an infinite blending design, resulting in a distinct and unique feature that sets it apart from other lights currently on the market.

In fact, the name INFINIBAR refers to the ability to infinitely and seamlessly connect these LED Pixel Bars end to end.

Unlike traditional tube lights, with the INFINIBARs’ razor-thin, translucent bezels, there are no visible gaps between lights, creating seamless connections and smooth reflections. This makes it possible to smoothly blend or hide the INFINIBARs in the scene or use them as in-camera practicals on set, providing a level of unparalleled functionality.

Splicing Connectors

The INFINIBARs take the infinite blending design capabilities even further by offering a unique feature that enables infinite connection of multiple 1, 2, or 4-foot bars with the 10 splicing connectors. These connectors can be easily screwed into the four 1/4–20 mounting points on the back of each end-bracket to create a range of shapes and configurations. This includes flat and 3-dimensional triangles, hexagons, squares, and straight lines, or even spinning 3-point, 4 point, or 6 point stars, like the ones you see around me. And with a one-foot variant, you have the ability to branch out past even lengths, and into custom 3, 5, or 7 foot fixtures that fit the needs of your production.

Each mounting point also includes a DC power pass-through enabling the INFINIBARs to even share AC power across multiple fixtures, eliminating the need for excess power adapters and cables.

With these features, the INFINIBARs are designed to be as hassle-free as possible, allowing for quick and easy setup.

With endless possibilities, the INFINIBARs are perfect for creating large arrays of lights or building them directly into setpieces. Whether you use the 10 splicing connectors, mount the INFINIBARs to surfaces using the built-in high strength neodymium magnets, or rig them to stands and clamps using the included INFINIBAR Clamp with a Baby Pin, the creative applications of these lights are infinite.

Multiple Pixels

What takes the INFINBAR’s capabilities as a lighting design tool even further is their industry-leading pixel density. Second only to the MT Pro, the INFINIBARs have the highest pixel density of any other linear lights on the market. Featuring 24 RGB pixels per foot — that’s 24 for the footlong PB3, 48 for the PB6, and a whopping 96 for the four foot PB12. This results in incredibly smooth transitions between pixels, for elegant lighting effects that can only be achieved with this level of detail.

This means that alongside the amaran Pixel Tubes, the INFINIBARs are the only full lineup of linear lights with pixel-capable fixtures from 1 foot all the way to four foot — with the MT Pro, INFINIBAR PB3, and amaran PT1c being the only 1-foot linear lights with pixel controls.

Magic Infinity FX

To reach the full creative potential of these lights, the INFINIBARs feature Pixel Control functionality through Sidus Link. Not only can you independently control the pixels of each fixture, but with Sidus Link’s new Magic Infinity FX, you can also control up to 1,024 pixels across multiple lights. This feature lets the infinite blending design really shine, by allowing you to shape, position, and adjust the length of the lighting in any way you can imagine, giving you over 42 feet of creative lighting control right at your fingertips.

While currently only available on iOS in our latest 1.9.10 update, at launch, we are excited to bring this feature to iPad and Android users, as well as to other fixtures in the future.

With the INFINIBARs’ integration into the Sidus Link ecosystem, lighting professionals can easily incorporate them into their existing workflows. Featuring 7 pre-programmed Pixel FX and 9 System FX like the MT Pro and amaran Pixel tubes, creators have even more options to choose from. And for those looking to program their own advanced lighting effects, Sidus Pro FX offers different features like Manual FX, System FX, Picker FX, Magic Program, and Music FX for enhanced customizability. The INFINIBARs truly offer unparalleled flexibility and creativity for all your lighting needs.

Professional Controls

The INFINIBARs are not only designed to work seamlessly with Sidus Link controls but also to easily integrate into other workflows such as CRMX and DMX. With the inclusion of LumenRadio CRMX via the TimoTwo chipset, the INFINIBARs operate wirelessly, allowing industry professionals, cinematographers, and lighting technicians to control the INFINIBARs and its individual lighting engines from a distance. This integration makes it easy to use the industry-standard wireless control in your existing workflows.

For more permanent setups and stable connections, the INFINIBARs can also be used with hardwired DMX using the wired Aputure Active USB-C to 5-Pin DMX Adapter. With this adapter, whether you’re working with wireless or wired setups, the INFINIBARs can be integrated into your existing workflows with ease.

Summary

To sum up all the amazing features of this light, with its infinite blending design, filmmakers and creators can produce seamless pixelated effects across the INFINIBARs’ 24, 48, or 96 pixels, or up to 1,024 pixels across multiple lights with the Magic Infinity FX feature on Sidus Link. And through DMX, you’re only limited by your system’s capabilities.

