📺This is part 4 of our Rodney Charters ASC lighting tutorial series. Master cinematographer Charters is best known for his work on series like 24, Shameless, Magnum P.I., The Last Ship and Dallas. His on-set team for the project include gaffer John ‘Biggles’ Higgins as lighting consultant and Elena Armellini as gaffer.
Charters guides us through his lighting choices, explaining that you need to build a flexible lighting kit. The tutorial shows an emotional scene between father and daughter shot in a bedroom. The script required a daytime scene with sunlight coming in through the windows. As the exterior light changed over the day, the job of Charters and his gaffer was to use the lighting to maintain a cohesive ambience.
✨The keylight was a Nanlux Evoke 900C RGBLAC spotlight bounced onto an 8’x8’ Griffolyn fabric, wrapping the daughter character in a soft, natural glow. A Nanlite Forza 60C was fired into a CRLS reflector or mirror above the fireplace to cast a warm accent on her hair. Outside the team added an Evoke 1200B LED spotlight to replace the fading sunlight. Sheer curtains help maintain the natural feel, retaining depth and continuity. Each carefully placed light amplifies the story’s mood.
Effective lighting is about flexibility and control. Charters explains that battery-powered lights, which can be positioned quickly, make rapid adjustments simple. The tiny Nanlite PavoTube II 6C was used handheld to illuminate close-ups of objects on a table, and a PavoTube II 30XR was hidden over the window to add a subtle rim light.
From strategic use of reflectors to hiding lights like the Forza 60C for seamless visuals, every detail is crafted for an immersive viewer experience.
Thanks to the stellar crew who brought this scene to life! 🙏
Lighting Consultant: John Higgins
Gaffer: Elena Armellini
Electrician: Joe Kennedy
Desk Operator: Samuel Hilaire
Stay tuned for more on mastering the art of lighting, and feel free to share your thoughts with us!
💡Lights Used:
Evoke 900C: www.nanlux.com/product-evoke-900c?t=1731381034327#/en
Evoke 1200B: www.nanlux.com/product-evoke-1200b?t=1731381046368#/en
Forza 60C: www.nanlite.com/product-forza-60c-cr?t=1731381086448#/en
PavoTube II 30XR: www.nanlite.com/product-pavotube-ii-15xr-30xr-60xr?t=1731381128293#/en/PavoTube-II-X/XR
PavoTube II 6C: www.nanlite.com/product-pavotube-ii-6c?t=1731381115448#/en/PavoTube-II-6C
PavoBulb 10C: www.nanlite.com/product-pavobulb-10c?t=1731381146878#/en/PavoBulb-10C
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