Mixing gelled lights and non-gelled lights

[Andrew Jackson]

I did a test roll and got it back recently. In it, I had 3 lights:

 

softbox -> ungelled - backlight for water hitting a window

 

Tota light with a 1/2 CTB Gel

 

Open-Faced focusable spot -> ungelled

 

 

The light off the focusable spot was giving me 40 footcandles on the subject, and the tota was giving me 20 footcandles. I did not use an 85 filter.

 

 

Now, when I got the tests back, I could not make out any of the blue, not even the slightest bit. I told the lab to do a workprint based off the graycard shot at the head of the roll (exposed normally in tungston light, no 85 filter). When the lights were set up though, I could make out a little blue, but not on the workprint. I was just hoping for a slight blue, but I got nowhere near enough. Anyone know what happened? Does the other two tungston lights just make the 1/2 CTB gel on the one light not show up? Show I just gel them all at 1/2 CTB to get a slight blue look?

[Chris Cooke]

It would be good to see a picture to know for sure what you're talking about but I'm guessing that your white light is washing out your blue. You also might want to try using full CTB as your fill light and not let any spill from your key hit any area of the set or person that you want blue. This will ensure that all of the shadows will have a blue tint to them.

[janusz sikora]

Half CTB converts to only 3700K... Mixed on the face with twice as strong Tungsten Key it becomes the most 3400K and this is Tungsten.

jotes

 

LET THERE BE LIGHT