In terms of the standard lighting features you’ve come to expect from every full color Aputure light, the INFINIBAR enables xy, advanced HSI, and white point control between 2,000K to 10,000K, maintaining our benchmark for high quality color reproduction in single pixel mode.

This, combined with the connectors used for creative builds, and intuitive mounting methods like the integrated neodymium magnets and INFINIBAR Rail and Clamp system, makes these lights ideal for a range of use cases including, music videos, product cinematography, and production design, just to name a few.

And whether you prefer to operate in Sidus Link or from a DMX console, they can efficiently integrate into your workflows with their LumenRadio CRMX and hardwired DMX compatibility.

The INFINIBARs provide a complete lighting solution that empowers filmmakers to go beyond and achieve their vision.

Pricing & Availability

INFINIBARs are available now, as of February 28th, in both single and 8-Light Kit variants.

• INFINIBAR PB3: $299 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR PB6: $479 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR PB12: $639 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR PB6 8-Light Kit: $4,850 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR PB12 8-Light Kit: $6,350 | Shop Now

With the Multi-Light Shaping Kit, available for $1,390, you can expand the possibilities of what you can create with splicing connectors that allow you to curate an array of lighting designs — or pick up individual connectors starting at $79. And for even more control, softboxes and light control grids are also available for each INFINIBAR.

• INFINIBAR Multi-Light Shaping Kit: $1,390 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR 3-Way Flat: $79 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR 4-Way Flat: $79 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR 6-Way Flat: $79 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR Triangle Flat: $89 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR Triangle 3D: $89 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR Hexagon Flat: $139 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR Hexagon 3D: $139 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR Square Flat: $109 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR Square 3D: $99 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR PB3 Softbox: $69 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR PB6 Softbox: $89 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR PB12 Softbox: $109 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR PB3 45º Light Control Grid: $59 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR PB6 45º Light Control Grid: $79 | Shop Now
• INFINIBAR PB12 45º Light Control Grid: $99 | Shop Now

Don’t miss out on the chance to create something truly unique and innovative. Order your INFINIBARs and accessories today through Aputure’s online store or your local dealer. Start shaping your vision with the INFINIBARs now!

Introducing the Aputure INFINIBARs — Revolutionizing Linear Lighting with Seamless Pixel Controls was originally published in Aputure on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

amaran just announced the PT1c, PT2c, and PT4c alongside the existing amaran T2c and T4c, for a plethora of tube lighting options for indie filmmakers and content creators.

As we continue to push the limits of what creators can do with our lights within the Sidus Link ecosystem we want to bring more tools to the table to unleash new creative possibilities and enhance your frame.

So we listened to your feedback on the amaran T2c and T4c and worked hard to create something special, with the latest addition to the amaran ecosystem: the all-new amaran Pixel Tubes! Including the PT1c, PT2c, and PT4c.

These are amaran’s first-ever pixelated tube lights. They are battery-powered, RGBWW, feature 4 pixels per foot, and are available in three different sizes: 1-foot, 2-foot, and 4-foot. That means you have even more flexibility to create stunning lighting effects, no matter where you are.

We’ve also made sure to include a 1-foot tube, which is perfect for creators who want a compact, pixel-capable fixture without the more costly professional features of the Aputure MT Pro. And with the power of Sidus Link, you can control all of your Aputure and amaran lights from a single app on your smartphone or tablet, making your workflow even more efficient and seamless.

This also makes the amaran Pixel Tubes one of the only series of tube lights with a full selection of different lengths, standing at 1-foot, 2-foot, and 4-foot. Alongside the MT Pro, the PT1c is one of the only 1-foot tube lights with multiple pixels.

Multiple Pixels

What separates Pixel Tubes from the rest of the amaran family is this new layer of effects capabilities. With 4 pixels or lighting zones on the PT1c, 8 on the PT2c, and 16 on the PT4c, the Pixel Tubes have the same number of light engines as high-end industry staples, but with an indie filmmaker focus.

In fact, the Pixel Tubes come with 7 pre-programmed Pixel FX, including Color Fade, Color Cycle, One Pixel Chase, Two Pixel Chase, Three Pixel Chase, Rainbow, and Pixel Fire. And for photographers who love light painting, the independently controllable pixels can create some truly unique lighting effects for long-exposure photography.

For all the creators who have been using the T2c and T4c as in-camera practicals, the Pixel Tubes’ multiple lighting zones and sleek design will allow you to take your creations to the next level. They can add visual interest to your background, whether they’re used in or out of the frame.

Built-In Batteries

To make them better suited as in-camera practicals, we listened to user feedback and wanted to provide an alternative to the high-capacity battery grips of the T2c and T4c, so you can bring your lighting designs to life with ease. With the addition of internal batteries in the Pixel Tubes, creators have the flexibility of placing or hiding the Pixel Tubes virtually anywhere with an improved on-set workflow.

