Lighting a Dark Library

[ReelMandy]

Hello-

I need help for a shoot that is coming up soon. We are using the Panasonic DVX100a.

The shoot is for a promotional video for a local high school. We are interviewing the principle, head master and a few teachers. The locatation is a dark (dark furniture and oak) library in a large house. the room is about 20' by 15'. We want the deepest depth of field as can be reached with this type of camera on a budget (always a consideration). Also, Im under time constraints, so please do not use this topic to post about how I should use a different camera, or my choices as a human, etc.

 

So far Im thinking as far as basic three, to use kenos, around 650s, and then to really light up the background maybe a 1k, but not really sure whats going to look best. I dont want to blow out the subjects, but also do not want it to look like they are sitting in a creepy mansion.

 

Any suggestions for color help here and diffussion?

[J. Lamar King IMPOSTOR]

Also, Im under time constraints, so please do not use this topic to post about how I should use a different camera, or my choices as a human, etc.

 

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Well, if you're that confident you don't need us to tell you how to light.

 

The only thing I could say is that dark wood does absorb lots of light so the 1K might be in order. However, you don't want to overlight the background as compared to the foreground. You might be able to rake the BG at a very shallow angle with the 1K so it picks out the edges of objects and use the tweenies for backlight. Key the subject with the kino and possibly let it spill into the BG as extra fill.

[David Mullen ASC]

Having a lot of depth of field isn't going to be a problem with a consumer DV camcorder; having TOO MUCH is usually the problem.

 

Dark wood generally needs to have large soft light reflected over its surface, like lighting a black car, although with video it doesn't take much before it just gets too glarey. I'd try creating some large white panels off-camera and bouncing the light into that and then reflecting that light in the wood. Chinese Lanterns could also be a help in lighting that space. It sounds like a case where you want to light the background first to determine how much light to throw on the subject to balance. And I agree that you don't want the background too bright compared to the subject, lest your eye goes back there when watching the shot, rather than to who is talking.

 

You can sometimes light a narrow corridoor of shiney wood or tile with a small soft backlight (like a Kinoflo) right at the end of the row, pointed back at the camera, and then blocking the camera's view of the light with a piece of furniture or architecture. Even a small light will be picked by the reflectivity of the surface.

Edited November 2, 2004 by David Mullen

[Bill Totolo]

I had a similar shoot in Dutton's Bookstore in Studio City. It's a very old bookstore.

 

We used smoke to lift the base exposure. It may not be an option for your interview but perhaps shooting at 7.5 IRE may help get some detail in those dark oak bookshelves.

 

We used Kinos on the subjects and Dedo's to highlight details in the b/g. I would think you could bounce a 1K into some beadboard to lift the b/g more if the dedos are to directional or a 1K w/ a chimera w/ louvres to control spill.

 

Have you visited the location to see what the ambient level is? If you can control the time of day of the shoot you may be able to influence/enhance the lighting a little further.

[Mitch Gross]

It really depends on what you'd like it to look like. My first thought on a library might be to go with some warmer, spottier light that creates depth in the background rather than such a flat, even light. I could see putting individual small lights (Lowel Pro or Mole Inkie) on the floor or rigged above to light each bookcase seperately with brighter light in the center and some dropoff to the sides of each case. Then I'd use something soft like a kino or bounce to add some ambient fill to the background. Finally I'd have a soft source with quick drop off such as a close bounce or Kino to key light the subject with a bit of fill or edge. That might look a lot more interesting than flat light and wouldn't be that much to rent, but it would certainly take longer to rig.

[Michael Nash]

Dark wood generally needs to have large soft light reflected over its surface, like lighting a black car, although with video it doesn't take much before it just gets too glarey. 

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Sometimes wood furniture can take harder, more frontal light to penetrate the grain and reflect back more color. With a hard specular source it's usually easier to isolate the specular reflection on the finish than it is with a soft source. Soft light will bring out the sheen and contour of the shape as David suggests; hard frontal light will bring out the color instead.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

I'm always very cautious of anything that will cause specular reflection in video, especially on a dark backdrop like dark wood. It ends up being colourless and harsh if you're not careful. A polarising filter may be useful here, and allow you to tune-out any objectionable kicks off the wood.

 

Phil

[Bob Hayes]

Think pools of light illuminating small parts of the library. Cool practicals can really work in an old-fashion library setting. Small units from the floor up lighting your background are often a good solution. They don?t even have to be movie style lights. I sometimes use work lights with small tungsten bulbs.

[Michael Nash]

Hi,

 

I'm always very cautious of anything that will cause specular reflection in video, especially on a dark backdrop like dark wood. It ends up being colourless and harsh if you're not careful. A polarising filter may be useful here, and allow you to tune-out any objectionable kicks off the wood.

 

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The thing is that a small specular reflection is easier to eliminate with a flag, dulling spray or black tape (that's what I meant when I said "isolate" -- I should have said "eliminate"). A large, soft refelection is harder to get rid of, although it may not be as bright, depending on distance to source, etc.

 

And a polarizer usually doesn't work with small specular reflections, although it can help a little bit in the right conditions.

 

But "horses for courses" as they say... you pick the technique that's right for your situation. You always have to weigh the pros and cons of any approach.

 

Getting back to the library discussion, I agree with most of the suggestions here and will pick up on Bob's idea...

 

You can add practicals to the scene to add little highlights in the BG, keeping the low-key ambience of a library but not so devoid of light as to feel "dark and gloomy." Try a desk lamp on each table; maybe those banker's lamps with the green glass shade would be appropriate here. Then for the bookcases there are little clip-on lights that go on top to highlight a couple shelves (available at Ikea and such).

 

And I love Bob's idea about lighting from below for the BG. It's a great technique for anything architectural.