philosophy

A recent post on a production-related website talked about the gradual shift toward LEDs and fluorescent lighting as a double-edged sword – citing the uncomfortableness of the spectral qualities of fluorescent and LED light as a reason that people will simply leave areas lit with these sources and seek out full(er)-spectrum lighting such as daylight or incandescent. The article offers some of the standard arguments I’ve read over the years about why we like incandescent lighting, its relationship to the spectrum of firelight, and how an office lit with 5,550 Kelvin fluorescents feels totally different than daylight at 5,550 Kelvin daylight. This is where the author and I agree, perhaps for different reasons. I personally despise fluorescent lighting, especially the… Read More »Fetishizing Incandescents

As a designer who also dabbles in “prep”, or “The Fine Art of Putting Things Together To Make A Lighting Rig”, I often spend a great deal of time in warehouses of various repute. For those playing the home game, this is the big physical space where all a company’s equipment is stored, pending rental or sale, and many also have spaces for various maintenance tasks, such as fixture repair or tour prep. And as an independent contractor, I’m never working directly for the companies whose warehouses I use. And much like another space we as people in this industry spend our time in – the tour bus – there is a set of common rules and courtesies that act… Read More »Shop Etiquette