Film Stocks & Light

You will want to shoot negative film stock, not reversal film stock. Negative film stock has more latitude, meaning it is easier to manipulate in the lab (and though you never want to depend on the film lab to fix mistakes, it is still good to have this extra insurance). More importantly, negative film stock is designed to make multiple answer prints (and a wide distribution should be every filmmaker's goal).

Tungsten Film & Daylight Film (Color Temperature)

We humans can detect some variety in color temperature, however, for the most part, we see nearly all light as white light. Film, on the other hand, detects only a very narrow band in the spectrum as white light. Light outside of that band is generally yellow/orange (warm) on one side of the spectrum, and blue (cool) on the other side. The color of light is measured on a color temperature scale in degrees Kelvin. The lower degree equals a warmer color. The higher degree equals a cooler color.

Natural daylight during midday burns at a cool color temperature of 5600° K. During the times of dusk and dawn the light burns somewhere between 3000° K and 4500° K. Typical house lights burn at a warm color temperature of 2800° K; dim house lights at between 1800° K and 2800° K. A candle flame generally burns at a very warm color temperature of 1500° K.

The most common lights used in film production are tungsten lights. Tungsten light (generated by tungsten-halogen bulbs) burns at a constant color temperature of 3200° K and provides a warm look.

On extremely low-budget film sets, often inexpensive photoflood bulbs are used in place of tungsten lights. Photofloods can be used in most typical house lamps (so long as the lamp will support the wattage). They burn at a constant 3400° K and can be purchased at most professional photography shops.

Again, normal daylight burns at a color temperature of 5600° K and provides a cool look. Artificial daylight is generated by Halogen Medium Iodide, or HMI lamps, and does the same.

Learn more about color temperature, tungsten, HMI, and natural light, as well as the difference between film speeds and aspect ratios. Learn the proper use of filters and gels, the qualities of different lenses, as well as tricks to reducing grain in 16mm blow-ups to 35mm prints. Order "The Old School Film School" today.



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