It's that darn office scene with the huge windows

[Laurent Andrieux]

how many stops do you have to compensate from the outside ? (even two stops contrats might be acceptable, depending on the actor's hair, and nature of background...) Just go there with your meter, and have an idea of the incoming light, if you're lucky, you might get moments with clouds, moments without... According to the schedule that is fixed for the scene. Have a spotmeter as well to measure the outside background. Is it the sky, thru this window ? Then why don't you put an HMI through a big square of diffusion to fill-in the light in the camera axis, far from the actor (for the wide position) ? If you shoot film, don't tell me there is no money for renting a 2.5 KW or A 4 kW HMI, at least, if the director doesn't want curtains on the window, and makes no conciliation for the actor's moves or gesture, I don't see any other solution than lighting ! If he has no money fior HMI, one or 2 big rigid bounce diffuse boards can make it if you have the sun in a direction such that you can bounce it... Did you mind the sun positions by the time you'll be shooting ? is the exterior outside of the window so that it cannot be controlled anyhow ? What do you see through this window ? Can you gel them with ND ?...

 

If I can't light what the director wants me to light, I'd ask him to change the set or something (actor's position...) or I just don't do it !