Just in case there was any confusion, electricity and water don’t mix 🚫 I know this may come as a surprise to some of the grips reading this (the ones that can read, anyway😉), but there are extra safety precautions you need to take if you’re using lights near bodies of water. Aside from a solid IP rating to protect the light from splashing, units should also be plugged into a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to prevent possible electrical shock. A GFCI is basically a very sensitive circuit breaker inside an outlet that can shut off within 1/40 of a second when the current going to the equipment differs from the amount returning by as little as 5 milliamperes. I’d love to discuss what a ground fault is in more detail but I have 2,200 characters in this caption :) Worth Googling to educate yourself if you’re curious. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters are common in kitchens, bathrooms, outdoor outlets, or anywhere electrical circuits may accidentally come into contact with water. Like swimming pools! You better believe this location had GFCIs wired into the walls for us to safely use our equipment. But they also make portable and waterproof GFCIs that can be plugged into non-GFCI outlets. Great tools to keep in the truck just in case you’re working outdoors in the rain. You seriously can’t be too safe when using electricity anywhere close to water. This look was another relatively simple one to achieve. Two Aputure 1200Ds Baja Blastin™️ into the pool to accentuate the texture of the water on the floor and edge out the subject from the wall. Tossed a 4x4 solid in front as a topper to keep the light from washing out the entire pool
This commercial film production was shot at the Boulder Community Center swimming pool Production: @otherworldlyproductions Director: @evanforrestmann Producer: @brennahro AD: @philschlieder DP: @thefakedavidchang AC: @ironsidesmotion KG: @thefirmgrip BB: @billy_gunn_728 Art: @nikkirmalloy HMU: Marisol Garcia PA: @thekidbsmith Color: @pinto_color
Tyler Kaschke is a freelance gaffer with G&E and grip truck rentals based in Boulder, Colorado and serving Denver, Golden, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs.
For more information about lighting tips and shooting commercials in Colorado, follow me on Instagram @colorado_gaffer