- Fluorescent Lighting
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS
The traditional problem with fluorescents was poor color reproduction: the tubes produced a partial spectrum light with a heavy green spike. There were also flicker problems, since they are “pulsing” AC lamps. The color problem has been solved with full spectrum tubes that have almost no green at all in them. The flicker problem was reduced with the rise of crystal-sync motors for cameras and high frequency ballasts for the lights, which allow them to “pulse” at incredibly high rates, making them practically continuous.
Fluorescent lamps are a type of gas discharge tube similar to neon signs and mercury or sodium vapor street or yard lights. A pair of electrodes, one at each end - are sealed along with a drop of mercury and some inert gases (usually argon) at very low pressure inside the tube. The ultra-violet (UV) radiation excites the inside of the tube, coated with a phosphor, which then produces visible light.
Cinematographers discovered the positive qualities of fluorescent lights: lightweight fixtures that put out soft, controllable light that wraps around the features and creates a pleasing eye light. They can easily be built into sets when a fluorescent environment is called for and can be used purely as a low profile, soft lighting instrument.
The most commonly used portable fluorescent fixtures for lighting on sets are the versatile 4-ft and 2-ft units. Each fixture is equipped with a lightweight egg-crate louver that controls the spread (and slightly reduces the intensity) of the light. The fixture has a snap-on mounting plate for attachment to a C-stand, but because the fixtures are lightweight, they can also be taped or stapled into place. The components of each fixture (fixture with barn doors, reflector, egg-crate louver, lamp harness, and tubes) can be disassembled and employed in any number of configurations as needed. The fixture can be used with or without the egg-crate louver.
The 4 ft 4 bank units provide sufficient output to serve as key light at moderate light levels, or as a soft fill at higher light levels. The double-bank and single-bank fixtures are perfect to light actors close to the fixture; the fixture might be attached to a nearby wall, propped hidden behind TV, or built into the set.
