Color Temperature
Definition
Color Temperature is a measurement of the color of light, expressed in degrees Kelvin (K). Lower color temperatures (around 2700K–3200K) produce warm, orange-yellow light, similar to candlelight or tungsten bulbs. Higher color temperatures (around 5500K–6500K) produce cool, blue-white light, similar to daylight or overcast sky. Understanding and controlling color temperature is fundamental to cinematography and lighting, as mixing light sources of different color temperatures without correction can result in unpleasant color casts in the image.
Contextual Usage
The gaffer briefs the electrical crew: "We have a mixed light situation in this location — the practical overhead fixtures are tungsten at 3200K, but the windows are bringing in daylight at 5600K. We have two options: either gel the windows with CTO to bring the daylight down to 3200K, or gel all the practicals with CTB to bring them up to 5600K. The DP wants to keep the daylight quality, so we're going to gel the practicals."
About this section
Production — or "principal photography" — is the phase in which the film or video is actually shot. It is the most visible and, typically, the most expensive phase of the entire process. Every day on ...
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