In filmmaking, a skypan is used by the director of photography

Cinematographer

A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...

 for lighting scenery that lies outside a set's window or door. Skypans are circular with an upraised ridge around the outside (when laid flat they resemble a frying pan

Frying pan

A frying pan, frypan, or skillet is a flat-bottomed pan used for frying, searing, and browning foods. It is typically in diameter with relatively low sides that flare outwards, a long handle, and no lid. Larger pans may have a small grab handle opposite the main handle...

 without a handle). It is made up of a reflective white pan that has a detachable heavy-duty lamp socket rigged in front of the pan by being clamped to the lip. This is positioned to keep the lamp filament in the middle of the reflector. The skypan is used mainly when raw power is required, spreading a bright light that allows large-scale coverage of a background set. Either 2K or 5K bulbs are generally used. A skypan is usually confined to studio work and rigged up to a scaffold or ceiling-mounted pipe grid. When regularly spaced, they are also useful for lighting green and blue screens.

Skypans are available in different densities. Skypans of around 5,000 Watts can provide soft fill light

Fill light

In television, film, stage, or photographic lighting, a fill light may be used to reduce the contrast of a scene and provide some illumination for the areas of the image that are in shadow...

 for backdrops and cycloramas

Cyclorama (theater)

A cyclorama is a large curtain or wall, often concave, positioned at the back of the stage area. It was popularized in the German theater of the 19th century and continues in common usage today in theaters throughout the world...

 (cycs) in television, film and still photography. Skypans of around 10,000 Watts provide soft and even fill light for large backdrops and cycs, while ones rated up to 20,000 Watts would be more suitable for extremely large cycs. Softer fill light can be provided by adding diffusers. Generally, only two accessories are used in conjunction with the skypan; metal skirts that can be attached to the skypan to direct the spill of light, and gel frames.

See also

• Key light
  Key light
  The key light is the first and usually most important light that a photographer, cinematographer, lighting cameraman, or other scene composer will use in a lighting setup. The purpose of the key light is to highlight the form and dimension of the subject. The key light is not a rigid requirement;...
  
  
• High-key lighting
  High-key lighting
  High-key lighting is a style of lighting for film, television, or photography that aims to reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene. This was originally done partly for technological reasons, since early film and television did not deal well with high contrast ratios, but now is used to...
  
  
• Low-key lighting
  Low-key lighting
  Low-key lighting is a style of lighting for photography, film or television. It is a necessary element in creating a chiaroscuro effect. Traditional photographic lighting, three-point lighting uses a key light, a fill light, and a back light for illumination...
  
  
• Stage lighting instrument
  Stage lighting instrument
  Stage lighting instruments are used in stage lighting to illuminate theatrical productions, concerts, and other performances taking place in live performance venues. They are also used to light television studios and sound stages.Many stagecraft terms vary between the United States and the United...