Each of the Pixel Tubes have integrated batteries for easier operation, with the PT1c having a 70 minute runtime, and also has a removable battery, while the PT2c and PT4c both have almost 3 hours of battery life at max power. With these built-in batteries, creators can enhance the usability of these sleek, simple tubes — whether that is used directly in the shot, for creating stylized music videos and commercials, or when maneuvering the Pixel Tubes over intricate sets for product cinematography.

And for absolute ease of use, all of the Pixel Tubes charge via USB-C, so you don’t need any special cables and adapters. The PT2c and PT4c even support PD Quick Charging, so they can each charge their high capacity batteries in about 2–3 hours.

Positioning and Mounting

Ease of use was a key consideration in the design of the Pixel Tubes, and this includes new mounting solutions. While the internal batteries necessitated a different approach to mounting than the T2c and T4c, we wanted to ensure that the Pixel Tubes provide you with easy mounting options right out of the box.

Starting with the PT1c, we designed rotatable end caps that can be independently repositioned or swivelled with 180 degrees of rotation. Like the MT Pro, these 1-foot tubes have a built-in magnet at each end cap for attaching to metal surfaces.

For the longer PT2c and PT4c tubes, we designed end caps with 5 flat sides, allowing you to position the light at 5 different angles. From 0 to 45, 90, 135, and 180 degrees of rotation when laid flat on the ground. These 2-foot and 4-foot tubes also come with two clear, magnetic T12 tube brackets. Simply snap the Pixel Tubes in place, and use the high-strength neodymium magnets or 3/8–16in screw threads on the backs of the brackets.

The end caps for the Pixel Tubes are also equipped with integrated 3/8–16in screw threads, allowing for additional mounting solutions, including a baby pin for the PT1c, the amaran Splicing Adapters for creating a variety of shapes, the included eyebolts for the PT2c and PT4c, or even floor stands. Creating interesting visuals and set pieces has never been easier. With these new mounting solutions, you can easily attach the Pixel Tubes to almost any surface or structure, giving you the freedom to get creative and bring your lighting designs to life.

Summary

In addition to all the amazing capabilities of the Pixel Tubes, like their multiple Pixel FX, built-in batteries, and no-hassle mounting solutions, it can be easy to forget that they still have the familiar color modes of our other RGBWW fixtures. This includes advanced HSI and white point CCT tunability ranging from 2,700 to 10,000 Kelvin, as well as full plus/minus green controls. This means the Pixel Tubes maintain the same high color quality that users have come to expect from other amaran RGBWW lights, with a CRI rating of 95+, a TLCI score of 98+, and a Tungsten SSI rating of 85.

With the Pixel Tubes, you have the flexibility to create a wide range of lighting effects with complete confidence in the quality of the light output. So, whether you’re using the Pixel Tubes for product photography or creating cinematic video, you can be sure that your colors will be accurate.

And to make controlling these features even easier, the Pixel Tubes have a new interface that can be used to adjust settings directly on the tubes, wirelessly through the Sidus Link app, or via DMX with the new amaran USB-C to DMX Adapter for more advanced console controls.

This new adapter also supports PD charging for the 2-foot and 4-foot tubes, using the additional USB-C input, so you can simultaneously use DMX and charge these lights at the same time.

All of these amazing features are encased in the Pixel Tube’s sleek, all-white housing, and comes in a convenient carrying bag that makes it easy to take with you on the go.

For even more creative control, a separate 45º Light Control Grid is available for purchase for all tube lengths, and the PT2c and PT4c tubes even come in 2-Light Kit versions, unlocking even more possibilities to enhance your frame.

Pricing & Availability

These game-changing lights are available starting today at an affordable price. You can get your hands on the:

• PT1c for just $139 | Shop Now
• PT2c for $299 | Pre-order Now
• PT4c for only $429 | Pre-order Now

For all your creative needs, we’ve also put together 2-Light Production Kits that include additional accessories like extra magnetic T12 brackets, eyebolts, two of the all-new amaran USB-C to DMX Adapters, and amaran Floor Stands with 3/8–16in screws.

• amaran PT2c 2-Light Production Kit for $598 | Shop Now
• amaran PT4c 2-Light Production Kit for $838 | Shop Now

We are beyond excited to see what you create with these revolutionary lights. So, what are you waiting for? Unleash your creativity and let’s light up the world together!

Learn more about the newest bar lights from Aputure — the INFINIBARs!

Introducing amaran Pixel Tubes — Pixel FX & USB-C Batteries for Indie Filmmakers was originally published in Aputure on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The amaran COB LEDs have been Upgraded with Dual-blue LED Chipsets for Industry-leading Spectral Reproduction

Setting the Standard

We launched the original amaran COB series back in 2020. And since then, we have seen the amaran COB 60d, COB 60x, 100d, 100x, 200d, and 200x become key staples of lighting toolkits for content creators, indie filmmakers, videographers, and all creators in between.

