Is there a basic set of color gels that I can get to practice shooting some simple shots? I'm new to actual shooting tecnique and how do all these lights work, so need something really basic to begin with..
Thanks!
Thanks!
cinematography basit set of gels
- Thread starter dlevanchuk
- Start date
There's a lot of alternatives to basic gels, these days. What did you have in mind for them?
The blue/orange gels for basic colour-temp correction see less use, given most digital cameras now can set a white balance manually.
Even the local K-Mart sells a wide variety of bulbs in varying colour temps now, so it's quite simple to swap & mix bulbs to match the light coming through the windows.
The ND (Neutral Density) gels are always awesome to have, to control contrasts.
Still, gels are very useful for creative lighting and simulating particular conditions.
Heh.
That's not a simple question.
The blue/orange gels for basic colour-temp correction see less use, given most digital cameras now can set a white balance manually.
Even the local K-Mart sells a wide variety of bulbs in varying colour temps now, so it's quite simple to swap & mix bulbs to match the light coming through the windows.
The ND (Neutral Density) gels are always awesome to have, to control contrasts.
Still, gels are very useful for creative lighting and simulating particular conditions.
Heh.
That's not a simple question.
Gels are more useful for matching and adjusting light sources than doing the camera's white balancing. Even when shooting on film, it would be easier to change from a daylight to a tungsten stock than gelling every light source.
To the OP: have a look on Google for "colour temperature" and read up on it a bit. It'll help you begin to understand when and why lighting gels are used when lighting a film.
If you just want to buy a few gels and have a play, I'd recommend getting a few sheets of CTB (Colour to Blue) in various strengths (1/4, 1/2, Full), CTO (Colour to Orange) in the same strengths, and maybe some ND (Neutral Density) gels in varying strengths (.3, .6, .9). That might all be a bit overwhelming if you get it all at once, so it might be easier if you just buy the CTB gels and have a play, then the CTO and finally the ND.
Finally, the more you read and research on things like this, the easier it is to know what to use and when. Practice is, as with all things in film making, essential, but a solid grounding in the theory makes it a hell of a lot easier.
Depending on your 'style' you'll be using different gels. If you want to go Dario Argento, you'll want a nice selection of yellow, blue and red gels. If you want to go natural you'll want to, well, follow the info above.
Just remember, you can use gels to simulate environmental atmospheres, or you can use them to paint a stylized lighting palette to your image. You don't have to go natural...
Just remember, you can use gels to simulate environmental atmospheres, or you can use them to paint a stylized lighting palette to your image. You don't have to go natural...
Here's the kit I have... works great on set for me:
http://www.filmtools.com/lee-filters-master-location-lighting-pack.html
relatively inexpensive as well.
http://www.filmtools.com/lee-filters-master-location-lighting-pack.html
relatively inexpensive as well.
Knightly - excellent! that's something that I was looking for!
Thanks guys for the input!
Thanks guys for the input!
No worries! Pick up a couple of these while you're at it too: http://www.harborfreight.com/router-speed-control-43060.html
Those and the orange extension cords with your gels C-47s (wooden clothespins) and leather gloves will take you on any set and have you the primary gear you need for gafferin'
Those and the orange extension cords with your gels C-47s (wooden clothespins) and leather gloves will take you on any set and have you the primary gear you need for gafferin'