Tricks of the Trade

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Roger Deakins, ASC

'Gag' lights form an ever increasing part of the package which follows me from film to film. At least one new variation is added on each production and The Big Lebowski was no exception.

Imagine a scene between three characters in a large darkened room where one character sits in a wheelchair facing the only source of light--a small fire in an equally small fireplace. All the coverage of this character would include the fire.

For a sense of naturalism, I needed to hide my own lighting units within a very small space to one side or another of the real fire, depending on the camera position. I needed a physically flat light source which would also project its light into the room. Even a Tota light was too big and unwieldy.

My new gags (I made three of these) consist of six double end 2K bulbs mounted on an 8" x 14" piece of aluminum--simply blonde bulbs and holders which together with the cabling have a depth of less than 2".

The units were hidden next to the real fire, flush against the side of the chimney. Each pair of bulbs were patched through a flicker generator and dimmed down to about 50 volts to simulate the correct color of firelight.

The new gags will stay on the truck from now on--ready for the next small fireplace. But I am sure they could well be brought out to solve some other, very different, problem.