Please comment my work

Sylvain Bouilleau · July 1, 2008

I made my first job as a DP for a smal series that takes place in an office. I used to work with cheap worklights and par56 and for the first time I used "real" cine lights. The lights used to achieve this results were 2x2K Fresnel, a chinese ball, 2x Kino flo (a 5tubes and a 10tubes) and a 2kw Blonde but it didn't stay on more thant 10 minutes :( Ok so here is the result, comments and criticism are welcome so next time it will look better.

thank you

Matt Read · July 1, 2008

All the images look a bit dark. There's too many shadows as well. I'm getting the feeling that I'm looking at an inner-city school rather than an office. I'd boost the overall amount of light or open up another stop. Also, I'd go for more top light. Offices are always lit by overhead florescents. Take a look at the TV show "Mad Men" on AMC or the office scenes in "Office Space" or "American Beauty."

You might want to try increasing the contrast of your images. Your shadows aren't very dark and your highlights aren't very bright. A little bit more contrast will drastically improve the quality of your images.

You will probably want to talk to the art department too. I've never seen offices that use chalkboards or have green paint on the walls. (Are you shooting in a school building?) Have them get some poster board of a more office-appropriate color and staple or tape it over the green paint. Go to Kinko's and tell them that you need a poster for a business presentation. Have them make one and then set it on an easel and use that instead of the chalkboard.

There's some fuzzy focus going on in the fourth shot. It's also not level. I don't know if it's taken from the middle of a camera move, but if not, remember to always pull focus and level your camera.

If I were you, I'd invest in 5-10 more china balls and some 500w photoflood bulbs for them and hang those from the ceiling as your key. Use your 2k fresnels as accent lights on the set and the Kinos as fill from near the camera. If they can be, I'd turn on the lights in the back room you see in the fourth shot. If not, that'd be a place to put one of those Fresnels set on flood and aimed at the ceiling. I'd also try to avoid seeing anything below the surface of the tables. The tables don't really look like something you'd see in an office, but if you only see their tops, they'll pass.

Adrian Sierkowski · July 1, 2008

I'd have to agree with the above. Personally, the most believable office I've seen is in the TV show "The Office." I'm also unsure as to the color bias? Is the blueing intentional? It does give the images a much grittier look than perhaps should/would be needed.

Sylvain Bouilleau · July 2, 2008

Thanks for the advices guys, the next episode is gonna look way better. To answer all your questions, yes the number 4 is part of a travelling and yes the blueish light is intentional. I'll try to remember everything that as been said for the next shooting. As for the office this is what old offices looks like in France ;)

Adrian Sierkowski · July 2, 2008

Reminds me a bit of my old highschool. . . and the evil nuns that inhabited it!

It also proves that there was a time before power point!

Edited July 2, 2008 by Adrian Sierkowski

Rich Hibner · July 2, 2008

I'd also suggest your location has to look like an office to show the audience it is an office. Right now it looks like a warehouse of some sort in certain shots. And when he's at the chalk board, some kind of school.

Brian Rose · July 2, 2008

I noticed in shot two, the shadow gives away the light source. When I think of an office space, it's almost always lit from above, with minimal shadows. It ought to be a bright place (taking care to watch the colour of the light, depending on the mood or feel you're after).

Best of luck!

Brian R.