Cheating in lights outdoors

nykvist_fan · July 18, 2004

Let me start with the speciifics:

+ 35mm B&W

+ Shooting outdoors on an estate, the area being surrounded on three sides by trees

+ Shooting from afternoon into early evening, but still light

+ A picnic scene: 10 or more subjects

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This is one of the most beautiful areas I have had the pleasure to shoot in, but there are spots, namely by the trees, that are not lit very well, especially into the evening. As a test, I am going to take these giant boards of Polystyrene (or other reflective materials) and put them around the blocked-off area to see if it does anything, but I don't think it will work. I have very good natural light, but I want to get some real lights in there.

Anyway, I should greatly value any suggestions on cheating in some light outdoors.

David Mullen ASC · July 18, 2004

Do you have a power supply and lights? Or are you asking about cheating more available lights?

If so, 4'x4' wooden silvered reflectors are your best bet; maybe make one of them a mirror board.

Also, remember as you go in tight with longer lenses, you can cheat their positions and move them out from the shade of the trees if necessary.

Sam Wells · July 18, 2004

It's much easier to cheat in artificial light in B&W, well I think so. If you're good you can do it so that source-direction is ambiguous. (Don't have double shadows if the film takes place on this planet :D ) ..the beauty of B&W can be abstract in a way that is very hard to do with color, you can work with the tonalities "alone"

-Sam

Dan Salzmann · July 18, 2004

Hard mirror boards are great for bouncing into trees and maybe a green filter to lighten grass. Be careful with the green filter on closeups of people.

nykvist_fan · July 20, 2004

I'd like to find out how Woody Allen and his DP got those outdoor shots in Stardust Memories

Michael Nash · July 20, 2004

As far as artificial light sources are concerned, it's hard to compete with the sun with anything less than a 12/18K HMI. Especially if you want to soften it through a frame for soft fill. If your action is in the shade and you don't have to balance for bright sunlight in the frame, then you can step down to smaller lights like 6K, 4K, and 2500W HMI's. As you move into closeups then you can go smaller with 2500's and 1200's.

But shiny boards, mirror boards, silks and large bounces are the easiest way to deal with sunlit exteriors. Just be prepared to keep chasing the patches of sunlight through the day, and have a backup plan ready when the available sunlight dips behind the trees. The best thing is often to shoot the wide shots first when there is light available to bounce, then move in for coverage that you can cheat or light artificially as the sun disappears.

nykvist_fan · July 21, 2004

Thanks, everyone, for the help. I used a combo of bounces, favoring the mirror boards in certain places, which brought some great illumination to the area around the trees. Much to my suprise, I didn't have to chase the sun too much, only changing the reflection points three times during shooting. Anyway, I did the wide shots first, and, due to fanatical rehersal (my director is a theatre guy), we nailed each scene in about 4:1, so the light dying wasn't much of a concern. The sky was cloudless, and, being summer, it stayed light way into the evening, so I didn't get the chance to break out the kit, because, frankly, I didn't need it.

Tomorrow...sorry, today, we're going to do close-up's and some extra coverage, so I am enthusiastic about cheating in some small lights. Thank god the director wanted B&W, as I have always found it easier (yet still exacting and slow work) to cheat in B&W, as opposed to color, which is slow, exacting and painfully botchable (a word?).

This is perhaps the only time where hugh polystyrene boards come in handy, as I have always had to trim it down somehow.

Bouncing materials: $60

Beautiful Shot: Priceless B)