Kerwin Go Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 I've always wondered how commercial D.P's achieve that soft wraparound look to a model's face. Very evenly lit but still with a great deal of modelling. Also in shampoo commercials where a subject's hair has an even sheen to it. Are these huge bounced sources? Does that glow coming from the skin achieved in post? Or was it all done in camera? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Smith Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 (edited) I've always wondered how commercial D.P's achieve that soft wraparound look to a model's face. Very evenly lit but still with a great deal of modelling. Also in shampoo commercials where a subject's hair has an even sheen to it. Are these huge bounced sources? Does that glow coming from the skin achieved in post? Or was it all done in camera? A mixture of those things. Soft boxes, bouncers and a serious amount of post production. Edited October 16, 2007 by Daniel Ashley-Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Fritts Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 Low contrast and diffusion filters also add to the look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Adrian Sierkowski Posted October 16, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted October 16, 2007 Some of it also has to be chalked up to makeup, evening out the skin in the first place and giving it a slight sheen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Rosenbloom Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 It's huge, soft sources: 12'x12' book lights w/ egg-crates in front. Also consider that any woman who appears on camera gets as much hair and makeup attention every five minutes as the average upper-east side bride gets on the morning of her wedding ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean McClellan Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 I know that some DP's will use what's called a wedge-light system. They'll take, for example; a 10k and bounce that to a 8'x8' or a 12'x12' grifflon and then take that bounce and put that through an 8'x8' or a 12'x12' silk and that creates a really nice soft wrap around beauty look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Michael Nash Posted October 16, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted October 16, 2007 It's soft sources. It doesn't take post production to create soft, wraparound beauty lighting; but commercials do use color correction to "polish" the look a little bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chayse Irvin ASC, CSC Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 (edited) Soft sources, like large book lights and smaller soft sources, but placed within the fall off the source so you can feel the diffusion reflecting off the skin, will give you a more commercial look. This is called blooming. Large book lights placed far back can still be very soft but give a different natural light look rather then commercial look. As well as since the eye is like a wide-angle lens sources placed far away appear a lot smaller in the reflection of the eye, hence avoiding that big reflection of diffusion in the eye, once again looking more natural. To soften even more for close ups you can use clear diffusion close to the character so that it doesn't cause that blooming. This works because clear diffusion, like hilite, won?t become the source. However, that?s what I would do to avoid the commercial look heh. To achieve the commercial look I would take a medium (4x4-6x6) sized sources placed close to the performer (If the diffusion is too large and close, it will start to coming in at a reflecting angle and act as a backlight aswell as a key light, so i use smaller booklights to aviod that) so that I would get a nice bright reflection in the skin as well as a bright and large eye light. For wide shots I would use a larger frame? but things are usually stay tight on TV. Edited October 16, 2007 by Chayse Irvin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chayse Irvin ASC, CSC Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 PS. I dont come from a commercial background, infact i haven't done a commercial in a year. I come from using softlight designed not to look like commercial lighting but natural for narrative work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rajavel Olhiveeran Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 hi kervin u had asked about the ..."shampoo commercials having even sheen hair "...and that is not soft source light. that is hard lighting. actually i was working on a few hair shampoo commercials with a cinematographer from hongkong who specilaises in it. that was lot of work for that kind of lighting. each and every shine that u get on a volume of hair is lit by a single light each....and the spill over light cut off ...from each other....crazy flagging of has to be done....to get the perfect sheen....even worse if the woman is going to be walking.....the hair is made to bounce by a magic thread (invisible) by two people walking along the model ......and a whole of care cheers! rajavel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keidrych wasley Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 one technique i've seen is the artist with 6x4 poly boards to the side and above her. 1 5k bounced into each one, so 3 5k's. A 4x4 kino in front below +eye light/touch ups of choice. A classic soft etc plus 1/2 stop overexposed skin. For the sheeny hair a dedo 650. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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