Comparison Between Stage Lighting and Film Lighting

Stage Lighting vs. Film Lighting

For some people, lights are lights. When a production team has lighting to throw on a subject, and can control that light, it seems straightforward to the layperson. But the requirements for film as contrasted with the lighting needs for theatre are a world apart. This paper delves into both kinds of lighting, and explains the uses, advantages, and major differences.

The Literature on Lighting

Rick Shaw of CSI Multimedia as been providing lighting, sound, video and projection since 1986, and he insists that proper "video and stage lighting are, for the most part, mutually incompatible" (Shaw, 2009). Lighting for film and video is "flat" Shaw says, with no shadows, and it has a high color temperature (5600 Kelvin, which is equal to morning sunlight). Stage lighting however is "dimensional," which means there will be shadows, and its color temperature is just 3200 Kelvin -- about the intensity of a quartz bulb (Shaw, p. 1).

Shaw notes that the anchors on cable news programs have "naturally appearing colors, especially flesh tones" and there are never shadows under the eyes or neck. But on the other hand, when a person views his or her own personal videos, "high contrast shadows are everywhere," faces have "a unnatural glow" and "everything has an orange hue to it" (p. 1). The solution to the issues related to home video production is to use professional movie lights, for example, "large Fresnels" with day light filters or banks of focused fluorescent lights. These lights will help produce the flat lighting and high color temperature needed for good video and film production, Shaw continues (p. 2).

Writing on the Web site DVinfo.net Peter Wiley takes the position that theatre and film lighting are somewhat similar, but one has to be aware of the color temperature of the lamps. Wiley explains that if the color temperature is "…very far off 3,200K, white balance will be accomplished at the expense of other colors"; yes, he says, the white will be pure white but other color's "won't look like you expect" (DVinfo.net). Writing in the same Web site Boyd Ostroff describes theatre lighting -- "stage lights" -- as being designed to "paint with a broad brush," in other words, theatre lighting is meant to illuminate something for an audience "sitting many feet away from the stage." Film lighting, on the other hand, as to produce "a more even pattern of light that will look good in close-up shots" (DVinfo.net).

In the Web site Control Booth technical director Van McQueen explains that there are "HUGE" differences in lighting for theatre and cinema, and he is speaking in technical terms. The "gelling" techniques, the fixture sizes, are all different, he explains. As for power, in a typical theatre production you have "100's of lamps each running at 575 watts" but in film "you might have thee lights running at 5.75 K. each," Van goes on (www.controlbooth.com). When you are comparing the cable needs for each production, in theatre production people can use a "SOCA cable about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and power 8-16 fixtures." But in cinema a production team would run "5 wires of 2/0 to a panel and provide power for fixtures, motors, SPFX, and craft services" (Control Booth).

"Steve B" explains that making movies requires a lot more power as a rule than theatre productions do (Control Booth). That is a huge difference right there, quite apart from color and lighting. For example Steve was in Brooklyn at the National Guard Armory at the time the first Spiderman was filmed. Of course as part of the production, electricity was needed for "catering, makeup, construction and painters," and that was before the "shooting crew" had arrived on the scene, or all the lighting technicians. Steve witnessed a 360 x 190ft "interior space with 4/0 feeder cable stacks, all about 3-4 ft high, filling the armory. That's a whole lot of feeder cable," he continued (Control Booth).

In film production, it should be remembered, lighting is "as you go," which means the electricians and gaffers consult with the Director of Photography as to "how a scene should be lit," and every scene is a bit different in terms of both lighting and electrical needs. In theatre meanwhile, a good deal of power is also needed but it is nearly all in the building infrastructure so it is "out of sight, out of mind," Steve explains. Also in theater, the lighting designer has weeks, maybe months to figure out exactly what the plot calls for. The theatre lighting director arranges for the rental of gear, gets it delivered to the theatre "where it is rigged," Steve continues on Control Booth. The technical crew than goes through a "plotting session, levels are set on a console controlling dimmers ad movers, scrollers… rehearsals are fun & #8230;with a stage manager calling cues to a console operator" (Control Booth).