Shooting For A Night Look

[canada_habs2004]

I am filming scenes right now that I am trying to give as much of a night look as possible.

 

I am not sure how I should film them to get the best look. I don't think I am able to shoot at real night, and use lighting, so I want to shoot when there is still enough sunlight.

 

Is it easier just to shoot early evening, and make it look like night in post??

 

Or anyway else, and what effects do you apply to get a night look?

[J Costantini]

look upon "dusk for night" or even "day for night"

 

this may help

http://videomaker.com/scripts/article.cfm?id=8150

 

also

books like "cinematography" or "film lighting" (both by kris malkiewicz) may be useful as a starter.

 

dusk for night is great for when you have to shoot a "night looking" scene and dont have enough lights (or money) to light a big area.

you can always print it down a little bit in post.

[John Atala]

are you shooting film or video?

 

i've seen some cinematographers stack up two Circular Polarizers and find the right stage regarding both filter's independent "circularity", always test any new technique before applying, make yourself familiar with it.:blink:

 

jon

 

p.s. ive heard it works like a charm w/ hd video. also, keep in mind that each Circular Polarizer has a filter factor of 2.3 to 2.8 fstops, so it might only work with day for night effect.

[Dan Salzmann]

An important thing to consider is WHERE. Night in the city is way different than night in the country. The trick to city stuff is to add as little light to foreground action as possible because once you start closing down the lens for the foreground, you start losing the existing light of the city.

In the country, it's another kettle of fish. If there is low/no budget you have to do day for night or dusk for night if you have wide angle shots. Dusk for night means you really have to be prepped and be able to shoot fast because there is not much time. If you are doing night for night in the country and you have to see deep into the background it helps to see if the people whose houses are in the background can put on there house lights and maybe let you plug in some halogen 2K garden/work lights to accent the surrounding trees or whatever.

Hope this helps.

[Dan Salzmann]

An important thing to consider is WHERE. Night in the city is way different than night in the country. The trick to city stuff is to add as little light to foreground action as possible because once you start closing down the lens for the foreground, you start losing the existing light of the city.

In the country, it's another kettle of fish. If there is low/no budget you have to do day for night or dusk for night if you have wide angle shots. Dusk for night means you really have to be prepped and be able to shoot fast because there is not much time. If you are doing night for night in the country and you have to see deep into the background it helps to see if the people whose houses are in the background can put on there house lights and maybe let you plug in some halogen 2K garden/work lights to accent the surrounding trees or whatever.

Hope this helps.

[Leon Rodriguez]

If I'm saying stuff you guys already know pls. bear with me but for the benefit of the newer guys...

 

When you stack filters you multiply the filter factor NOT add them. You can however add the stops that they represent. i.e. A ff of 2=1 stop so because light is square law every time the ff doubles we increase the stop by one like an exponent of 2. A ff of 4=2stops (2^2), a ff of 8=3 stops (2^3)etc. Do you see it?

 

So 2 circular pola's at a 2.3 ff each gives you a 5 1/3 ff not a 4 2/3 ff which equals somewhere approx. 2 1/2 not 2 1/3.

 

I guess if you're shooting video and have a monitor you trust to look at this is all moot but it doesn't hurt to know what's actually going on.

 

This is an article I wrote some time back. It may offer additional insight.

http://www.cineshare.com/columns/techniques/dayfornight.htm

 

Hope it helps.