Apparatus and method for recording a scene for a plurality of lighting setups using a variable frame rate camera to capture micro frames during only a portion of each cinematic frame

An apparatus for recording a scene using a plurality of lighting setups so as to concurrently record a respective plurality of motion picture clips of the scene, one motion picture clip for each lighting setup, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of light sources, each light source configured to illuminate at least part of a scene;
• a controller configured to:
• enable a user to define a plurality of lighting setups using the plurality of light sources, and
• actuate the plurality of lighting setups in accordance with timing signals so as to provide a sequence of lighting setups,
• the controller configured to actuate the plurality of lighting setups in sequence in accordance with the timing signals, such that a first lighting setup of the plurality of lighting setups is actuated by a timing signal upon a beginning of a macro frame, and a last lighting setup of the plurality of lighting setups is actuated by a timing signal such that the last lighting setup will go dark before an end of the macro frame;
• and
• a camera configured to capture a sequence of macro frames, each macro frame being of a duration so as to include a sequence of micro frames, the sequence of micro frames being of a duration of no more than substantially 21 milliseconds, each micro frame initiated by a timing signal, and at least one micro frame being capable of capturing the scene illuminated by one of the plurality of lighting setups,
• the camera being a variable frame rate camera configured to capture micro frames during only a portion of each macro frame, the portion corresponding to the duration of the sequence of micro frames.