Apple TV -1998, Cupertino, CA.
The role of the Lighting Director in any
television production is essential to the success of that production. Afterall,
other production elements like sets, props, talent and camerawork all depend
on the light they are presented in - literally! Poor lighting can bust an
otherwise professional production; conversely, good studio lighting can
significantly enhance the production value of even the most mudane television
productions. Experience and a sense of "taste" are the key pre-requisites
to look for in choosing a Lighting Director. By "taste" I'm referring
to the ability to always keep in mind who the audience is for any particular
production. If your lighting a corporate video magazine show, you better
the save the "rock 'n roll" approach for a different production.
Again, experience is the key as well. In the past ten years I have been
the Lighting Director for over 200 live teleconferences and broadcasts.
Part of my strength as an LD comes from my experience as a cameraman. In
fact, it's not uncommon for me to LD and shoot on the same production (budget
conscious producers like this). Being a cameraman as well allows me to think
as a cameraman when I design lighitng plots for multi-camera productions.
It's one thing to light for one camera angle and quite another thing to
light for three and sometimes four different camera angles. I've witnessed
many Gaffers stumble badly when trying to light in a multi-camera setting,
particularly if they are from a single camera film style background. Furthermore,
I often rely on my DP's sense of composition for adding lighting touches
to the set, particularly when considering the interplay between the set
and talent. The samples below are good examples of how I as Lighting Director
and Cameraman was able to enhance sets with specific lighting and set design
decisions.
"NBC College Basketball Preview With Pat O' Brien"
"CBS College Bowl Preview With Al Trautwig"
"NBC NFL Pre-Season Special"
