Chimera In The Classroom

CHIMERA In The Classroom

Roger Carter, from the University of Colorado Film Department, invited Chimera to observe his students executing their practical final exam.

The students had to recreate the lighting from an existing photograph. In small groups, they set out to duplicate their portraits. One member of each team sat in as the model, while the others set up a small Chimera Lightbank and bounce fill panels. By changing distance, height, and light positioning, the students were learning the effects of how adjusting their key and fill light creates a wide variety of looks on their subject.   As the students were closing in on their final adjustments, Roger would help tweak the set-ups and instruct them on the finer points for matching their targeted lightings.  This is a great exercise that allows students to understand both the challenges and rewards of lighting techniques.

The gear has its own set of challenges. "Our equipment has to hold up - 1year of student use is like 3 years in a usual rental environment. Chimera holds up to these   demands,” says Carter.  The university has been using the Chimera 8000 Lighting kits for several years. For more details on the kit click here. 

Roger Carter
Roger Carter graduated from the UCLA film school and has since worked in film and video production for over twenty-five years as a producer, director, director of photography and as a business owner of a producers service and grip, lighting and camera rental company. Broadcast and theatrical projects include ABC's 20-20, HBO, Showtime, Unsolved Mysteries, Wild America and several TV movies and feature films as second unit DP or additional photography or B camera. Awards include: Bronze, Silver and Grand Tellies, Cine Golden Eagles, Venice and Salerno Film Festivals, Denver AD Club Grand Alphie and the Angenieux award for Outstanding Cinematogrpahy. Roger has been teaching film and video courses in Colorado for the last ten years.