night scene of room

Yusuf Aslanyurek · November 7, 2004

Hello, Im student at moscow's VGIK

I need help to light night scene in room.

there is one window near the bed (which guy dieing)

here is some example, but i didnt like hard shadow of bed on the wall.

I dont have kinoflo or anyspecial light.

baby light 650w

quartz 2k and 5k

and some old russian lights 2 and 5k (spot)

and reflectors :)

im waiting your advice how to light and exposure this kind of scene.

thanks.

(forgot to write, im shooting to kodak doubleX 35mm b&w)

David Gascon · November 8, 2004

If you have a chance, go look at David Mullen's work. Some pictures of Northfork with Nick Nolte are available in another topic about eyelight. The effect he create with the window is really impressive and I think your looking for something like that. Even if you don't have kino, you can create yourself some soft box with your light and some diffusers and blackwrap.

David G.

Yusuf Aslanyurek · November 8, 2004

I think I can make a kinoflo too, jist I will buy lamps of kinoflo

body and regulator (to make 40khz frekansy) I can buy it somewhere other it will be very cheap.

the problem is hard to make good body I dont know which material will be good for that.

for lighting, I dont want to see shadows of bed or shadow on face

thats why i will try to light minimally

if I'll have kinoflo will get it close to frame and put ND filters. 250lux is enough to exposure as i calculated :) (EI200 film, T2)

thanks for advice im reading now, but as i see its not specially for night scene.

David Mullen ASC · November 8, 2004

I can't answer the question because I don't know why you don't like the hard shadows, considering you are shooting in b&w. Soft lighting for a moonlit scene in b&w would probably look too flat, soft, and low-contrast. If you don't like the shadow of the bed frame, then shine the light more from the side, use leafy branches to break up the light, etc.

Yusuf Aslanyurek · November 8, 2004

I didnt like the example because it seems lighted normally and closed iris.

to brake light with branches is good idea but I cannot use it, its high building. (logically)

I asked some dp's in school. they told dony use flood light use spot and dont fill it.

actually I didnt like it I mean to use spot light.

may be better to use kinoflo or softbox ? and get close as can i to frame

if white 5.6, I gonna exposure grey -2 stops. (F2.8) to lose bright whites and have lots of shadows.

is it good digits for exposure ?

Greg Gross · November 8, 2004

Why don't you just settle on style of lighting,method and do it? You are

the cinematographer. There is nothing wrong with creating shadows,use

your fill then for creating separation,touch the shadows with just enough

fill. I don't no where this idea that hard light is bad comes from? Actually

its the basis for photography and then you control it,modify it. I suppose

one could say that soft light is bad because it spills out all over the place.

Just look what David Mullen ASC did with the Nick Nolte shot,its a master-

piece. Yet it is not a terribly complicated situation and cluttered with a lot

of needless lighting. I 'm sure he planned it out and had control of the light.

I showed the shot to a writer/director friend of mine this morning(he comes

back from Hollywood to visit his sick mother, Tool Time). He loves the shot,

I mean we sat here and stared at it quietly,smiled a little, the simplicity and

beauty of this shot is extraordinary. Someone here said can I use a softbox

instead of a Kino-flo, yes you can, but make sure your softbox has even light

from center to all of its edges. I can assure you that all softboxes do not have

even lighting. I know because it took me long enough to find the one I use in

my camera room. I think the nice thing about the Kino-flo(I'm getting one) is

that it does have even lighting. I'm not real thrilled about coops but then to

to each his own. Greg Gross,Professional Photographer

Student Cinematographer

Yusuf Aslanyurek · November 8, 2004

I love plastical image. for night shooting of course must be shadows

but in my example (linked photo) in my opinion it was bad lighting.

the beds frame making on wall very hard shadows. which kind of moon is it? coming from windows or inside the room?

look at key light direction, everything is great but this frame shadow killed image.

i will try to light it with some flood light. flo or softbox

(our softboxes is not lighting equal from center to edges)

thanks.

David Mullen ASC · November 8, 2004

I jusy worry that you aren't thinking in terms of what good b&w photography needs, plus you don't have color to clue you in that this is "moonlight". Often lighting for b&w can survive being more theatrical and less realistic than in color. A soft keylight on a bed in b&w, even if dark, may not convey moonlight.