Need Help Lighting this beautiful interior

[Jamie Metzger]

Hey Guys,

I'm going to scout this location tomorrow and I keep having a hard time thinking of how to light this place. It gets a decent amount of natural light since it's south east facing, but there is overhead skylights in the hallways behind the initial room.

 

We are making this place look like a steampunk hospital. Futuristic but old. Think city of lost children.

 

The hospital bed and set dressing are infront of the mirror with the orange hallway behind it.

 

I'm wondering if I need to light this at all, but seeing as consistency with the daylight could be a problem, and rigging isn't an option...

 

I can build a grid, but I dont want to, especially with the lack of time I have. It's supposed to be very late afternoon into dark...2 scenes.

 

Let me know if you need more info, I'd love to hear what everyone thinks. I shoot on the 15th.

 

Jamie

Edited September 3, 2007 by Jamie Metzger

[Pete Von Tews]

That is a great looking location!

 

I would accentuate the pillared facade (?) maybe with some colored lights, depending on the kind of mood you want to set. For the "futuristic but old" look, maybe add some tv monitors with static on them? I can think of some cool set design pieces too that could be lit up to add atmosphere. Perhaps throw in some 4foot fluorescent tubes for a contrasting time period look. The pattern in the pillar facade looks like mickey mouse ears! Hanging some fabric and lighting it would look cool especially with a small fan moving it. Also if you had a bit of "fog or smoke" you can use the architectural elements to create nice light ray patterns.

That's my quick ideas!

-pete

[Logan Schneider]

Don't be afraid to keep it simple. It seems to me that the future-old effect is most important to do in production design, but to emphasize it you could put some very strong light in the back room and then use the glass door as motivated daylight. The side passage can have little highlights...or not. You could play it all naturalistic (lit with HMIs for continuity), but have a bare practical where the mirror is to add a raw feel to part of the image. Endless options...

[Jonathan Bowerbank]

I'd definitely keep the natural sources in mind and look up some more references that will help you out in figuring out your scheme.

 

For example, nearly every film Roger Pratt has ever shot has a location similar to this. Look at some of the mansion scenes from "Batman" and various scenes from "Brazil", the hospital scenes from "Fisher King", and "Iris" is a beautiful film that I recall uses a lot of natural lighting in old English buildings.

 

Being it's an old-style futuristic look, you could probably have a lot of fun with it. Should be a great practice in style for ya!