Hot Lamps with the Royal Northern Sinfonia

Using hot lamps again was a ton of fun—it's been a while since I last worked with @arri tungsten lamps. For this project, we were fortunate to have the power, space, and invaluable expertise of my talented gaffer, Phil Whitehead, to make it happen.

We captured the solo performances facing into the concert hall with subdued lighting that couldn't be enhanced, setting the exposure level. A 12x12 key light, powered by four Arri 2k Fresnels, was diffused through magic cloth, creating an 8k output. Multiple fixtures filled the 6x6 ultra bounce to create a book light. The power and size of the key light allowed the light source to be placed a greater distance away from the talent, thus allowing the camera to be wider and capture a mid shot of the player while maintaining softer light quality. 

We used negative fill sparingly: a 4x4 floppy-controlled bounce on the far side of the book light and another 4x4 closer to the talent on the left side of the frame added contrast and reduced spill from our interview set. I usually avoid filling from the opposite side of the key, which, in this case, created a gentle, natural ambience.

A subtle 1k Fresnel, modified with scrim and a single net, served as a key-side scratch on the right of the talent. A 6x2 bounce board was suspended on a goal post rig above the talent for the backlight, illuminated by two Source Four lamps (about 800w each from memory) to cover the entire board. The precise output of these was attenuated by the built-in cutters, not dimmers, which would have affected the colour temp.

Returning to tungsten lighting was immensely enjoyable. I've received numerous compliments on the image quality, especially the colour rendition, and I believe it's thanks to these timeless fixtures. I can't wait to use them again!

The series lets audiences get to know the RNS players both on and off stage. The solo performances offer a unique opportunity to hear the players and their instruments up close. Watch the full video on The Glasshouse's YouTube channel or my website.