Hair and make up test..

[Richard Scudder]

Hi, im shooting a hair and make up tests for a prime time production ( stills ). the production co. would like me to bring some studio ( still photography lights ) but the shots will be done on set. i feel that i should shoot the test still under the productions ambient light's and not my flash. dew to the obvious that true to life in-camera look should be done with the sets ambient lights that the DP set up. not by a studio flash. my plan is to bring my gossen color-pro 3F, color meter to match the color temp ( 5500k ? ) of the sets lights so the producer can get the real look of the hair and make up as it would be in production....

please give me some feed back on this.. thanks Richard

[James Brown]

Hi,

 

Your planned attack sounds good.

 

If it's a hair and make up 'test' wouldn't they want a very similar look to the production? It seems odd they would send you into an already functioning set that the cinematographer has lit, tell you to turn off the lights and bring in a bunch of flash heads.

 

A lot of the time a stills guy will steal one of the electrics to help him push around some lights with the matching gel combo and maybe ask "did such and such have a backlight" or in reply "we usually gave what's her face an eye light".

 

the only time still's seem to bring in their own light's are on Cyc work or shooting talent for a billboard, spots ect.

[David Mullen ASC]

my plan is to bring my gossen color-pro 3F, color meter to match the color temp ( 5500k ? ) of the sets lights so the producer can get the real look of the hair and make up as it would be in production....

 

If it's a set, would it be more likely that it would be lit with tungsten units (3200K)?

 

I think what's important is that the lighting style is close to what the DP is planning. The DP may not like using backlights on hair, for example, which will affect things, or like to use strong side-light, which often doesn't work with some women's hairstyles (hanging bangs in front of their face.) Can you get the DP involved in the test?