But over the past few years our creators and filmmaking friends have grown, so it’s time for our lights to do the same. Bringing incredibly high color quality LEDs to our users has been a part of our brand ethos since we debuted our first light fixture, and until we reach absolute perfection, there’s always room to grow.

So for the content creators and indie filmmakers that have been with us since the start, today we are introducing a spectacular upgrade to the amaran COB series we all know and love — the new amaran COB S series.

New Dual-Blue LED Chipset

In order for us to expand the possibilities of what filmmakers and creators can do with their lights, we made some changes to our technology. We kept the same classic design and form factor of the familiar COB series, meaning that the overall user experience remains functionally identical, but made changes to the LED chipset to allow you to create even more with the same compact fixture.

The original amaran COB series boasted high quality CRI, TLCI, and of course SSI scores when it launched — being able to produce a daylight SSI of up to 75 and tungsten SSI of up to 86.

But we wanted to take it one step further. We decided to upgrade the COB series using an all-new dual-blue LED chipset. Essentially, the new S series uses not one, but two, blue light emitters underneath the LED phosphor layer. These two blue emitters have slightly different wavelengths, and when they excite the phosphor coating on the LEDs, it results in a combined spectrum that is smoother and fuller than the standard LED construction.

This is what allows us to achieve higher SSI values in both daylight and tungsten color temperatures. Across the board, you can expect to see a massive jump in our SSI scores, boasting up to 15 points of improvement, with the 200x S achieving a significant bump to a whopping 89 in daylight SSI. And for our bi-color lights, bringing the Tungsten SSI score as high as 90, making it virtually indistinguishable from actual tungsten sources.

These high SSI scores and stunning spectral reproduction of the COB S series lights not only bring a significant upgrade to the amaran family, but can easily rival some of the highest-end lighting fixtures on the market, and even beats every Aputure light on the market to date.

Light in Action

But we know these are just numbers, so what does the ultra-high color quality actually look like when used in action? The COB S series can be used in all the same applications and scenarios as its predecessor, but can do so while delivering even better spectral and color results.

For creators lighting small studios or livestream setups, the significantly improved spectral quality of lights like the 200x S in both tungsten and daylight color temperatures ensures accurate skin tone reproduction with industry-leading color quality. With high output LEDs, the 60 and 100 watt fixtures are great key lighting options, and the 200 watt fixtures have the power to easily fill the room with high quality light, while still being easy to manage and stow away when not in use.

And for budding filmmakers, the COB S series is the perfect first entrant into LED lighting, giving you extremely high image quality and power that many filmmakers need, while remaining incredibly lightweight and easy to use, without some of the more complicated, high-end features.

When paired with softboxes like the Light Box 45x45, the COB S series can create one of the most affordable Sidus Link compatible lighting setups from amaran with incredibly soft light quality. This is perfect for photographers who want to achieve different lighting designs with interchangeable softboxes and accessories, like for continuous lighting.

Universal Bowens Mount

Speaking of softboxes, the COB S series is also compatible with a variety of other lighting modifiers of varying sizes and shapes due to its universal Bowens Mount, which is a core feature you can find on almost every Aputure and amaran point source fixture, and makes it a versatile and perfect lighting solution for all creators.

Because the new COB S series has the same design as the original COB series, it is also compatible with all the same accessories and modifiers, including Bowens Mount reflectors, the Light Dome Mini II, Light Dome SE, various Light Boxes, Lanterns, Space Lights, Barn Doors, and the Aputure 2-Bay Battery Power Station, just to name a few. So whether you’re a vlogger, a photographer, or a filmmaker, these lights will help you take your content to the next level.

Summary

In addition to the significantly improved spectral and color quality of the new S series lights from the upgraded LED chip design, which has allowed us to achieve increased CRI, TLCI, TM-30, and SSI scores, these new lights are also equipped with many of the same classic features that can be found from the original COB series.

This includes a universal Bowens accessory mount, integrated umbrella holder, and the ability to control these lights and their lighting effects wirelessly with the Sidus Link app.

For users who prefer to control their lights natively, the COB S series’ controls are directly integrated into the lamp head, rather than having a separate control box, making it an all-in-one unit that is easy to use when toggling through intensity presets.

Moving onto the power supply, like the original COB lights, the COB 60 S lights are built with a Locking Barrel 5.5mm DC Input that can be used with the included power supply, Dual NP-F Battery plate, or D-Tap to 5.5mm Barrel Connectors, while the 100 S and 200 S lights feature a 48V DC Power Input for both AC and Battery Power options.

