Best bang for the buck?!

[Marc Shap]

Hi, Im shooting a short in few weeks where we will be in a gym, on one side of the gym there are a row of 8 large windows, maybe 8x8 in size. My question is what is the best way to get hard edge controlable daylight comming through. Ideally I would want( 8) 12k or 18kHMIPars, however, as usuall production does not have the dough. Would (8) 12 light maxibrute be just as good, or would I lose that punch that I would get with a HMI par. I need something controlable as a good deal of the film takes place in the gym during the daytime, afternoon and night. Any help is much apprecited.

 

thanks

marc

[Jess Haas]

The 12 light will put out less light than a 12k Par, especially if you want it daylight balanced. It is also a larger source so it will be softer. If you aren't having to overpower the sun and don't need to cover too much space then you might be able to get away with slightly smaller HMIs, could you afford 8 6k pars?

 

Other options would be to avoid seeing all the windows at once and dance a smaller number of large fixtures around which could really waste a lot of time, or to just plan on shooting when the real sun is exactly where you want it which sounds like it isn't feasible.

 

~Jess

[timHealy]

Maybe you could try 1200 watt firestarters in those 12 light maxi's. Can you get away with half blue (i assume on the windows) instead of full blue.

 

Depending how far away the lamp is, it really won't be soft at all. The farther away a maxi or dino light is, the more it will become a single source.

 

I seem to recall that some friends were comparing a 6k Arri HMI par with no lens to a Ruby Seven with 1200 watt firestarters during a night exterior about 5 years ago. There was no compensation in color. The Ruby Seven lit a building from the ground better and brighter than the 6k because it is focusable, unlike a maxi brute or 12 light maxi.

 

May a Ruby Seven is worth a shot. It may not be brighter than a 12k, but perhaps it may be close and certainly cheaper.

 

Best

 

Tim

Edited November 15, 2007 by timHealy

[John Holland]

You say the action takes place in a gym daytime afternoon and night ? do you intend to light through these windows what ever time of day the scenes take place ?

[John Holland]

You say the action takes place in a gym daytime afternoon and night ? do you intend to light through these windows what ever time of day the scenes take place ?

[Marc Shap]

You say the action takes place in a gym daytime afternoon and night ? do you intend to light through these windows what ever time of day the scenes take place ?

 

I do, obviously for the night scenes, it will change quite a bit, as i dont need the windows to blow out, and I will not need so many lamps out side, but certainly for the daytime and afternoon, probally just 1/2 CTO for afternoon to warm it up, and maybe a little haze.

 

For the night scenes I just use the windows as a Moonlight source, to put patterns on the floor and to try and use as a backlight, and use the INT gym lighting for fill which I plan on using 2k or 6k spacelights, or if anyone has any suggestion on lighting the interior, I was thinking using 8 or so 2k spacelights and hanging them, trying to keep the natrul feel of overhead lights in gyms.

 

Thanks,

marc

[Michael Nash]

For the night scenes I just use the windows as a Moonlight source, to put patterns on the floor and to try and use as a backlight, and use the INT gym lighting for fill which I plan on using 2k or 6k spacelights, or if anyone has any suggestion on lighting the interior, I was thinking using 8 or so 2k spacelights and hanging them, trying to keep the natrul feel of overhead lights in gyms.

 

I assume you don't literally mean "fill" from the indoor lights, lower in level than the moonlight?

 

What ASA are you shooting at? Is using the practical lights out of the question?

 

http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...mp;hl=gymnasium

 

http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...2658&hl=gym

[timHealy]

forget the maxi's then. they are not very good to create patterns on the floor.

 

Maybe you need different lights for different looks and times of day.

 

 

Best

 

Tim

[Marc Shap]

I assume you don't literally mean "fill" from the indoor lights, lower in level than the moonlight?

 

What ASA are you shooting at? Is using the practical lights out of the question?

 

http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...mp;hl=gymnasium

 

http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...2658&hl=gym

 

 

Im Shooting the 5217 200T for daytime and 5218 500t for the Night.

 

Also, are the 1200 Firestarers globes Daylight balenced. Are there daylight globes for a Ruby 7 or Maxi Brute?

[timHealy]

Im Shooting the 5217 200T for daytime and 5218 500t for the Night.

 

Also, are the 1200 Firestarers globes Daylight balenced. Are there daylight globes for a Ruby 7 or Maxi Brute?

 

You can get dichroic par 64 globes for maxi brutes or ruby 7's, but I am fairly certain they are not available in the 1200 watt firestarter variety. But it never hurts to call your favorite rental houses and ask.

 

Best

 

Tim