This is a cool video which goes over some of these topics and how important SPD of light sources is to film making.
RGB lights have only begun to be used in filmmaking recently. Traditionally to emulate colored lighting a "regular" film light is used, like a Tungsten (3200k) or HMI (5600k) bulb, with something called a "gel". A gel is a thin piece of colored plastic that goes in front of the light to tint the light as needed. However, gels (and tungstens / HMIs in general, when compared to LEDs) are inconvenient to use as you must have all the ones you want accessible and they take time to swap.
As RGB lights have gotten better with modern technology, many people have started using them more. While they seem to appear the same as a using a traditional light with a gel, they actually look different on camera because of the SPD. If you want to reproduce red on an RGB light, only the red LED will be active. Because of this, the light in the scene only has red wavelengths, which can drastically change the colors of objects more than you might expect (not just cast a red tint). To fix this issue, RGB light manufacturers have been doing things like including more white LEDs with the RGB leds in the light. So, an RGBW or RGBWW light would be better (and more expensive) than just RGB, but reproduce colors as expected!
edithllontop1
I also think it's really important to note the importance of creating color that are at an accepted color temperature range. The universal standard approximates daylight and given all of these different graphs we can see how vastly it changes
Staffjamesfong1
@orenazad Interesting! Thanks for sharing!
LuxuFate
Why is the fluorescent distribution much more jagged than the other types of light sources, which have much smoother graphs?
kkoujah
The fluorescent distribution is typically more jagged or uneven than other types of light sources due to the way it produces light. Fluorescent lights work by exciting mercury vapor to emit ultraviolet light, which then interacts with phosphors on the inside of the bulb to produce visible light. This process can result in irregularities in the light output, which can lead to the jagged or spiky distribution. In contrast, other light sources like incandescent bulbs or LED lights produce light through a different mechanism, resulting in smoother and more consistent light output.
ShrihanSolo
In astrophysics, these spectral power distributions are essential in determining the presence of chemical elements in stars, galaxies, etc. Certain elements absorb colors preferentially.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U-F7EhLp7g
This is a cool video which goes over some of these topics and how important SPD of light sources is to film making.
RGB lights have only begun to be used in filmmaking recently. Traditionally to emulate colored lighting a "regular" film light is used, like a Tungsten (3200k) or HMI (5600k) bulb, with something called a "gel". A gel is a thin piece of colored plastic that goes in front of the light to tint the light as needed. However, gels (and tungstens / HMIs in general, when compared to LEDs) are inconvenient to use as you must have all the ones you want accessible and they take time to swap.
As RGB lights have gotten better with modern technology, many people have started using them more. While they seem to appear the same as a using a traditional light with a gel, they actually look different on camera because of the SPD. If you want to reproduce red on an RGB light, only the red LED will be active. Because of this, the light in the scene only has red wavelengths, which can drastically change the colors of objects more than you might expect (not just cast a red tint). To fix this issue, RGB light manufacturers have been doing things like including more white LEDs with the RGB leds in the light. So, an RGBW or RGBWW light would be better (and more expensive) than just RGB, but reproduce colors as expected!
I also think it's really important to note the importance of creating color that are at an accepted color temperature range. The universal standard approximates daylight and given all of these different graphs we can see how vastly it changes
@orenazad Interesting! Thanks for sharing!
Why is the fluorescent distribution much more jagged than the other types of light sources, which have much smoother graphs?
The fluorescent distribution is typically more jagged or uneven than other types of light sources due to the way it produces light. Fluorescent lights work by exciting mercury vapor to emit ultraviolet light, which then interacts with phosphors on the inside of the bulb to produce visible light. This process can result in irregularities in the light output, which can lead to the jagged or spiky distribution. In contrast, other light sources like incandescent bulbs or LED lights produce light through a different mechanism, resulting in smoother and more consistent light output.
In astrophysics, these spectral power distributions are essential in determining the presence of chemical elements in stars, galaxies, etc. Certain elements absorb colors preferentially.