During the season premiere of one my favorite British TV Shows, “Torchwood” (the other being “Doctor Who”), there was one set of scenes, the Hub, or headquarters, scenes struck me. In the show, the Hub is located beneath Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff Bay, Wales, where there is a spacetime rift (this show is sort of like a British “X-Files”). The Hub is around 3 stories high, with a large column running through its middle, an extension of the Plass’ fountain above. What is interesting about its setting and lighting design is that since it’s below ground, the designers had free range to create whatever they wanted. There are no windows, so they did not have to deal with adding in sunlight or the Cardiff skyline. Instead, they added many types of electrical lighting, which explains why it is so bright.

Since this is a science fiction show, the designers must have thought in their heads “What can we do to create an amazing space that will seem capable of handling creatures of other dimensions and time, the destruction of Earth, etc?” In response, they encompassed the area with many levels, rooms with glass walls, and staircases which create a great sense of depth. Viewers wonder what are in those rooms, where do those stairs lead, etc. Designers also put very high-tech equipment around the Hub, to make the viewer even more sure that the Torchwood team can save the world.

Take a look at the first half of the episode to see the set: http://www.veoh.com/videos/v3079586k6HfnJZn?confirmed=1

What I can take from this is to possibly add levels and or stairs to future set designs that I am apart so depth can be created. Not only is that proper use of the z-axis, but it also captures the viewers attention and makes for a more interesting entertainment experience.

That said, I saw an interview with Herman Zimmerman, the production designer for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This was several years ago, but one thing he said stuck out at me. He was proud that on the Deep Space Nine set, the home viewer would never be able to discern the primary source of light outside that which is used as part of the set. I didn’t really know what that meant, and frankly I still don’t understand it.

Is it because in space light comes from all angles? Do we not need a fourth wall because the viewer has a broader understanding already that this is a space station and the area behind the camera is presumably not open to “space?” Space station or not, some parts of the set were still your basic living room, just with metallic walls. Isn’t it ok to have an obvious light source in these situations?

The creators of Deep Space Nine made a conscious decision to make the show “darker” than the previous Treks. The lighting and set designers clearly took that to heart. The colors are muted. Shadows fill the rooms (very different from the Enterprise which was full of light). Not only did this serve to separate the shows thematically, but it contributed to the feeling that these otherwise flamboyant people that occupied the station did not belong.

That said, “dark” is too often being synonomized with “edgy.” They are not the same. Studios need to get over this. Making an old idea “dark” is not necessarily compelling.

This idea was reinforced for me when we were talking in class about focus–having people in the background and stuff on the wall adds a lot of depth and reality. And it doesn’t even have to look that great in real life if you keep it out of focus!! Like many things in TV (and film) production, like lighting, music, editing, etc.. to make them as real as possible, they shouldn’t stand out too much. They are things that our mind kind of assumes are there, and should be there even if they don’t stand out because when they aren’t, it’s really obvious.

I’m really new to a lot of lighting design concepts, and I find that I feel really annoyed with myself when they are pointed out to me. These things are kind of obvious, but my brain is SO powerful that it fills in all these gaps and it makes it hard to notice the lighting (when it looks natural of course). One thing that struck me about lighting and set design just now when I was thinking about the CSI: New York set was that there were lamps. It occurred to me that when we did our lighting for a night scene, and I forgot about lamps/ prop lights. We were so busy worrying if the lighting looks good. So I am going to make it a point to try and remember those because they are obviously a necessity.

One more sidenote about lighting. I know some people mentioned the dark greyish tones of CSI: New York, and Shawn right above me mentioned that his attention wandered all over the screen, and the lighting didn’t focus on the speaker. I noticed that, too, and that in shows like that, where it’s dark a lot (i.e. my long time love, The X-Files, and thousands of other shows and movies) it’s harder for me to pay attention. I even miss dialogue sometimes…probably because my brain is using energy resources to fill me in on lighting info. But, since the lighting usually needs to accommodate the mood in those kinds of shows, I don’t really think it should be changed much, even if I had a suggestion… (maybe soon, but I’m still too novice.)

