Lighting in Grey

[Michael Armstrong]

Greetings,

 

I'm doing the lighting for a small production and the DP wants me to light the first half of the movie as grey to symbolize his depression.

 

As this is my first real production job lighting, I'm nervous as hell and want some opinions on how to do this? I was thinking key lighting from the top with some small lights from the side to do a little fill, but to keep things darker on the bottom of people's faces.

 

Any ideas? Am I compeletely off?

[Chris Keth]

Greetings,

 

I'm doing the lighting for a small production and the DP wants me to light the first half of the movie as grey to symbolize his depression.

 

As this is my first real production job lighting, I'm nervous as hell and want some opinions on how to do this? I was thinking key lighting from the top with some small lights from the side to do a little fill, but to keep things darker on the bottom of people's faces.

 

Any ideas? Am I compeletely off?

 

I'm not quite sure what is meant by grey. Does he actually mean the color grey, in which you would have little black and light your highlights a bit dull. Or does he just mean without much color?

[Michael Armstrong]

I'm not quite sure what is meant by grey. Does he actually mean the color grey, in which you would have little black and light your highlights a bit dull. Or does he just mean without much color?

 

sorry, without much color. I'm still getting the hang of explaining things properly. From what I understand he wants everything very drab, with little color.

 

I hope that's a little better explanation.

 

Also, he's shooting on HDV.

 

Mike

[Chris Sharman]

Go for low contrast lighting, and make sure your sets and cotumes are suitably dull. Underexposing slightly will help the gloomy feeling.

 

If you want to take the colours down even more then just desaturate in post. Very easy to do, particularly on video. Play with the chroma on your field monitor to give the director an idea of what this technique will achieve.

 

Cheers,

 

JM

Edited July 19, 2007 by Johann Marsh

[Chris Keth]

Go for low contrast lighting

 

 

Definately, the DP will atke care of the in camera stuff but this will be your major goal. You probably won't want a full range of tones, because it will make the image look richer. You will probably want to shoot for drab highlights rather than fully exposed ones.

[Ram Shani]

use more soft light

 

hard light make the color more rich and

vivid