Lighting equipment and setups

A small documentary where portability is paramount.

As these documentaries often involve time constraints and limited resources, the lighting must be affordable whilst also quick and easy to move around. A small portable LED light would be suitable; they don't radiate heat the way an incandescent or halogen light bulb does which makes it a safer light source as it does not become excessively hot to the touch when in operation. A snap on camera light would be useful for carrying and placing in scenes, improving portability. The aim is usually to replicate natural lighting for verisimilitude, however relying solely on natural light is unreliable and wastes time. Three-point lighting is often used to imitate this, it is a somewhat more complicated setup yet more powerful lighting may be needed in some environments. If using a camera light, a reflector can reflect the light into certain areas of the shot to utilise the light without using too many sources. A reflector can also be folded for portability and are quite cheap, however may result in overexposure.

'Talking head' style interviews

Often used in documentaries, this style aims to capture the subject clearly. The lighting must illuminate the face naturally and draw attention towards the subject. Three-point lighting is the most commonly used technique for this as these interviews are often simplistic and static so the lights can be fixed in position to provide the best lighting for the shot. The main light source is the key light which is placed to the side of the subject and camera, it shines upon the subject to illuminate their features and provide shadow on the other side. The secondary light is the fill light which is placed on the opposite side of the key light. It is softer and used to fill the shadows created by the key light. Finally, there is the back light, placed behind the subject. This is less direct and used to create definition and subtle highlights around the subject, separating them from the background and providing a three-dimensional look.

A 'night time' shoot

For a night time shoot, a much more powerful light source is required as there is little natural light to use. This is especially important as altering the ISO in low light can result in a very grainy shot. A large flashlight or spotlight would be ideal as this can flood an area with light and give you control over the direction and intensity. More light sources may be needed in wide open areas with no natural light. A reflector would be useful to distribute the light and avoid it looking too harsh with shadows and contrast. A softbox would give it a more natural appearance. The lighting would have to be carefully controlled to ensure there is no under or overexposure and that the camera settings must not be changed too harshly.