How is this effect created?

[maxjones2000]

Hi, bit of a basic and stupid question, but you've got to learn at some point! :D

 

Basically, I saw on Britains Got Talent last year that when there was a slow song, all of the stage was lit with a blue wash (presumably from the back and top), but the singer was lit in white - easy enough to do. However, if you look around the singer (ie on the floor by their feet), its still a blue wash with no spill from the white frontlighting. I was wondering how this was done so that ONLY the singer was lit in white, and everything around them was lit in blue? I'm guessing that the blue wash was done from several PAR64's/fresnels flown above/behind the singer and the white light on the singer was done using several Source 4's FOH soft focussed onto the singer with the shutters pulled in so that it was lighting only the singer and not the floor around them? Or is it some sort of camera trick so that it looks like only the singer is illuminated in white?

 

I would try it at school, but the Performing Arts teacher is a bit reluctant to focussing the lights when it comes to shows (helpful! :** laughs out loud **: ), so I am kind of relying on people on here to correct me, as I think that this effect could in useful in the future.

 

Thanks, and sorry if this isnt very clear!

 

Max :** laughs out loud **:

[AndyJones]

I haven't seen any of Britain's Got Talent, nor do I have any idea of the particular effect you are referring to, However these are the first three guesses that spring to mind:

1) She is up-lit so that any spill is lost into the roof out of shot.

2) Very Very tight special (Requires a lot of accuracy from the talent!)

3) clever camera work (to not show any of the mess behind her!)

 

Regards,

 

Andy Jones

 

Edit: S&G!

[CharlieH]

Hi, bit of a basic and stupid question, but you've got to learn at some point! :D

 

Basically, I saw on Britains Got Talent last year that when there was a slow song, all of the stage was lit with a blue wash (presumably from the back and top), but the singer was lit in white - easy enough to do. However, if you look around the singer (ie on the floor by their feet), its still a blue wash with no spill from the white frontlighting. I was wondering how this was done so that ONLY the singer was lit in white, and everything around them was lit in blue? I'm guessing that the blue wash was done from several PAR64's/fresnels flown above/behind the singer and the white light on the singer was done using several Source 4's FOH soft focussed onto the singer with the shutters pulled in so that it was lighting only the singer and not the floor around them? Or is it some sort of camera trick so that it looks like only the singer is illuminated in white?

 

I would try it at school, but the Performing Arts teacher is a bit reluctant to focussing the lights when it comes to shows (helpful! :P ), so I am kind of relying on people on here to correct me, as I think that this effect could in useful in the future.

 

Thanks, and sorry if this isnt very clear!

 

Max :** laughs out loud **:

Not being an expert, but I would have thought that it was either a follow spot, on quite dimly with a straw/frost (?) gel in it, or some birdies uplighting the performer. I doubt they would be static S4s as this would then involve the performer having to stand perfectly still, or risk going out of the light. A load of birdies along the DS rim of the stage, pointing up can illuminate people without affecting the ground wash (I've seen this done at the National).

 

As I said, I am not an expert and am expecting to be corrected by the 'gurus' from the BR, however this is how I would have done it. I would have also used a mover / discharge follow spot behind the performer, projecting a harsh white beam of light to backlight the performer, such as the example show below, however in this example you can make out the beam of the followspot behind her.

 

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy114/Charlie18061/Misc%20BR%20Pics/screen-capture.jpg

 

Hope this helps, and isn't too wrong :** laughs out loud **:

 

Charlie

[mark_s]

Having also not seen the show, I'd propose:

4) She is mostly sidelit (so the spill is lost to the wings), with some slight fill from the front, and strong back/toplight to mostly hide the mess from the fill.

[Joe Bleasdale]

OR... It could be a followspot which is called by the LD/Generics operator. This is likely as shows like this usually have a few followspots. It is also possible that the Generics Operator made a cue for this on his desk utalizing a VL1000 or Source 4 Revolution then quickly edited the cue live to suit the performer. Bear in mind the camera allows for some felxibility here and any decent Operator could manage it with enough speed and accuracy to not cause any horrible results to the camera. Considering that the LD and team on this show light harded shows just as well I would not rule out my second explanation for this.

 

Hope that helps,

[david.elsbury]

Considering that the LD and team on this show light harded shows just as well

Could you say this again in english this time please?

