Matt Ardine
Lighting Designer and Gaffer
IATSE Local 728
Lighting for camera is as much art as it is technique. Just ask Matt Ardine who has been lighting for television and film since 2005 and whose credits include recent Oscar winner Everything Everywhere All at Once. His successful ethos? Constant learning and reflection. Oh, and you just might see him up on the screen himself.
Meet Matt
Where did you grow up and what did you want to be when you got older?
I grew up in Walpole, MA, a town 20 minutes south of Boston. I didn't have much ambition to be anything until I got into making skate videos of me and my friends. Skate video production started my love of filmmaking.
Do you remember when you first became enamored with lighting and what is it about lighting that attracted you?
In my senior year of high school, I had already taken all the video classes, so I created an independent study on cinematography. I quickly realized that lighting is the most interesting way to change the idea of an image. I also enjoyed how it's very much artistic as it is technical.
What led you into the world of lighting for camera? What was your early career like?
I went to Emerson College to study film in 2002 where I focused on cinematography. Every weekend, I was either creating my own film or working on someone else's film as a cinematographer, gaffer or electric. In 2005, I moved to Los Angeles to start my career where I split my time working as an electric on big projects and a gaffer on smaller projects.
What do you like best about lighting for broadcast/film?
I love how we can use the perspective of the camera to manipulate the viewer. We have a lot more tricks up our sleeves than non-broadcast live events. We can use the latitude of the camera, to create the contrast we want by allowing the whites to blow out and shadows to hide.
What is the process when creating the lighting plan for a particular scene or location?
After reading the script, I talk with the director and DP to find out what the purpose of the scene is. What are we trying to show to the audience. From there, we talk about what the main sources of light in the story are and how can we convey those sources by bringing in movie lights or adding in practical lights. After that, it's entirely the logistics of budget, manpower, and schedule.
What is your main role on the set and what tasks do you delegate to your lighting crew?
When I work as a Lighting Designer for a film shoot, I have two key people that I generally delegate to; Gaffer and Lighting Programmer. After figuring out the requirements of the set, I start by drafting in Vectorworks. Once the budget is approved, I hand over the plot to my Gaffer. They place the full order by adding cables and hardware. Then they work with their best boy to handle manpower and load in schedule. The programmer and myself will break down the songs together and start pre-viz. Once we are on set, the programmer is usually dealing directly with the Cinematographer to set intensities.
What is most important to ensure a smooth shoot?
Simple: Hiring great people.
What characteristics/features of a light are most important when working on a set?
Great color rendition
Great dimming on low end
Appropriate light output
Camera-safe flicker
Good DMX profiles
Silent
IP65
How do you stay up-to-date on the latest lighting equipment and technology?
These days, its mainly Instagram. It used to be trade shows, but I hate taking weekends away from my family, so I haven’t been to a trade show in a while.
What do you like to do when you're not doing lighting?
I have three kids and a wife that I like to spend my free time with; mostly at soccer games. When they are at school, I like to run in the mountains and rollerblade at the skateparks.
What's something about Matt Ardine that people might find surprising?
1.1 billion people have seen me dance in a cop uniform.
