lighting in a Darkroom for 16mm

[Daniel Carruthers]

Hey I know this questions seems to come up lots. but Im shooting a darkroom scene useing 7218.

Now I read in a past post that useing a magenta gel would work than timing in the red in post.

but Im also gonna have some white lights turn on after the actor is done developing. so the lights that I want to be white should I gel them half blue or full blue, to conteract the red that will be added in to make the magenta lights red???

Or should I just shoot the whole scene under white lights and add the red later?

[Brian Drysdale]

You can just have the lights come on and the red safe light effect will just be an interesting colour accent. Or, if really worried, switch off the "safe light" effect as you switch on the white light.

 

In most dark rooms I've seen, the safe light comes from a different direction to the normal room light, which makes the change a lot more interesting than just changing the colour of the lighting.

[Daniel Carruthers]

You can just have the lights come on and the red safe light effect will just be an interesting colour accent. Or, if really worried, switch off the "safe light" effect as you switch on the white light.

 

In most dark rooms I've seen, the safe light comes from a different direction to the normal room light, which makes the change a lot more interesting than just changing the colour of the lighting.

 

yes Im gonna change the direction of the light, Im just worried if I time in the red in post it will make all the lights red, so should I gel the lights that I want to be white, blue?

[Bob Hayes]

Focus is always weird when using red light. I don?t remember what the problems are.

[Brian Drysdale]

yes Im gonna change the direction of the light, Im just worried if I time in the red in post it will make all the lights red, so should I gel the lights that I want to be white, blue?

 

I've just gelled for the safe light red effect and timed for the white light.

[Kevin Rasmussen]

Gel your "Safe light" red but don't go overboard or as Bob mentioned your focus will get really muddy, gel your "white lights" accordingly depending on the type of lights your using. "Never fix in post what you can do easily on set" seems to be something of a forgotten golden rule with some of us young folk. The more control you have of your lighting the better the final image will be.

 

Get a gaffer on some switches. Flips the "Safe light" switch off and the "house lights" switch on. Most darkrooms have separate controls for each and I always remember students (in my photography studies days) forgetting to turn off the "safe light" because once the "house lights" were on they over powered the "safe lights" and you couldn't tell it was even on.

 

kevin