Lighting and Color

Class Readings/Videos (Sources):

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgq_AReemN4&feature=fvwrel
2. http://lowel.com/edu/foundations_of_lighting.html
3. http://lowel.com/edu/color_temperature_and_rendering_demystified.html

Class #5 taught us about the effects of color and lighting in video and objects in general. First, we were to watch a video on YouTube about light modifiers, in which a man demonstrated the different ways to cast light and shadows on a model. He used a variety of tools, such as, a soft white umbrella, a softbox, a reflector panel, and a "barndoor." These tool help to dictate the amount of light reflected upon an object. Often times, the direct light source may be too bright or intense for filming and video purposes, so these tools help to create a less intensified light source for a clearer picture. According to the reading, "Foundations of Lighting Placement," "One of the first steps in any lighting setup is to decide where to place the lights. The most important light is the Key light, the main light on your subject. The second most important is the Fill light, which supports the Key light by filling in shadows that it creates on the subject. The placement of these 2 lights is the most important part of a basic lighting setup." The Key light is usually casted straight-on the subject, while the Fill light is opposite the Key light. In regards to color, "Color temperature has been described most imply as a method of describing the color characteristics of light, usually either warm (yellowish) or cool (bluish), and measuring it in degrees of Kelvin (°K)." Color plays a major role in lighting. Different colors give off different reflections. Lighting is extremely important when it comes to pictures, films, and video. 

Class #4

Day Four

In our fourth class, we had a lecture on chapter 1. We learned many of the basic concepts regarding the "understanding of digital video." Some things we discussed were:

• dpi = dots per inch
• ppi = pixels per inch
• pixels = the smallest element of an image that can be individually processed in a video display system
• HD = high definition - 720P and 1080i; 1080P = Blue-ray disk players
• SD = standard definition
• 4:3 - standard definition footages have an aspect ratio of 4:3
• 16:9 - this is the aspect ratio for wide screen display
• television displays 30 "still" images (frames) per second
• progressive vs. interlaced displays
• broadcast (for example WLOY) - 720P, 1080i
• direct tv, dish network - 1080P

After we finished with our lecture we launched Premiere Pro and began learning about the basics of the program in a hand-on way, led by our professor. The steps we took are as follows:

• we clicked on the "New Project" tab
• created a new folder - "Ippolito324"
• learned about how important it is when naming different projects
• opened "Lesson1" and began playing around with the video
• JKL Editing: KL = forward slow motion; KJ = backwards slow motion; K = pause; L = forward; J = backwards
• fps = frames per second
• Control Z = undo

We learned how to mark in/mark out and how to insert/override into timeline.

After the completion of Lesson1 and understanding the basics to Premiere Pro, we broke up into our groups and continued working on out "long take assignment." My group members and I added music into the background of our video. We also used the "Effects" tab to select "dissolve" which faded the video at the beginning and at the end for a smoother viewing and transition. After we made all the changes and were satisfied with our final piece, we logged into our TerraBlock software and exported our final work into our class folder!