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Achieving Increased Definition

Lighting and production know-how for High Definition

by Michael S. Eddy

With all of the talk about high definition (HD) television and wanting to keep your worship facility on the cutting edge, you might be considering switching the broadcasts of your services to high definition. The switch to HD can be fairly expensive, and while you will need to really look long and hard at cameras, lenses, and recording equipment for HD production, you will be relieved to know that you will not have to go and buy all new lights to enter the HD world. It isn’t going to be a cake walk, but with practice and some refining of your lighting techniques you will be on the path to good looking HD images.

I spoke with some of today’s top television lighting designers for advice on lighting for HD productions and what the differences were from standard definition (SD) lighting. There have been a lot of rumors and myths going around such as not needing so much light for HD cameras, or having to invest in new lighting fixtures. I hope, by sharing their advice, to dispel the myths and clear up some of the rumors.

I spoke with two-time Emmy Award-winning lighting director, Jim Sippel, content development operations director and director of photography at the South Barrington, Illinois, Willow Creek Community Church. I also talked with William (Bill) Klages, president of Santa Monica, California-based New Klages Inc., also a multiple Emmy winner with 18 nominations and six wins. He has designed the lighting for a wide variety of projects and recently designed the lighting systems for two large worship facilities—Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, and the Mormon Assembly Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah. John Gates, president and senior lighting consultant with Gates Service Group Inc. in Natick, Massachusetts, has more than 20 years of experience in lighting television; in fact, he has lit every U.S. President since Nixon and has two regional Emmys among his many awards.

Professional Consensus
One thing that all three lighting designers agree strongly on is that lighting is lighting; no matter if it is for SD or HD. “There are a few things that are true in life,” states Gates. “One is that good lighting—design and practice—is good lighting regardless of whether it is for SD or HD. If you are truly doing good lighting for SD, the same approach will work for HD. If your SD lighting was not so good, the HD camera will certainly not improve it any by showing the bad lighting in greater detail. With apologies to Gertrude Stein: Good Lighting Is Good Lighting is Good Lighting, Klages agrees, “If your lighting techniques are well developed and proven, you should welcome high-definition because it will show all the nuances of your lighting.”

There are some considerations that you should take into account when lighting for high definition productions. “Lighting for HD production allows you more range in how you can light,” says Sippel. “HD cameras see color better and give you more details in the highlights and shadows. This also means you need to pay more attention to those details. You now have a greater ability to create beautiful images with lighting. To create those images you need to invest the time and discipline to light well.”

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Michael S. Eddy writes about design and technology. He can be reached at mseddy2900@hotmail.com.   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)