Video Production Model

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Lesson Plan Industry Sector
Arts, Media & Entertainment

Lesson Plan Originally Created By: Jeff Schmidt

White Balancing -What is it, and why is it important?

Part of Unit: Basic Camera Operation & Shot Composition

Lesson Plan Overview / Details

This lesson teaches the students what White Balance means on cameras.  Students learn to set the camera to a white balance preset, as well as setting the white balance manually to match the lighting of the environment in which they are filming.

Lesson Time

Lesson
3 Hours
Project
1 Hour

Objectives and Goals

Students will learn about the visible light spectrum, wavelength, reflection, and the basics of light frequencies and color. Students will also learn about the white balance adjustment on cameras and how to use white balance presets. Students will demonstrate how to manually set the white balance on a camera. Students will produce a short video showing different white balance settings. Students will discuss the concepts of warm and cool colors, and how color can affect mood in art.

Activities in this Lesson

  • Focus Question #1 - Hooks / Set

    First, place the students in pairs.  Ask them to do a "think-pair-share" to answer the following question:

    What is White?

    Allow the students a couple minutes to gather their thoughts on the question, then have them share their ideas with their partner.

    Once the students have had a minute to share in pairs, then lead a class discussion about their answers.

    NOTE*  Typically, students will answer the 'What is White' question with two answers. 

    One common answers is that white is the absence of all colors.  The other common answer is that white is the combination of all colors.

     

  • Very short lecture on focus question #1 - Lecture

    After allowing the student groups to share their answers to the focus question #1, it is good to explain that in dealing with color theory, light works completely different than pigment color like paint or ink.

    When dealing with color pigment, white is the absence of color, but with light, white is the combination of all colors.

    Let the students know that this discussion will continue, but first, there is another focus question for students to answer.......

  • Focus Question #2 - Hooks / Set

    This time, the teacher can simply ask the class, "What color is my shirt?" 

    *(Be sure to wear a solid colored shirt (not white or black) the day of this lecture.)

    If you are wearing a blue shirt, students will 'blurt-out' the answer, "blue!"

    At this pint the teacher says, "wrong, anybody else want to guess?

    (Wait for more responses, and continue to say, "wrong"...  This will really get the students' attention, and allow the teacher to discuss the wave nature of light.)

    Now that the students look confused as to why their teacher keeps telling them they are wrong - tell the students the following:

    The reason I said wrong when you told me my blue shirt was blue, is because you have actually never seen my shirt!

    (pause for suspense)

    (continue) The only thing your eyes can see is light, and my shirt is not made out of light is it? What your eyes see is the light bouncing off my shirt and hitting your eyes.  There is a reason my shirt looks blue to you.  Remember when I told you that white light is made from a combination of ALL colors?  Well, when the light in this classroom hits my shirt, the material my shirt is made out of absorbs all the light except for the blue wavelengths of light.  The blue light bounces off my shirt and is received by your eyes.

  • LIGHT- Behavior and characteristics - Lecture

    Pass out the handout titled, "Light-behaviors and characteristics".

    Project the image of the visible light spectrum on the projector screen/ smart board or other visible display.

    Point out to the students that this chart shows the entire light spectrum.  Ask the student pairs  to read the handout and to work together to answer the following Quiz questions in their groups:

  • Light Spectrum Quiz - Assessment

    Handout the Light spectrum Quiz:

    1) How much of the light spectrum is visible light?

    2) What is the name of the invisible part of the spectrum that has a wavelength that is a kilometer long (almost a mile long)?

    3) Is the wavelength of X-rays longer or shorter than the wavelengths of visible light?

    Have each student group turn-in their quizzes, and move onto the next step.

  • Color Theory - Lecture

    Pass out the handout titled, "Color Theory."

    Go over the content of the handout with the class as a guided discussion.

  • Do colors have moods? - Lecture

    Ask the students, do colors have moods, or can the tone of an image change the feel, or temperature of the image?

    Show the image titled, "Cool Image" to the students, and ask them what feeling does this picture create?

    (wait for responses)

    What is the temperature of this image? 

    (wait for responses)

    The goal of these inquiries is to gat the students to understand that the color tone of an image can change the perception of the viewer and create moods, and temperatures.

    Now show the students the image titled, "Warm image" and ask what feeling this image has?  Temperature?

    Conclusion: bluer tones create a cooler temperature look, and a more somber emotion, and orange tones can create a happier, more warm feeling.

     

  • Video White Balance Demo - Demo / Modeling

    Play the video titled, "White Balance Demo"

    After viewing the video, distribute the handouts titled, "Set your white balance" & "White balance icons."

    At this time, go over the handouts, and follow along the steps to manually set the white balance function as described in the handout.  Use the camera equipment your students will be using, and demonstrate the process with your camera(s).  

  • Now you try it - Guided Practice

    In pairs, have the students adjust the white balance settings manually themselves. Also have the students find and select the white balance pre-sets for indoor and outdoor.

    Teacher should roam, probe, model, and formatively assess the students' progress with successfully adjusting the camera white balance settings.

  • White balance assignment - Projects

    Have each student individually produce a short video similar the the white balance demo video shown to the class.  This video should demonstrate the student changing the white balance setting from the INDOOR, and DAYLIGHT preset, as well as manually setting the white balance with some sort of calibration device (white card).  

    This video should be filmed in one location to show how the different white balance settings change the look of that environment.

    Pass out the assignment handout.

Assessment

Assessment Types:
Projects, Demonstrations, Teacher-Made Test, Observations, Performance task

This lesson provides multiple assessment opportunities, both formative and summative.