Lighting a press conference

S

Some Guy in LA

Well-known member
In the not-that-long-ago days, there was an informal rotation amoung crews for lighting press conferences...think a blazing 1K in the Ike 79 days, then a 500w a decade later.

Has the quality sunk so low or the crews so busy that ONE FREAKING LIGHT cannot be set up anymore? And then when somebody does...do you actually thank the guy/gal that made it happen?

Just asking!
 
LR:
Some of what your speaking about is a generation thing. I know when it's family style type presser, I'll offer but the majority of the time the crew across town has already brought in a light kit. I'll try to help in set up or tear down as my way of thanking them.

BI
 
Depending on where it is here in Vegas will determine if I even need to bring lights with me. Alot of agencies have studio lighting set up in the roof...but its not that big of a deal to carry some lights in to a place your unfamiliar with and help yourself.

Throwing up lights to help other crews deserves a "thank you" at least...as far as a rotation...shouldn't depend on it. Light because you like to light....remember who doesn't appreciate it...and when they need help....watch 'em crash and burn.
 
Thanks for pressing THIS button! It's a pet peeve of mine. Used to be first guy would light the presser. But the a bunch of young lazy photogs came along. One guy acorss the street told me "my camera is so good I don't need extra light" and if you want it lit, light it your self".
If I'm the first one there, I light it. Some peole say thanks, some don't. But I think it looks much better with a light or two.
 
I agree Rad...the deal is...YOUR video is going to look better (OK, so will everybody elses!). The most grateful? The STILL folks!!! But really, only light the indoor events you want to look good!
 
Personally, I don't light pressers. It's not my event. I feel it's the event organizers responsibility.

For example, right now I'm at the u of Miami waiting for karl rove to speak. It's in a small auditorium with no lighting other than the ambient room overheads.

I didn't even think twice about bringing any light in. It would look much better if I did, but I'm here to cover it - not stage it.

I'm equal opportunity - I won't light any press event. Never have. Never will.
 
ARRRRRRRGH! Lighting a press conference is NOT STAGING! THE PRESSER IS A STAGED EVENT FOR THE PRESS!!! Sorry, I am shouting...

Even Karl Rove deserves lighting...more importantly, so do YOUR viewers...who we work for.
 
I bring a light in every time. I know what I want my video to look like and if others reap the benefits so be it...a thanks is always appreciated but rarely given.
 
Why light!?

Its your story, your shot, the heck with other crews.
I do it for myself and my station.

And saying its the event organizers responsibility?
BS
most corp media reps dont know sqat about lighting
and camera placement

count the times you have gone to an event and the podium is setup infront of windows or half the lights in the room are out,
I have one hospital that sets up infront of windows for every presser.
and it took the mayor being blue and dark on all three stations for them to ask the next time they had an event.

And finally remember its your backside if the shot doesnt look good not the guys across town.
 
Lighting and Caring, about the future.

Flaca Productions said:
Staged event for the press. Not by the press. If they want lights, they can put em up. I'm not mad about it, I just disagree.
Click to expand...

If it's a "staged presser" then what the heck are we doing there? Why light it and shoot it? We don't stage events do we? "Stop, you can put on the shoes if you want to" (Broadcast News, the movie)

IF it's your story, your airtime, your work, then it should have your lighting. If your reporter doesn't care TEACH HIM to care. If the ND could care less TEACH HIM. Less time means less lighting, not NO lighting.

WHY SHOULD THE AUDIENCE CHOSE YOUR STATIONS NEWS PRODUCT, ON AIR OR ON THE WEB, OVER "YOU-TUBE"?
IF YOU WANT TO DO "YOU TUBE" QUALITY WORK THEN CONSIDER THEIR PAY SCALE ....

(Sorry bout the rant, but I was laid-off, after 32 yrs, from a TV gig that I cared about. I even ordered light kits to go with the new mini-cams being used by the OMBs replacing me and 3 others.)
 
Sometimes it comes down to a judgement call. If it's going to slow down a necessary quick escape, I might forego it when it was really needed. Usually, though, I will set up a light if it is needed and there is enough time. Whether it helps others doesn't come into my thinking. Whether it is needed for my shot does.

Why should it bother me if others benefit? In Houston we have a lot of great guys who will have already taken care of it when I arrive many times. Generally the stations here get to events about 20-30 minutes early and address lighting, audio and other concerns before it's too late.

Thanks? I appreciate it when I get them, and I make sure to give them. It's the right thing to do.

FMc
 
I always brought in lights when I shot news. My job was to make it look good. I couldn't believe the guys who wouldn't ever bring in lights, then ask me to leave mine up after the presser so they could get one-on-ones. "Sorry, I'm leaving now."