All of these superior functionalities are still packed into the same compact and lightweight lamp head as the original COB lights, with the COB 60 S lights’ mini cube shape being as compact as a Red Komodo. And with their miniature stature, the COB 60 S lights are perfect for travel shooters and to create the ultimate mobile lighting kit when combined with the Light Box 45x45 and Handheld Bracket.

Pricing & Availability

To show our commitment to quality lighting, we’re introducing this upgrade without any increase in price. That means that these new high-SSI fixtures will be available at the same price point as the original amaran COB lights.

• amaran COB 60d S: $169 | Shop Now
• amaran COB 60x S: $199 | Shop Now
• amaran 100d S: $199 | Shop Now
• amaran 100x S: $249 | Shop Now
• amaran 200d S: $299 | Shop Now
• amaran 200x S: $349 | Shop Now

With all the features and new technology packed into these lights, they are a fantastic value, especially compared to other higher-end lights in their class.

Introducing the amaran COB S Series — High SSI LEDs was originally published in Aputure on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Lighting a scene is a make-or-break endeavor. On one hand, it can immensely enhance the look of a video, pulling audiences in with a tight grasp. While on the other, well, it would capture their attention for all the wrong reasons. Luckily, this is a query many filmmakers, cinematographers and the like have wrestled with for decades, and have found ways to immerse any viewer all from simply where they place their lights. Here are five that can shed some, um, light on how to draw audiences in and keep them coming back for more.

Hold on. Before even cracking open the light kit, there is one question that needs to be answered about your project: “What mood am I going for?”

Mood is essentially what you want your audience to feel when watching your content. Delight? Fear? Excitement? Whatever the case may be, it will inform anything and everything for a lighting plan. In other words, mood is the beating heart of visual design.

Often, the key light, or main light source on a subject, will shake the audience’s shoulders as if to say, “Hey! Feel something!” Beyond the mood, it can also inform them exactly who the subject is, with having to say a single word. Now we come to the five types of key lights.

FRONT LIGHT

It is exactly how it sounds: a light source directly in front of the subject, offering balance and very little contrast on their face, or none at all. When a subject needs to look pretty, welcoming or good-natured, this is usually the go-to option.

Look no further than the easy-going vibe of comedies or when audiences see the protagonist’s crush though their eyes; like Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The good old “struck by Cupid” shot. Anything inviting, playful or comfortable can be captured with a proper frontal light.

REMBRANDT LIGHT

But how about when tension is needed? When a spike of drama upsets everything? Enter contrast. Enter… the rembrandt light. Easily one of the most recognizable setups, it is most identifiable with its ability to add shadow to the side of the subject’s face opposite to the light source, creating a triangular patch of light.

Need a reference? Take a look at the paintings of the fifteenth century Dutch artist Rembrandt. Now, where have I heard that name?

This difference of light and dark creates what is called a contrast ratio, or the amount of contrast a subject has on their face.

Contrast Ratio

A 1:1 or 2:1 ratio gives the subject an even, less-darkened look; almost like a spotlight. Whereas 4:1, 8:1, 16:1 and beyond progressively become more dynamic in shadow. It’s the difference between the warm, attractive look of Naomi (Margot Robbie) through many eyes in The Wolf of Wall Street versus Colonel Kurtz’s (Marlon Brando) foreboding first appearance in Apocalypse Now.

At the end of the day, a Rembrandt provides a much more sinister mood than a front light. Audiences are invited to feel uneasy whenever a subject is shot with a Rembrandt setup. A villian, a new, peculiar character. Whichever the case may be, refer to a Rembrandt to inform your audience this character may be bad news. However, it is not always reserved for evildoers. Continue on the hypothetical semi-circle and inch closer to the likes of that.

SIDE LIGHT

There is a reason why the side light is known for its use in horror pictures. Making its mark directly next to the subject, light and shadow on the subject’s face is now at fifty-fifty; one side completely dark, the other so bright it’s heavenly.

Michael Myers, Jason Voorhies, Freddy Kruger; name a slasher flick villain, chances are they probably had a side light. The mystery and unease this creates leads it to be tailor-made for horror, though some have adopted it to convey strenuous amounts of conflict in a character; watch Leonardo DiCaprio’s face as he unravels the truth in Shutter Island.

Side lights are incredibly valuable in this regard, but tread lightly, it may give harsh shadows on the nose and chin that aren’t as valuable.

EDGE/KICK LIGHT

We are now at a 135 degree angle, behind the subject, forming an “edge” of light on their face and shoulder. And there you have it: we have the fourth angle’s namesake.

This little sliver of light leaves just enough for the audience to glean all the information they can about the subject, but even then, it may not be enough to trust them. Take how Greg Fraser and his team shoot Selena Kyle (Zoe Kravitz) from The Batman as we get to know her. If you want a foreboding mood, you’ve got it here. A kick is also versatile enough to separate a subject from the background, it just needs a harsh, more frontal key light.

