Re rating and exposure

[Yancey Franco]

I'm shooting with 7219 500T stock outside at night. I've got a full CTB to correct my tungsten lights. I'm also re-rating the film to 250. Are the blues still going to show up much more or will the CTB gel correct and get a proper exposure and have all the colors expose normally?

[David Mullen ASC]

I'm shooting with 7219 500T stock outside at night. I've got a full CTB to correct my tungsten lights. I'm also re-rating the film to 250. Are the blues still going to show up much more or will the CTB gel correct and get a proper exposure and have all the colors expose normally?

 

If you're shooting tungsten film, then why are you putting blue gel on tungsten lights if you want normal color? Or do you want a blue color? Is this supposed to be moonlight? If so, shoot a grey scale first under white light before the blue-lit scene comes up on the roll. Also, even though you are rating the film slower, you would then expose moonlight darker than "at key". This will keep the blue light looking blue -- it would get more washed-out if you exposed it for normal brightness.

[Yancey Franco]

If you're shooting tungsten film, then why are you putting blue gel on tungsten lights if you want normal color? Or do you want a blue color? Is this supposed to be moonlight? If so, shoot a grey scale first under white light before the blue-lit scene comes up on the roll. Also, even though you are rating the film slower, you would then expose moonlight darker than "at key". This will keep the blue light looking blue -- it would get more washed-out if you exposed it for normal brightness.

 

Sorry I wasn't clearer. Yea, its supposed to be moonlight. So when I expose, do you mean that I should underexpose rather than shoot it normally? Also is, 250 a better re-rating than 320? Or should I re-rate it to 320 instead? Any preferences or advice?

[David Mullen ASC]

320 ASA is enough overexposure for 500T to reduce grain, anymore and you aren't gaining much and might as well use a 200T stock.

 

Just make sure you shoot a greyscale under white light at 320 ASA at the head of the roll if the scene after that will be dark and blue-ish. Because if you aren't there for the video transfer, or if this will be a workprint, and the colorist / timer sees a dark & blue-ish scene, he or she may correct it to look normal in brightness and color unless given some instructions from you. I usually shoot both a greyscale and then a sign that says something about the look of the scene, like:

 

NOTE TO COLORIST:

DEEP BLUE MOONLIGHT

 

As for how much to then underexpose a blue-lit scene to look like moonlight, I've been struggling with that for years. Sort of depends on the scene, the angle of the moonlight, if it is in conjunction with other sources like a flashlight, etc.