Posted by David McCall on 01/28/07 01:10

There are many things you can do, but the most effective thing I've found
is to put the light on the opposite side of the screen from the speaker.

This creates a side light from the same side of the presenter as the light
from the screen itself, so it looks more natural than front light. When the
presenter is speaking to the audience he will only be half lit, but you will
be able to see him. When he looks over to toward the screen he will be
nicely lit. You can add a second light to help fill the other side.

Presenters sometimes walk right in front of the screen, and a light well
to the side will still work, while a light from the front will not.

If the speaker is on the right side of the screen then put the light in a
similar
position, but on the left side of the screen. This puts the light source at
about
90 degrees to the screen, and any stray light will affect the image much
less
than if it was from the front. This light would want to be 8'-12' above the
floor
(depending on how big the screen is).

You will need some way to control the light so that it doesn't get in the
audience's eyes, or on the screen. This is what you use "barndoors" for.
If you don't have barndoors on your light then you will have to improvise.
You can buy a product called Blackwrap which is aluminum foil painted
black. I suppose you could paint your own (use high temperature paint).
You can attach it with spring clamps. Another poster has already suggested
using an ellipsoidal reflector light (Leko). They have 4 nice shutters that
allow
you to shape the light beam fairly precisely. They are mostly used in
theater
an clamped to pipe battens. You will need to come up with a way of
mounting it.

David

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