BACK LIGHT

Here it is. The fifth element… or angle, rather. A back light is placed directly behind a subject, leaving them completely silhouetted. Seems a bit counter-intuitive, right?

Well, quite the contrary. The ample separation from other shadows and highlights draws the audience’s attention. There’s something about this subject the director doesn’t want you to know, upping the intrigue exponentially. How else would the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho work?

Or maybe you want a hero reveal shot like in an Avengers film. A back light can do that too. Sometimes the best lighting on a subject is no lighting at all.

Conclusion

There are, of course, more ways to light a subject beyond these five. You can highlight a character with a top or under light; Bane in The Dark Knight Rises has one while pummeling Batman in their duel.

You can work your way back around, lighting your subject from their other side in a process called front siding. It will achieve the same results, just from a different direction.

As long as you have your mood of choice in mind, as many other filmmakers before did, your audience is sure to want to climb aboard the journey of your next project.

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The Cinematic Lighting Secret was originally published in Aputure on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Let’s be honest — what we’re talking about here is a very minor and subtle tool in the world of cinematography. It isn’t as impactful as haze and as flashy as a Glimmerglass filter. It’s the next step towards advancing your cinematography skills. It’s the icing on the cake. It’s adding texture to your shot.

Most cinematographers will look at a scene differently. Whether your taste and style preferences lend themselves to adding some more visual flare in the way you break up your lighting is entirely your choice. You might think it’s so subtle that audiences wouldn’t pick up on such a minute lighting variation, but professional filmmakers in the business like our very own DP/Host Kevin Reyes will tell you that these little details add to a bigger, more natural/realistic picture. You have the ability to create authentic light patterns and shadows to complete a genuinely captivating shot. When thinking about the effect of all these different texture options, photographers and filmmakers alike will see a vast sweep of opportunities reveal themselves to them.

On this episode of Back to Set, we explain how light can be broken up and how it affects your style and the aesthetic of a scene. We take a glance at modifiers called gobos, how to find the perfect style, and fine-tuning techniques regarding lighting. We even carry out an experiment to compare gobos to natural objects, opening up new exploring prospects for anyone taking on their next shooting project.

What are Gobos?

Before we go any further, it might be worth explaining what gobos actually are. Gobos are thin aluminum sheets which incorporate small stencilled cut-outs which work to break up the light passing through a spotlight. The name of these circular discs is short for Go Between Optics, which outlines where the tool is situated within the lighting fixture’s light path.

By making the lighting more intriguing to viewers, these tools provide an efficient solution to any filmmaker who doesn’t want to depend on adding other sources to their setups. Gobos patterns include lines, cucoloris, stars, and circles, amongst countless others, all working to create different textures in both foreground and background shots.

Creating the Look

For our example scene, we decided to set up a few different lights to add some texture, including one that splashed against the kitchen in the foreground and one which hit against the back wall in the background.

We used an LS 600x Pro and 300x for this scene, incorporating the Spotlight Mount. We’re also bouncing an LS 60x into a 2x2 beadboard for some added fill and an overhead amaran F21x set to daylight to get some nice shine on the talent’s hair.

The spotlight mount’s innovative lens technology functions to minimize chromatic irregularities around the illumination circle’s edge, making it an attractive feature for any cinematographer. And of course, we placed the gobos in the lights to get our hands dirty and experiment with different textures. You can discover a multitude of patterns and textures with these tools, which leads you to ways in which you can find your authentic style, which you can then use to express yourself.

After the initial lighting, we found that, at the start, the wall was too bright. Therefore, we decided to dim the light, which then took the sharpness away from the edges of the shot and defocused the visuals. Lastly, we added a little Haze for the final finish.

Finding your Style

What looks good and bad with gobos can be very subjective — essentially, how you craft your images and textures is up to you. In our example scene, we chose a Venetian blind pattern which created textures in the foreground on the back wall. As for the background, we opted for a cucoloris gobo. This pattern generated a sense of nature and cleverly brought our subject out of the background.

Using a gobo pattern, you realize how natural lighting appears and can make your shot look less “commercial.” Just remember that finding your lighting style is crucial because it showcases to your audience that you’ve gained enough expertise in this niche to execute professional decisions. After all, experimenting with different gobos is almost like experimenting with different lenses — both shake up your shot’s character to create more or less pleasing results.

Fine-Tuning Your Lighting

If you want to make your own shots a little less defined and overwhelming, you can defocus the lens of your Spotlight Mount to blur out your sharp lines into more subtle blends. This will help the edges blend into your scene and focus the shot on the focal points that you want your audience to notice, adding a little extra character to the middle. Using more subtle gobo patterns is incredibly useful for adding a bit of style and authenticity to your shots without distracting your viewers too much.

