The Lighting Guy
A Photo Story by Carmen Feldhusen
Rod Bingaman, known across Penn State’s campus as “the lighting guy,” has been teaching film for over two decades. His passion for visual storytelling — especially the role light plays — is infectious. After taking his lighting course, COMM 440, it becomes nearly impossible to watch a movie without analyzing every shadow, every highlight, every tiny shift in exposure. Whether he’s guiding students through recreating lighting from a film scene in the Black Box studio or pushing them to experiment with new tools, Rod is a pillar of the Penn State film community. His curriculum gives students professional-grade work for their portfolios, and his energy and humor make the learning process feel like being on a real set.
These photographs document Rod over several weeks in COMM 440 and COMM 340, capturing him in his element — teaching, troubleshooting, laughing, and helping the next generation of filmmakers understand why lighting is one of the most powerful storytelling tools they have.
Rod Bingaman stands ready as students climb ladders to adjust overhead fixtures during a COMM 440 lab in the Black Box film studio at Penn State University on Oct. 23, 2025. Bingaman teaches students how to shape light, safely rig equipment, and communicate as a team — foundational skills for working in the film industry.
Bingaman pauses a clip from Hocus Pocus while discussing the lighting challenges students must recreate for their final project. The assignment pushes teams to communicate, problem-solve, and pay attention to details they might otherwise overlook at University Park, Pa., Nov. 11, 2025.
Rod Bingaman reacts to a successful lighting setup alongside students during lighting practice in the Black Box film studio at Penn State University on Tuesday, Nov.11, 2025. Bingaman encourages experimentation and collaboration, pushing students to troubleshoot and refine their lighting techniques the same way they would on a professional set.
Bingaman watches the monitor as students capture their recreated “Hocus Pocus” lighting scene in the Black Box studio in State College, Pa., on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2025. Seeing the finished image is Bingaman’s favorite part of the process.
On Wednesday, Dec 5, 2025, during an optional Sound Design Project workday for his COMM 340: Intermediate Cinematography and Editing Techniques class, film professor Rod Bingaman gathers equipment for an upcoming shoot inside the Bellisario College Equipment Room.
Rod Bingaman moves in to place a second light while students standby for the camera to start rolling inside the Penn State’s Black Box film studio on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. Bingaman says hands-on work is the fun part of teaching, adding, “One of the more challenging things for me as a professor has been stepping back to let students troubleshoot themselves. I love doing this stuff and naturally want to jump in there.”
Photos and Story done by: Carmen Feldhusen