romanek lighting

aaron wade · April 14, 2006

im trying to light a music video similar to fiona apples "criminal" music video. i understand that romanek used a little spot light from home depot on top of the camera. i wanted to get others suggestions on this process. any advice? also here is another music video that uses the same lighting. http://stream.qtv.apple.com/qtv/zomba/kelis/bossy_ref.mov (its toward the end of the video)

i will be shooting with a panasonic dvx100a.

thanks in advance.

Michael Nash · April 14, 2006

I think Romanek (and Savides, was it?) were trying to convey the feeling of an illicit moment caught in a flash photograph, translated into the moving image. Therefore they wanted the quality of light that small, camera-mounted flash would give, and ended up with a small unit close to the lens.

To that end, any small camera-mounted light would work. Keep it small. Frezzi makes a good news light for ENG cameras that uses a simple overhead projector bulb. You easily build something yourself as well.

I noticed in both these videos that two things help complete the look: 1) the pool of light is small and falls off around the edges of frame; 2) subjects are fairly close to the camera and exposed pretty close to key level, so again everything else falls off into darkness. If you overexposed your subjects too much you would see the background too much, and lose some of that sensation of peering into something dark and hidden. Just a thought.

Rolfe Klement · April 14, 2006

As mentioned use a small hard light, you need to snoot the light and pay VERY careful attention to light levels. The exposure needs to be exact and the final "centre focus" look was also refined in TK.

I think Harris also moved the light around the camera based on his stills experience for different set ups (but it mainly seems to be up and right - but very close to the lens - remember a 1cm move of the light can be the difference between a good and a great shot

thanks

Rolfe

aaron wade · April 15, 2006

thanks for the advice.

time for me to go start testing! :)

Matt Sandstrom · April 15, 2006

just a reflection. in the kelis video the shadows cast by the camera light are very sharp. i did a quick test using an ikea reflector bulb spot and i got the basic look right but the shadows were much softer, plus the pattern wasn't as even. i've used ring lights for a similar look before but i really like the flash photography look with the light slightly topped and the shadows that creates. perhaps a "real" spotlight or even a focused light is needed? i've found this, which might do the trick screwed into the ikea fixture?

http://www.velleman.be/ot/en/product/view/?id=353936

/matt

aaron wade · April 15, 2006

so basically the light would be pretty much handheld right near the camera lense; instead of mounted on top of the camera?

Matt Sandstrom · April 15, 2006

so basically the light would be pretty much handheld right near the camera lense; instead of mounted on top of the camera?

or attached to an arm and moved around on a shot by shot basis? that's what i'd do. at least for tracking and handheld shots. in "eternal sunshine" the spot was pretty far from the camera but still attached to and moved with it, iirc.

/matt

Michael Nash · April 15, 2006

perhaps a "real" spotlight or even a focused light is needed? i've found this, which might do the trick screwed into the ikea fixture?

http://www.velleman.be/ot/en/product/view/?id=353936

/matt

Actually spot globes fill up the reflector with light, making a slightly larger source. You get more light in one spot, but with a slightly fuzzier shadow.

But that doesn't mean it can't give you the look you want. Test. These things are dirt cheap.

Wendell_Greene · April 15, 2006

If it's just the look of the narrow beam of light with the immediate falloff and not the red eye flash photography effect you're after,, then I'd suggest you test different size snoots on something like a 1K par. You can have someone move the light around the talent as you shoot, as Romanek and Savides did in the Criminal video.

FYI, another video that uses this technique with the light moving is the first part of Macy Gray's "Why Didn't You Call Me Again", directed by Hype Williams.

Michael Nash · April 15, 2006

If it's just the look of the narrow beam of light with the immediate falloff and not the red eye flash photography effect you're after,, then I'd suggest you test different size snoots on something like a 1K par.

You don't need anything nearly that bright most of the time. Depending on the distance to the subject and the sensitivity of the camera or film stock, a 200 or 300W unit is usually plenty.

Matt Sandstrom · April 18, 2006

Test. These things are dirt cheap.

actually they're not. the dirt cheap reflector bulbs throw an ugly pattern. the "real" spotlight bulbs, which use a small halogen bulb with an external reflector, throw a perfect almost fresnel like circle but they cost like $20. not expensive but not exactly dirt cheap either. i'll get a couple in either case though. a small spotlight that fits a regular socket will often come in handy.

/matt