Last Updated 31 minutes ago
Filmmaking Dictionary: Letter R / Redhead (Film Light)
Definition
A redhead is a nickname commonly used for a compact open-face film-lighting fixture, traditionally fitted with a tungsten-halogen lamp. Many familiar redheads use an 800-watt lamp, but the nickname does not establish a universal wattage, voltage or lamp type.
The name is associated with the red-orange housing of Ianiro’s original design and became common crew shorthand for this style of fixture. Similar-looking units and later LED versions make it especially important to identify the actual model.
How the Light Behaves
A traditional redhead combines a lamp and reflector without a Fresnel lens across the front. The direct output is relatively hard and can spill broadly. Some models provide beam adjustment, but the control and shadow behaviour differ from a lens-based Fresnel.
Redheads have often been used through diffusion or bounced into a white surface for interviews and small location setups. The larger illuminated diffusion or bounce surface becomes the apparent source, producing softer shadows when positioned appropriately.
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Redhead vs Fresnel
A Fresnel uses its stepped lens and optical arrangement to produce a controllable beam. An open-face redhead has a different optical path. Both can illuminate a bounce, but a redhead is not simply a smaller Fresnel.
Barn doors help limit spill, but they do not turn every open-face light into a precision projector. If a clean cut or shaped shadow is needed, test the actual fixture, flag placement and distance.
Power and Heat Checks
- Read the fixture label and fit only a lamp of the specified type, wattage and voltage.
- Inspect cables, connections, housing and the required protective guard before use.
- Keep materials and people at the manufacturer’s specified clearances.
- Use compatible accessories and leave room for ventilation.
- Allow the fixture and lamp to cool before handling or packing.
For an 800-watt tungsten lamp, a simple power calculation gives about 6.7 amps at 120 volts or 3.5 amps at 230 volts. That arithmetic does not mean the same lamp can be connected to either supply. The fitted lamp and fixture must be correct for the supply, and the complete circuit load still needs checking.
Practical Example
For a small interview, a crew might bounce a redhead into a white board and use flags to contain spill. Before rolling, they check the subject’s exposure, colour balance, background spill and the hot fixture’s clearance from the bounce and surrounding materials.
The lighting department guide explains who handles those decisions on a crewed production.
Related Terms
Browse terms beginning with R or return to the filmmaking dictionary.