Lighting Diverse Skin Tones: How Have Things REALLY Changed On Set?

Hey everyone,

I'm Troy, a working Grip. I've been seeing a lot of conversation lately, and even some guides, about the ethical evolution of lighting diverse skin tones. It's something I've been thinking about more and more, especially on a recent narrative short where we had a very diverse cast. We were shooting on an ALEXA Mini with some older Cooke primes, and I was mostly working with a Forza 720B and a couple of Titan Tubes.

My question is, how have recent technological advances and the broader cultural conversations truly impacted your on-set practices and your collaboration with directors regarding representation? I'm genuinely curious, are DPs or directors asking for different approaches? Are certain lights or techniques becoming staples for this focus? I'm trying to grow and ensure I'm not just doing things the 'old' way. What are you guys seeing out there?