[mark_s]

OR... It could be a followspot which is called by the LD/Generics operator. This is likely as shows like this usually have a few followspots.

 

I can't help but feel it is the angle of the light that is important, not what it comes from. She could be lit by a followspot, VL1000 or a trained monkey with a candle for all it matters, the important thing in this context is the direction from which the light comes...

[Joe Bleasdale]

Could you say this again in english this time please?

 

Sorry. Finger must have slipped. Sentence should be - Considering the LD and team on this show light harder shows just as well...

 

I can't help but feel it is the angle of the light that is important, not what it comes from. She could be lit by a followspot, VL1000 or a trained monkey with a candle for all it matters, the important thing in this context is the direction from which the light comes...

 

I agree, but the point I was trying to make was that this effect didn't necessarily require precision from the talent as Andy Jones mentioned. I was pointing out that even if the talent was off by a few inches, this could easily be corrected without us noticing. Looking closely at the image, it is probably a followspot, but the point still stands, followspots, MLs, and even a monkey holding a candle can all be corrected rather easily. If Max really wants a definitive answer, I will ask the Operator of this show how it is done when I see him next week, that should then clear it all up.

 

Thanks,

[andy_s]

I can't see that reference to the image is of any use whatsoever, other than to show how NOT to do it, as it clearly shows exactly what the OP is hoping to avoid, that is to say two quite bright ovals of white light hitting the floor in front of and behind the performer.

 

I can't comment on how the effect was achieved on the broadcast referred to in the OP as I didn't see it. However, someone mentioned sidelight. Lighting a figure in one colour while the stage floor is washed in another colour is regularly achieved in dance performances by the use of horizontal (more or less) crosslight coming from booms in the wings. Ideally a minimum of three lights per boom, heads, mids and shins, from both sides of the stage. Depending on how far the performer travels up and down stage, repeat sets of booms will be required. Focus the side lights so that none of their beams hits the floor. To cover the whole body top to toe, rig shinbusters as close as possible to the floor and angle upwards to skim across the floor. If the sidelight is angled slightly upstage, then the face is lit, albeit from a non-standard angle for front fill. A soft-focus followspot on a headshot will minimise any spill if frontlight is required, a tricky but not impossible task for a skilled lime op, particularly if the throw distance is large. t

The more lively the performer, the harder this would become, but given that it's a slow number, this is probably not an issue.

 

That's not to say that that is how it was done in this instance, but it is a way of achieving the OP's request without affecting the colourwash on the floor, which as mentioned can be achieved using top or backlighting.

[Smiffy]

I would be inclined to say angles, good camera rehearsal, Vision Engineering

 

Depending on how the cameras are set up, you would be amazed at just how bright / dark certain shots in the same room can appear.

 

Cheers

 

Smiffy

[the kid]

The most useful thing would be a video im SURE BGT has a channel on youtube.

[SuperRad]

If there's no spill on the floor at all it could be sidelight, so it lights the singer from both sides in white, and then a wash lights the stage blue?

 

(aaaand I've been beaten to it. Oops)

[paulears]

This is a bit silly. There are simply loads of ways to do this. Especially on TV when the contrast ratio is kept lower. It's not exactly rocket science, and everyone has come up with ideas that would work. Short of actually asking the LD which trick he used, is there really much point carrying on. Wash a stage with colour, pick an angle for the artiste light that works for the camera positions, and that's that!

[maxjones2000]

Thanks everyone for the help, its been really useful and also interesting seeing how many of the "Pro's" do it differently! :** laughs out loud **: It looks like its mainly done with side-lighting (which I hadnt actually thought of!), so I'll keep this in mind for future shows at school! :D

 

Thanks again,

 

Max :D :** laughs out loud **:

 

If Max really wants a definitive answer, I will ask the Operator of this show how it is done when I see him next week

 

Thanks for the offer Joe, but I think we've come to a pretty strong conclusion! Thanks anyway though.. :D

 

:** laughs out loud **: Thanks Everyone! :** laughs out loud **:

[Oovis]

Max,

 

You asked a very specific question about a specific TV broadcast but when someone offers to ask a person who was involved in producing that very lighting effect you dismiss it out of hand. Why? Seems odd to me...