ABSTRACT
Imagine that you are going to set up the lights and video an interview with one person who is sitting in an armchair in a domestic room, and looking towards the camera. The key light is set up at an angle to the camera. It should shine into the eyes of the subject, and should be raised above the eye line. The subject will not want to be dazzled. The key light should not be too high, or there will be dark shadows under the eyes. There should not be any highlights or hot spots on the subject. It is possible to use heat proof French tissue type paper, or ‘scrim’, to tone down the brightness of the light. Pegs or clips hold down the scrim as it is stretched over the film lamp to create a softer light. Hot spots on the face can be toned down with a dab of make-up powder to stop the shine. Over lit subjects do not look as though they are in a naturalistic setting.
