Twelve-time Emmy-winning TV LD Bob Barnhart will discuss creating and adapting lighting for the camera, in a live online course "Lighting Live Events For Camera" that runs for eight Saturdays, March 4-April 22, 2023 for Studio School of Design.
Bob Barnhart, principal lighting designer at 22 Degrees in Los Angeles, attended California State University Chico and graduated from California Institute of the Arts in Southern California. His more than 35-year career in lighting started in theatre, then a short time with rock ’n roll concerts and feature films before settling into the television angle of the business. Since 1997, Barnhart has been a lighting designer for television series and specials. A few of his long list of credits include more than 20 Academy Awards ceremonies, over 20 Super Bowl Halftime shows, The VMA’s, Miss Universe, The AMA’s, The ESPY Awards, and the AFI Tribute to Barbra Streisand & Andrea Bocelli in Central Park. In addition, he has done all 16 seasons of the television series, “So You Think You Can Dance,” and also served as its production designer for season 13 & 14. In addition to television lighting consultations for Barbra Streisand, Ellen De Generes, and Debbie Reynolds, Barnhart has been honored with 12 Emmy Awards for “Outstanding Lighting Design in a Television Special or Series.”
In Barnhart's words, the class will cover:
What is the difference between lighting for your eye and the camera’s eye? In order to translate your design ideas to TV, we need to understand the simple difference between how your eye sees lighting and how the camera interprets it. Contrast levels, color rendering. How & why, we pick a color temperature and choose our expose levels.
We will look at some TV light plots – key light & backlight angles – What needs to be lit – watching out for camera shadows in the light plot. We will look at and discuss the placement of lights. Key Light – Tools to make someone look as good as possible, when needed. What actually makes a “soft light” and no its not gel! Shadow pitfalls and reflection danger zones. Back Light – probably the 2nd most important light in your entire tool kit and my #1 favorite light to work with. We will also discuss lighting scenery and lighting as scenery.
Breaking down the production design and pre-production planning. Working with the producer, director, production designer and talent. Probably the most important relationship throughout your entire career (outside of your department) will be the one with the Production Designer. We will breakdown many different set designs and then look at the final product.
Let’s spend a day talking to a few programmers (we call them Lighting Directors). One quirk about TV shows is the incredibly short amount of time we get to actually light the show. The communication process with your LDs and how they set their consoles up will be the difference of just getting the show lit or getting your design ideas on TV.
Because the camera is translating everything we are designing, it is crucial to be able to talk to your Video Operator, VC, Shader or whatever you like to call them. We will spend one of the days talking to a the leading V.O. in the business. Discussing how they can help us and you guessed it, how they can hurt us. Being able to have an educated conversation with your V.O., will make all the difference in the world for the outcome of your final product.
Watch now: Webcast: Bob Barnhart: Lighting The 2019 Super Bowl Halftime Show on Live Design Online