lightning strikes

[chillpot]

Hi,

 

Lighning effects are required for an upcoming shoot, we will have a lightning strike unit on the shoot, it is a studio shoot and we will have a the lightning coming through the window, what is the best direction for the ligthning to come from, how does one measure the exposure of it and how many stops over your camera exposure should it be. Also if i want to light up the backing seperately and limit areas that it lights up what approaches might work, mirrors or silver reflectors. Thanks

[Patrick Neary]

Lightning strikes has exposure data on their website. When I've used them, I go by that, and place the units at a distance where the flash is about 4 stops overexposed in relation to the rest of the scene, but it depends on your own ideas of what lightning should look like. You can flag or net the light just like any other units.

[Matt Pacini]

I've never used these. Let us know how it turns out.

 

By the way, has anyone ever seen a movie with lightening effects, that actually has the sound follow the visual, the way it does in real life?

Seems like every time I see this effect, the thunder and lightning happen at exactly the same moment, which of course would mean your actors & sets would burst into flames from the electrical exlosion happening right there!

I know not everything in films is realistic, but it seems like there's no logical reason not for this to be realistic, yet I've never seen it done right.

 

Matt Pacini

[John Pytlak RIP]

I recall the thunderstorm in "The Sound of Music" (16 going on 17, Favorite Things) had a realistic delay, most of the time.

 

The closest I've been to a lightning flash is about 1/10 th of a second --- I hope I never have one closer. :blink: :rolleyes: