Rooftop vs. the Sun

[Dave Rocco]

Color 16mm film shot on a rooftop.

I am in a wide open space and know that I will battle raccoon eyes most of the day.

My thoughts are to bounce light in the close ups and use reflectors for the two shots.

Is that about all I can do?

or should I look into massive silks. The whole film is shot on this rooftop so I will need a solid system that will look consistent day to day assuming we shoot on bright sunny days.

The story calls for a hot day so silks don't sound right to me.

What am I missing?

Thanks,

Dave Rocco

[David Mullen ASC]

What I would do is use an overhead 12'x12' Half Soft Frost on the closer shots -- this keeps some of the light's directionality and only loses a half-stop of exposure, so the background doesn't get significantly brighter when the actors are under it. You can then use a bounce card underneath if it's still necessary.

[Bob Hayes]

Think about back lighting as a solution to raccoon eyes. Or shoot your masters with out coving the actors and then bring in a 12?x12? or even an 8?x8? subtle diffusion for your medium shots and close-ups. I like high light plus ¼ grid cloth. The change is lighting is pretty subtle.

 

Another challenge you will find is when actors walk from bright sun into your 12?x12? silk. Figure out what edge of the silk is casting the shadows and slide the silk so it is flush with the pipe. No gaps or loose strings. Then throw up a couple of thin shadows the actor will walk through before they enter the silk. The shadows should feel like telephone poles or wires. This will distract your audience and the entrance into full silk will be subtler.

[Dave Rocco]

Hey, thanks for the 12x12 idea...thats what i was thinking, but I thought it might act like a huge sail up there...but its not that windy.

So, does everyone else generally agree? is there anything else that would help the consistency? Thanks, Dave