Now that I'm freelancing, and often light press conferences for clients, I have respect for those that tote lights in, and none for those that don't.

It's a work ethic thing.

Take your craft seriously.
 
jpcreel3 said:
IF it's your story, your airtime, your work, then it should have your lighting. If your reporter doesn't care TEACH HIM to care. If the ND could care less TEACH HIM. Less time means less lighting, not NO lighting.
Click to expand...

So should each station set up their own lights? Most press conferences I shoot have 10-15 cameras there so should we have 10-15 lights or can we all work together and set up one or two lights which helps everyone out? Thats what we do, however the problem does come up as Frank McBride brought up where you need a quick escape. Right in the middle you get a call from the desk to pull out and go to breaking news or another story and if you supplied the lights, you screw everyone else (at least the ones who care about lighting). I've both screwed everyone and have been screwed. We try and anticipate that whoever supplies the accessiories will be staying for the entire event but as we all know news always changes and never stops.
 
Flaca Productions said:
Staged event for the press. Not by the press. If they want lights, they can put em up. I'm not mad about it, I just disagree.
Click to expand...

This makes two of us...

Yes, I'll probably bring one light if the press conference is in a cave.

Light it so it looks NPPA worthy? Nope. Never.

Flaca and I work in a market with more than just three or four tv stations.

Not to mention two languages!

All of us are on the run and what happens here is too many crews are late to the event. ALWAYS! So where does that leave me if I light it as some think is a requirement for "caring for my craft, professional tv photog status"?

I don't have the time to wait around for the johnny-come-latelies...then wait around even longer as they do the same presser in Spanish. it's a press conference. Nothing more. It's the event holder's responsibility to stage (as in set-up) what's required to make their message look the best it can with proper lights. Not mine.

Frankly...I hate using press conference sound or b-roll in any story. Press conferences are usually nothing more than a VO/SOT at best. Dull and predictable with unemotional sound unless someone is in the mood to break down and cry in front of a crowd.

If the press conference is about something really important, those holding the event are responsible for the presentation. I'm not there to help them do what they should do themselves. Same goes for audio. If they don't have a mult-box for audio I'm not going to walk in and start giving everyone my audio either! Or stick around for the entire event if the situation requires me to leave quickly for other day-of-news priorities.

We usually show up on time just before the event, coming from some other shoot or element for the story the presser might pertain to, get the sticks and mic up there...then...maybe if it's just really dark...I'll set up my one stand light near my camera...for my own use. If and when I leave, it gets turned off during a question to the person holding the conference. Not in the middle of their answer. Plenty of time for others to adjust the exposure for their image now that my light is gone.

What usually happens, if it is really dark, is a couple of us will have stand lights near our sticks. Done. No need for pretty hair/back-lights or some group-think about how to make it look "three-point-lighty-nice". No, not a typo.

I liked Flaca's Rove example. it's reality. In real time with real people at a news event. i don't have time to wait and play nice leaving my lights up for others or being rude and having to throw the place into blackness or create harsh shadows for my competitors to deal with if I don't have to. That creates more problems than no lights at all.

Real world. Real world work. A press conference is not important enough to agonize over lighting it. Especially in some of the too-small rooms many of us have had to deal with when you're bumping elbows just getting sticks, cameras and reporters in place.

There are more important things to worry about in this job rather than lighting someone else's event for them...or your competition.
 
Hey, I'm not saying light it with color gels and kickers, we're not talking about theatrical lighting... we're talking about lighting it so it looks good in your camera... just like putting your mic up there will make it sound better than using the nat mic on your camera.

Just do your part and bring in a damn light.
 
Rad said:
Hey, I'm not saying light it with color gels and kickers, we're not talking about theatrical lighting... we're talking about lighting it so it looks good in your camera... just like putting your mic up there will make it sound better than using the nat mic on your camera.

Just do your part and bring in a damn light.
Click to expand...

OK...so I bring in a light...how long do I have to leave it up? ;)
 
It's all good..until the guy bringing the lights has NO CLUE how to light...and ends up washing out whatever you're trying to shoot...or worse yet when he turns on his toplight in the middle of a gangbang...when it's not at all necessary
 
what happened to the nppa way of .....using the natural light available? I saw some of the winners of contests using no light at night on an interview to get the natural look, and now you are telling me I am lazy if I don't bring a light into a presser? come on we can never win with some of you.

But, I have brought lights into pressers, in other cities, but not where I work now, I usually don't get through the entire presser because there is something else for me to go to. We are allways get paged to go to breaking news. Trying to get my mic off the podium without disturbing everyone else is hard enough, not gonna change the lighting in the room also.

Will it look better with a light, of course it will, no one is debating that, but I believe if you can't get it looking good enough to use without a light, you might try another profession, or you could just suggest a new location to hold the presser or event.
 
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