Why We Wear Black on Set
Good morning. I have a shoot today, we're in studio, and my gear's mostly packed. So here's a quick one while I load out: why we wear black to set.
If you're an assistant, a gaffer, a prop stylist, or a food stylist, someone who's going to be really close to set, you want to wear black or dark gray on studio days. Show up in yellow or green or red and that color can cast onto whatever we're shooting.
And stylists are near set more than you'd think: we're shooting a GIF, they're holding something just out of frame, an assistant is Hollywooding something in. If you're close to the subject, your clothes are part of my lighting whether we like it or not.
So the rule of thumb for studio days, honestly for all days, is dark gray or black. Now, I've definitely broken this rule. I have absolutely worn white on lifestyle shoot days, and I don't know if that's right. So if you're a lifestyle shooter, tell me: am I breaking the rules or not?
My only other tip is comfortable shoes. Tennies, or boots you can shoot in all day. A lot of studios have cement floors, and after ten or twelve hours in the wrong shoes your feet will let you know about it. That's my little tip. Hope it's helpful.