All in all, it’s definitely worth experimenting with what styles and subtle blends stand out to you, as this can help build up your cinematography skills. Fine-tuning your lighting is a continuous learning development. Indeed, we’ve learned a few things along the way, including that shots should never be “over-lit.”

More Natural Methods of Lighting

We know that some people are on a budget and won’t have the capacity to access all of the fanciest gear out there. But whatever you have — or haven’t — got available to you shouldn’t necessarily limit you. In fact, we used an actual tree branch and hung it up on one of our c-stands. After shooting some light through it, we took the shot and realized that the real branch created a more natural look than the cucoloris gobo.

With this in mind, the “branchaloris” — or any other real-life object — may be able to help you capture your perfect shot. We turned a simple scene into something impactful by playing around with various techniques and comparing their benefits. The lesson learnt here is that you just have to experiment and become more creative to know what you can really achieve with patterns. What one design does may differ from another, so it’s best always to stay curious about your approaches.

Conclusion

To round up, we want to emphasize that each gobo pattern is different and can provide a variety of textures to your upcoming shoots. There are countless patterns out there that we’ve not mentioned in this article, so there is undoubtedly always more to think about when carrying out your own research. From developing our own example scene with Reyes’ expertise, it’s evident that gobos can be highly beneficial for adding texture to any shot. However, more creative approaches, such as shining a light through a tree branch, can also work wonders for your image and budget.

Bringing this up connects to our original intention — to create subtle adjustments to a shot to generate the most natural-looking scene possible. It’s amazing how small tools like gobos have a profound impact on the frame, and utilizing them greatly adds to your cinematic mastery.

In conclusion, whatever gobo — or other objects — you choose to utilize for your lighting texture, you have the knowledge to bring your shooting skills to the next level. It is worth trying out as broad a range of gobos as possible to discover your style and personal tastes when it comes to executing your dream look. The choices you make should be based on experience and knowledge, ensuring that the patterns you choose can develop the atmosphere of the video or photo content you intend to make.

For more details on this topic, give the entire video a watch on Aputure’s YouTube channel. Furthermore, we’re dying to know how you are considering using your own gobos, so share this in the comments section below, as well as any suggestions for what gobo patterns you want to see us experiment with next!

How Lighting Texture & Gobos Enhance Your Cinematography was originally published in Aputure on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

When a cinematographer thinks about adding their own style to a film, there are a number of ways they can achieve this. Some find their style through lighting, some look at the way they move their camera, and others are specific about what they put in front of their lenses. Lens diffusion filters, of course, play a huge role in this.

You might have heard of the infamous Black Pro Mist filter, mostly for shaving off some of the sharpness from your stock lens. While that is one highly useful type of filter out there, there are countless filters to choose from, and each boasts unique advantages. When considering the impact of all these various filters, filmmakers, photographers, and cinematographers will discover that a broad stretch of possibilities open up to them. There’s actually more opportunity to experiment than you may first think.

On this episode of Back to Set, we are joined by DP/Host Valentina Vee as she explains how diffusion filters can offer unique characteristics to video visuals. We take a look at one filtration set in particular to discuss the foundations of halation, resolution, and contrast before Vee gives a DIY approach a go and creates special filters using household items. In this, we show some experimental techniques that can be used for highly stylized films and music videos.

What is a Diffusion Filter?

A diffusion filter is a piece of glass which can be put in front of a camera lens, helping generate a soft, cinematic look in any shot you take. These types of filters come in different strengths, such as 1/8th, 1/4th, and 1/2th. Changes between these filters are often subtle: some bloom the highlights in the background, some make the edges of your subjects softer, and some even change the color of your subject’s skin tone. It’s worth experimenting with different types and seeing if the filter you choose achieves the strength you are looking for.

Pro Mist filters are typically described as having the most halation, followed by Pearlescent, Glimmerglass®, and, finally, Satin. Satin acts as a midpoint filter, meaning it generates a fog around images’ edges but also softens resolutions and wrinkles. Soft FX filters offer the softest impact but fail to reduce the contrast of the shot and don’t fog pictures as much as other types.

Setting up the shot

We first needed to set up the shot to test out different filters. For this test, we chose to adopt an indoor moonlight scene complimented by windows with a 12x12 Ultra Bounce with a Nova P600c. This LED panel builds on the standard basis of high color fidelity and soft light, helping produce a quality soft light output. The frosted windows created a blue ambience in the background of our shots, ensuring that monochromatic characteristics don’t override them.

