Light within helmets

[Reisender]

Science -fiction movies often show light within the enclosed helmets, e.g. vacc-suits.
I get it, that you want the audience to see the face of the actor inside the helmet.
But wouldn't it be a hindrance in a real world situation?
I would not mind if the light would come from information displayed on the inside of the screen like in a head-up display (HUD).
But putting light within an helmet just to illuminate the face?

 

[Arkathan]

Easy to test if you have a yard or street with no lights. Turn on the lights in your house at night. Now look out the window. How much of the outside can you see?

It is only so you can see the actor. THEY can't see where they are going.

 

[Reisender]

Easy to test if you have a yard or street with no lights. Turn on the lights in your house at night. Now look out the window. How much of the outside can you see?

It is only so you can see the actor. THEY can't see where they are going.

Thanks, exactly my thoughts. A light source outside on the helmet or suit that illlumates the surrounding makes perfect sense but not one within the helmet.

 

[Reynard]

It may have been ALIEN when I first saw it in the theater that I was exposed to the lighting. Even then I immediately was shocked they did that but understood the cinematic need.

Also, very amused when a foot long larva grows into a bulked out seven foot brut in maybe a couple hours with no food source.

 

[Arkathan]

Alien made a point of putting a big light on top of their suits, at least with the exploration model.
Sean Connery's Outland was a major early offender in the suit light category.

 

[Sigtrygg]

If you search for diving goggles with inbuilt lights you will find several examples of face masks with lights built in.

 

[Arkathan]

If you search for diving goggles with inbuilt lights you will find several examples of face masks with lights built in.

Most of those look like they either have external lights or the lights are positioned so that they do not light the interior.
Do you have a link for one that is lit like Outland?

 

[Condottiere]

(Visual) identification - friend or foe.

I would guess it would also depend on whether there's an illumination immediately in front of the face plate, so that you can see what you're doing, or looking at.

 

[Reynard]

Battlestar Galactica had that helmet effect.

 

[Condottiere]

Halo.

They were meant to be demigods.

 

[NOLATrav]

Science -fiction movies often show light within the enclosed helmets, e.g. vacc-suits.
I get it, that you want the audience to see the face of the actor inside the helmet.
...
But putting light within an helmet just to illuminate the face?

Even with today's very fast digital cinema cameras it's very hard to see into such a deeply shadowed area such as inside a vacc suit helmet, not to mention the issue of seeing past reflections in the helmet's faceplate.

Admittedly, sometimes it's a bit overkill. It's a compromise between external mounts (which will flare the lens terribly in a classic close-up) or internal mounts (which are fakey and impractical as you point out).

In-universe, we all know it's because it aids in visual identification when you can't see the ident-number on the back of their vacc suit

 

[feld]

Don't think current modern EVA suits have internal lights. They have lights on the outside facing forward for all the reason's you'd expect.

https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacesuits/home/clickable_suit_nf.html

 

[MasterGwydion]

Don't think current modern EVA suits have internal lights. They have lights on the outside facing forward for all the reason's you'd expect.

https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacesuits/home/clickable_suit_nf.html

Any light shining in your eyes makes it harder to see out of the suit. Suits with internal lights are only for TV and movies, not for actual use.

 

[feld]

Don't think current modern EVA suits have internal lights. They have lights on the outside facing forward for all the reason's you'd expect.

https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacesuits/home/clickable_suit_nf.html

Any light shining in your eyes makes it harder to see out of the suit. Suits with internal lights are only for TV and movies, not for actual use.

Yes I know. I was providing evidence for the OP.