Position and secure fixtures while applying safety considerations
Safety considerations remain as much of a priority when positioning and securing lighting fixtures for virtual production as for traditional lighting approaches, regardless of the shoot location and equipment used. Lighting teams now need to consider these tasks in relation to their use of the LED wall in parallel with other foreground lighting equipment.
- Accurately calculate the weight and load capacity of all the equipment specified
- Select and use grip hardware for fine positioning of lighting systems
- Ensure that the personal protective equipment selected for use meets safety requirement for working at heights
- Ensure lighting stands or equipment are positioned in accordance with the lighting rig plan
- Secure and tie-off lamps using correct knots
- Request permission from the appropriate person and / or organisation to fix accessories and refinements to buildings
- Mark areas of work to the building and to other users in your team
- Inform the production team and all relevant people what action they must take when particular caution is needed in the rigging area
- The detail of the risk assessment findings to ensure safe installation of lighting equipment
- How to attach lighting equipment loads safely with the use of mounting or suspension equipment
- The load capacity of lighting grip hardware and stands
- How the capacity of load bearing lighting grip equipment changes with its orientation
- How to operate and move lighting stands or equipment on all different types of terrain
- How to ensure that the centre of gravity of any support system is in a position to prevent accidents
- How to work from a lighting rig plan or from the verbal instructions of the person responsible for the lighting
- The reasons for and implications of regulations relating to the use of lighting and mounting equipment
- The reasons for implications of regulations relating to lifting operations and lifting equipment
- The importance of checking personal protective equipment before use when working at height
- The health and safety regulations covering safe working practices at height
- The different range and applications of industry-standard knots
- The importance of informing the production team and relevant people of the precautions to take when in the rigging areas
Provide lighting to meet the desired effect
Virtual production foreground lighting considerations are identical to those on a conventional set in terms of creativity and safety, but lighting teams now need to consider these tasks alongside use of the LED wall in the background to create a combined lighting effect.
- Check that all light sources perform accurately within their design limits
- Confirm that connectors and lighting systems are identified with numbered labels to ensure consistent connection and control
- Follow instruction to alter the light source in terms of setting, colour temperature, beam angle, and flag or reflector setting
- Confirm that the required filters are in place and are producing the desired result
- Use accessories to control the light source to meet the desired effect
- Use lighting systems or ballast controls to meet the desired effect
- Apply lighting effects to the production from specialised equipment in a safe and controlled environment
- Establish consistent filtering and correction for lighting
- Communicate with colleagues when production requirements are unachievable
- Unify colour temperature of mixed light sources when required
- The different types of light measuring equipment available, and their uses
- How light levels can affect the mood of the production
- How your working practices affect other departments
- The different lighting systems and their use to meet the desired effect
- The types of ancillary equipment available, including: barn doors, dimmer shutters, gobos, flags, stipple boards, filters, diffusion; and the criteria for their safe use
- How to produce a range of effects using different luminaires, ancillary equipment and techniques
- How the different light sources, diffusion materials, and filters or reflectors used produce the desired results
- The different lighting plans in common use, and how to interpret them
- Colour correction techniques and how their application affects the outcome
- The uses of hard and soft sources and how to control them
- When and why to use reflected light
- The different types of lighting systems and sources, and how to get the best performance from them
- How to use par lenses to shape the light beam to meet the desired effect
Programme and operate lighting consoles
Lighting consoles are very commonly used in virtual production and are often linked directly to real-time engines and playback servers. It would be unusual not to employ a console desk within an LED volume environment.
- Check whether the studio package included a lighting console and if that console meets your specific production requirement
- Decide how your light will communicate with the desk (DMX, DALI, IP)
- Explore the option of using iPad/tablet-based controls to enable your gaffer or virtual gaffer to operate the lights from beside camera
- Consider how to control out-of-sight lighting operations
- Request and line up vision monitoring when required
- Inform the person responsible for the design of the lighting of any equipment failure or fault which might affect the action or shooting
- Adjust individual channels to satisfy production requirements
- Identify and resolve problems and production constraints
- Maintain communication with production staff
- How lighting consoles integrate with real-time engines
- Pixel mapping and its effect on light output
- What backup procedures to employ
- The operation of different types of console to produce different types of effect
- The effects and safe use of strobe lighting
- How to interpret the pictorial requirements of the production by dynamic choices of lighting balance
- The health and safety requirements, and how they affect the programming, operation, and working practices of different types of console
- How a musical performance may affect the operation of the console and any subsequent lighting changes
- How to identify any problems or production constraints, and how to resolve these
- The different types of communication systems available to production
- The procedures for video monitor operation
- In television productions, the relationship with vision control and with the lighting director
- Different options for automating lighting fixtures
- How DMX is used to control lighting and effects equipment
- The architecture, principles and limitations of DMX systems
- How to use DMX peripheral equipment
- The importance of record keeping for re-shoot continuity
Start up and close down electrical generators
Ascertain who is responsible for the start up and close down of electrical generators including meter readings. This may be a studio responsibility or could be the responsibility of your genny op, nonetheless the below standard protocols remain relevant.
- If you bring your own generator, ensure its positioning and cabling do not contravene any fire or Health and Safety Executive regulations
- Level the generator when it is necessary to do so
- Carry out pre-start tests on the cable distribution system with regard to polarity and earthing in accordance with the latest edition of the relevant electrical safety standards and approved codes of practice
- Start the generator and ensure the controls and systems function according to manufacturer's instructions prior to electrical energisation
- Monitor the generator throughout its use in terms of its functioning, balance, loading, fuel and fluid levels
- Recognise at the earliest stage when a generator is showing signs of faults i.e. pulsing, strain, smoking
- Follow the relevant safety procedures to shut down the generator safely and efficiently
- Monitor all users of the generators for loading and safe practices
- Ensure all tools and equipment are secure and safe for their continued operation
- Whose responsibility it is to start up and close down electrical generators
- The importance of accurate meter reading to reflect the production usage and its effect on the budget
- Health and safety legislation, electrical safety standards and approved codes of practice relating to the operation of the generators
- How to start up, monitor while it's running and close down the generator
- The importance of monitoring for potential hazards
- The importance of operating the generator in a level position and checking the generator fluid levels on a daily basis
- The maximum loading of sub circuits and distribution boxes
- How to identify and rectify hazards relevant to cable routing
- How to check the correct functioning of all power distribution equipment in use
- The environmental legislation affecting the use and storage of generators
- The importance of monitoring all users of the generator
- The importance of ensuring all tools and equipment are secure and safe for continued use
Further considerations
Skills and knowledge related to virtual production
Install wiring for practicals and equipment – as with any location shoot, virtual production will often require practical lamps in foreground so lighting teams will now need to consider installation of practicals and equipment considering interaction with the LED wall or green screen.
Explore more lighting competencies:
Identifying lighting equipment for virtual production
Preparing and maintaining virtual production equipment in lighting