ABSTRACT
Scaling the lighting equipment for a nighttime shoot should be the very first goal. The list can range from one battery-powered light to a large grip truck with many lights. On a larger set a condor, also known as a boom lift and cherry picker, often holds one big light and an electrician to provide a far-reaching backlight. The condor is also helpful for blacking out streetlights and other high ambient lights. Sometimes the DP will just incorporate the streetlights into the lighting plans. Working all night is hard on the crew, and often the pace of work will slow down after 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning. Arrays of LEDs in condors are becoming more common, and greatly simplify the power requirements. Having one large light as high as possible for night exteriors is highly desirable; it is possible that all the other lamp heads might be small plug-in lights.
