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Helter Skelter


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Anyone catch this one?I thought they went a little overboard on the really low level drama mood lighting.It was cool for the Spahn Ranch and night time creepy crawly scenes,but it was somewhat bothersome and overdone on the courtroom stuff(never seen LA's Hall of Justice in real life so I don't know how it's lit but I would've thought the 1975 version was more realistic there).

The pseudo newsfilm...super 8?Too grainy and overdone,newsfilm didn't look that bad.The open was very well done though.

Marty

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(never seen LA's Hall of Justice in real life so I don't know how it's lit but I would've thought the 1975 version was more realistic there).

Didn't see the movie so I can't comment on it.

 

I gaffed a project there in one of the big courtrooms, same one seen in "Intolerable Cruelty" (and I think the OJ trial). The 18' ceiling is literally a big flat overhead source, the full 40'x 40' with fluorescent tubes through white egg crates. In IC Roger Deakins changed out the tubes for tungsten; I left them cool white for time (we had to shoot overnight and be out in time for court the next day). I don't know how it was in 1975, but I can tell you that building has been there since at least the 1950's.

 

I was just back there in another building for jury duty this week :( . Same flat overhead light, very cold and gloomy feeling. In its own way, even more dramatic than the typical courtroom of tall windows you see in movies.

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The 18' ceiling is literally a big flat overhead source, the full 40'x 40' with fluorescent tubes through white egg crates

I was just back there in another building for jury duty this week :( . Same flat overhead light, very cold and gloomy feeling. In its own way, even more dramatic than the typical courtroom of tall windows you see in movies.

That sounds about right.The lighting they had in the movie was very stark with deep shadows,apparently to give it the gloom and sinister look,which they went with throughout the whole movie.It didn't work for me for everything.

Most courtrooms are flat and cold with large overhead florescents (I shoot in court about twice a week,we average 2 murders a week here :( ).The exceptions are the much older turn of the century coourtrooms like the one we have in Fernindina Beach,which is nort of where I am.That one looks like a scene from Perry Mason.

Marty

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The exceptions are the much older turn of the century coourtrooms like the one we have in Fernindina Beach,which is nort of where I am.That one looks like a scene from Perry Mason.

  Marty

Yeah, Fernandina's great. I haven't been there in about 10 years though. I've spent quite a bit of time there in the Jax Beach area.

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Yeah, Fernandina's great. I haven't been there in about 10 years though. I've spent quite a bit of time there in the Jax Beach area.

If you're ever in the area again let me know,I'll try to hook you up with the grips and gaffer types here as well as the important stuff like the best watering holes.I used to skydive in Fernindina.

Marty

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