Lighting speakers/musicians in black box studio

[Amy Worrall]

I'm doing the lighting for a mixed media event in a couple of months. It'll comprise some spoken readings (with live BSL translation), some music (pianist, guitarist), and some things interspersed with pre-recorded video on a projector screen. (One act will have the projected video, a smaller TV display for a different video feed, as well as the speaker and the BSL interpreter).

 

Does anyone have any tips on lighting a single person against a black backdrop? (It's a professional theatre and I can hang whatever lanterns I like.) Most of my experience is with theatrical performances, where you typically want to see the backdrop and usually have lots of people on stage at once. Gut feel says point a couple of profiles from different angles at each of the places where someone might stand (and spike the floor so they know to stand there), but any tips would be appreciated.

 

For the ones with video, I plan to position the speaker enough off to one side that the light does not wash out the projector screen, but not so much so that the audience have to turn their heads between the two.

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

Amy

[Shez]

If there's a lectern, that provides a clear marker of where to stand but some speakers will need a bit of explicit direction regardless about where to put themselves. BSL signers are generally very good at finding their light. Make sure you have some wider cover for that one speaker who insists on wandering across the stage whilst speaking. Keep light off the blacks unless you're deliberately dressing them. If the musicians are reading dots, appropriate top light will always be appreciated.

[timsabre]

I'd add a backlight for each position if possible. It will help lift the person away from the black background.

It can also look good to put some led cans on the floor against the black and get a few streaks of blue up the black. Not always appropriate but can relieve the blackness a bit.

[Amy Worrall]

If there's a lectern, that provides a clear marker of where to stand but some speakers will need a bit of explicit direction regardless about where to put themselves. BSL signers are generally very good at finding their light. Make sure you have some wider cover for that one speaker who insists on wandering across the stage whilst speaking. Keep light off the blacks unless you're deliberately dressing them. If the musicians are reading dots, appropriate top light will always be appreciated.

 

I think some of them want a lectern, some want a mic stand, and some want nothing but a handheld mic. We do have a rehearsal the day before, so I'm hoping we can sort standing positions there. (Or sitting positions — one performer is in a wheelchair.)

 

Amy

[paulears]

Steeper than usual angles, so you isolate them from, rather than including them into the backdrop. I quite like it when the person is shot against a black background - but if their image is going to be on a screen or a recording - the camera choice is important as it's easy to burn them out ending up with a white blob - plus of course, making sure they don't wear black themselves.

 

60 degrees as a down angle, and the usual kind of angle between two front lights seems to work. A back light can also help lift them from the black for a bit of hair light. A bit of diffuser in one of them helps the video, but does little for the audience.