We used an LS 300x and Spotlight Mount with a 19-degree lens to enhance the background shot further. Using an oval frame in front of it, we were able to capture the texture we wanted and spread it softly and evenly. Depending on what kind of filter you use, you need to be aware of several aspects, including key lights and rim lights. For example, without any diffusion, the human eye would be able to see every single detail, such as individual hairs on a human being’s head. You also need to be aware of lens flares, which refers to little circular artifacts that appear in the image. Moving the camera accentuates these flares even more, so you have to be ready to adjust depending on the lighting setup.

The Complete Lens Filter Test

After applying each of the filters to our lens, we encountered a few key findings. Firstly, it was evident that the Black Pro-Mist 1/2 filter is popular amongst photographers and filmmakers alike due to having the most halation compared to every other filter on the list. As we experimented with filters going down the line, from Pearlescent to Black Satin, the picture had less and less halation. However, refractile elements stayed similar when the camera was moving.

As far as Soft FX filters are concerned, Vee found that these had very little collation around lights but were able to create soft skin tones. This suggests that Soft FX would be helpful in certain types of photography and videography focusing on the skin, such as beauty work.

The Low-Con filter produced the least softness, although it was the most subtle, meaning that it brought up black areas only slightly. To bring up black more prominently, it’s worth opting for a Fog or Smoque filter.

So, what’s the difference between Fog and Smoque filters? Well, Fog displays visible halation, which fell off the highlights linearly. On the other hand, Smoque is used as a more overall filter, used to increase the levels of black areas in an entire image. Smoque filters are actually the most similar to physical haze, which works to copy the look of a hazy room. It’s worth giving haze a try because you don’t have to put anything in front of your camera lens, meaning it doesn’t refract light. This creates a nice, clean shot without any glare — something you certainly want to avoid!

Let’s Get Experimental

As we’re sure that you’ll know already, some of the lenses we’ve mentioned previously can be pretty expensive. Indeed, it can be difficult for some photographers and filmmakers to fork out a lot just for the sake of adding style to the scene. So, what can you do to get creative?

Luckily, there are household items you can experiment with to create different camera effects if you are working on a low budget. All you are required to do is find what’s called an Optical Blank filter for around $20 USD on average and rub this filter with something greasy — many cheap items could do the trick. It might be worth taking a quick glance at some of the everyday household items you can experiment with below.

Vaseline

If you suffer from chapped lips in the winter, you won’t be a stranger to carrying a tin of Vaseline in your bag or keeping one stowed away in your bedside drawer. Amazingly, this petroleum jelly-based product can be used on camera lenses to create an incredible impact. It would be best if you spread the Vaseline evenly over the lens to create a thin layer — you only need to use a minimal amount of Vaseline to cover a lens, so there’s no need to use it excessively.

Mesh

Using mesh from everyday items like a gear bag’s net, wedding veil, and most things you can find at a JoAnn’s can allow you to create a speckled, sun ray effect on your pictures. This technique can help create a dreamy, soft look that is reminiscent of many nostalgic flashback scenes in movies.

Flashlight

Whilst you don’t smear this item on your camera lens, you can shine the light directly at your lens at a particular angle. Shining a light like this can give your images a diffused, vintage look whilst bringing up black areas and creating a wash over the entire picture. This technique is handy because you are not placing anything in front of the lens, and it could easily be done using your smartphone. However, you need to consider what could modify the results of using this technique. For example, different focal lengths could produce different results, whilst the approach could also result in glare — the opposite of what you want to create! Therefore, you should run a test with your flashlight before fully adopting this method. This will ensure it is working as you want it to.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we’d like to highlight that each camera filter is different and can offer various benefits to your next camera shots. There are so many other filters out there that we haven’t tested yet, so we encourage you to go out and experiment on your own.

What we found is that the Black Pro-Mist 1/2 filter is by far the most popular and commonly used filter due to its vast array of attractive features, such as boasting the most halation out of all the filters we decided to test.

Pointing this out in the discussion links back to our initial goal — creating subtle alterations that could result in the most epic camera shot outcomes. While high-tech equipment like the Black Pro-Mist 1/2 filter can help you with your camera shots, you mustn’t neglect to consider budget-friendlier options that can be sought out in your own home. We found that Vaseline was particularly impactful in its outcome as a filter, creating a desirable, glowing halation effect.

All in all, whatever filter you decide to use in your camera shots should fulfill the goal of enhancing the picture’s storytelling aspect. Whether you want to create striking contrasts or soft, subtle blurs, there is a filter out there which can help you achieve your creative goals. Remember, these decisions should be informed and logical, ensuring that they work to develop the mood of the content you are aiming to create. Now get out there and start experimenting!

For more information, watch the video in full on Aputure’s YouTube channel. Also, we’d love to know how you are planning to use your own filters, so share this in the comments below, along with suggestions for what lens filters you’d like to see us experiment with next!

Our Guide to Comparing Lens Diffusion Filters was originally published in Aputure on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.