Car shoot

[Nick Bennett]

I'm going to be working on a car shoot for my reel, I've shot cars in studios/infinity cycs etc but I've never lit a car on location (underground car park in this case)

 

My question is what equipment would you use to create a bounce tab for the cars light, would it be some kind of large silk perhaps?

 

Nick

[Nick Bennett]

Was this a stupid question or something?

[Michael Nash]

Was this a stupid question or something?

 

No, just a late one... The interval between your postings was overnight in the US, where may of the readers are.

 

I'm not sure what your question means though -- are you asking how to light the exterior of the car, and deal with reflections on location (as opposed to a more controlled studio)? Maybe I'm confused by the term "bounce tab" (never heard that before). In any case, the principles of lighting and reflections are the same on location as they are in studio.

[Nick Bennett]

Thanks for the reply, bounce tab would be the floating ceiling in a studio situation that I would bounce light from to light the top of the car.

 

I was really wondering how this 'ceiling' could be achieved on location without a large construction job?

 

Thanks

 

Nick

[Michael Nash]

It really depends on the location, the camera angles, and how large you want the light source. For example, standard grip frames come in sizes of 6'x6', 8'x8', and 12'x12' (among others), and can be skinned with diffusion material like silk or gridcloth, or bounce material like griffylon or ultrabounce. But then you still have to figure how to rig it above the car without stands showing in the shot, how and where you're going to rig your lights to either push through or bounce off the frame, and if the ceiling height is going to accomodate the reflection and falloff you want.

 

This is where you really need to do a tech scout with a gaffer and grip to figure how you might do what you want to do -- or else find a better location, or come up with a different lighting scheme. For example you could rig long fluorescent tubes to the ceiling, and have long "pinstripe" reflections instead of a big solid wash (just a thought).

 

Check out the more recent "Gone In 60 Seconds" for some ideas on how to make cars look good in a variety of locations. There's a beauty shot in a garage where they must have had a high ceiling to rig the softbox.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

The trouble with large diffusion frames over cars outside is that they have to be quite large -- 20'x40' minimum probably, and any means of support like stands would be reflected in the car, not to mention the frame for the diffusion, which would probably have to be suspended from a condor crane.

 

Most car commercials shoot those beauty shots at magic hour when there is a natural overhead soft source.

[Nick Bennett]

Thanks all.

 

Nick