The set-designer is a master at creating the illusion of a 3-dimensional space on a flat canvas. Like Germane stated previously, the set designer must utilize the z axis to create a world with depth. The designer also needs to fully engage his/her imagination to create a set that should take advantage of the audiences’ active imagination.

Sets also convey symbolic meanings within the film, setting the mood; each set having their own characteristics.

Lights are used to paint the set. Light-designers are in charge of two main tasks, lighting the scene so the audience can see the talents, and using light to speak with the audience.

There are basics to lighting, but so much more is beyond the techniques of lighting. It is an art form of its own. Dealing with lights is like doing a courtship dance. Too much artistic ego would dismiss the idea of sprezzatura, and the lights would not look natural. Too little artistic input would make the set look unimaginative, banal, and unnatural as well. The light artist must delicately measure the amount of light needed for the scene, and weigh in the amount of creativity to paint the set with colors.

I have not had the privilege to have cable for the past year… yes, the entire year. Therefore, the only shows I have seen are mostly on DVDs. One that I’m particularly fond of is Dexter, a Showtime TV series.

It is about a serial killer who can’t stop killing, and therefore kills people who got away with heinous crimes. The lighting in the show is very interesting. It reminds me of Hitchcock’s theory on lighting the fear. The show has a dark undertone, but surprisingly, the show is mostly filmed with bright lights or is filmed outdoor.

The only time when the light darkens is when Dexter’s identity as a serial killer is revealed. Even when he is prepping the kill, plastic wraps are plastered against walls, and wrapped around the victim. All the plastics are bouncing off lights while brightening up the room.

The set design of the show also expresses normality, but certain things would show the abnormal life of Dexter. For example, his apartment being extremely tidy and clean for a bachelor. The light and set designers has successfully created a bright and normal setting with eeriness echoing through the show.

Lights, camera, action. The camera can not film anything without lights. There wouldn’t be action without a set.

Wikipedia describes its premise as an “American television teen drama based on the popular novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. Gossip Girl revolves around the lives of socialite young adults growing up on New York’s Upper East Side who attend elite academic institutions while dealing with sex, drugs, and other teenage issues.”

Never being one to miss out on sex drugs and ‘teenage issues,’ I tuned in.

Taking place in New York City, Gossip Girl takes a cue from CSI: New York using a soft, blue-ish/gray color palate, but because its locales are much more upscale compared to CSI:NY, it has a lot of sparkly or shiny accents.

One peculiar aspect of the lighting that took me a while to catch on to was that the show uses a lot of fill light and not so much key light. This reduces a lot of contrast between the characters on the show and their background. This was odd at first because it led my eye to wander all across the screen on some shots, instead of focusing on the speaking character.

However, after some thought, this actually seems to fit the materialistic motif of the show. The character’s possessions say as much about them as their actions. Thus the lighting allows the audience to focus on the impossibly large downtown apartments in which the show takes place.

Also, as the cast was clearly not chosen for their superior acting talent, it is probably for the best that the audience does not focus too intently on the actors performances.

So initially thinking I had nothing constructive to add due to my lack of avid television watching, I decided to briefly comment on what I do watch. Lighting is an essential factor when broadcasting professional wresting. It is a multicam format that combines capturing to look and feel of sport, while also doing comedic and dramatic skits/promos. Lighting for wrestling is a challenge because each show simultaneously serves two audiences at once. They have to come up with multiple set designs and lighting concepts for the people watching at the event, and the people watching on television. That means separate backgrounds, foregrounds, corners, x y and z axis’, props, etc. to simultaneously serve two different audiences.

Beyond lighting the ring for the live arena audience and worldwide television audience, lighting is most important is with the talent. With 25-50 different looking talents appearing on a given show, each one requires different lighting to get their persona across. The prime example would be WWE Superstar The Undertaker. To help present him as intimidating and “a walking deadman”, the arena goes black and is dimly lit in blue light when he walks to the ring. The entrance for Kane, a monster-like character who can create fire, is always lit fire red to resemble hell, fire, and brimstone.

With any show, too much light or not enough light on a person/object can be distracting and damaging to the presentation. I agree with Peacock’s reply that the point of great lighting is for it to illuminate its intended object without the untrained eye being able to notice it. Despite using a different type of show, I hope I got across that I understand the importance of proper lighting for a show’s set design.