Your process for lighting?

[Chris Keth]

As sort of an addemdum to em asking about spotmeters:

 

What process (method, system, etc) do you use to properly light a scene, check contrast make sure it falls into the lattitude of your film, etc? :blink:

 

I haven't really figured out a good systematic way to do things yet (so I am very slow lighting scenes usually) so I'm open to trying it all kinds of ways.

 

 

I look forward to hearing what some of the more experienced people around here have to say!

 

 

Christopher Keth B)

[Chris Keth]

Nobody cares to divulge their methods at all?

[David Mullen ASC]

Well, for the most part, I use my eyeballs and my experience. Occasionally I check the shadow level with my meter, figuring that anything more than three stops under will start to go black on a print (approx. four stops under for neg-to-tape.) Or I'll check how hot a window is going if it's important that I hold detail out there, but even then, experience will tell you a lot (if the glass is untinted and it's sunny outside, that's probably an f/16 at 50 ASA in direct sun, so if you're shooting inside at f/5.6 at 200 ASA, that's five stops overexposed for the background thru the window, therefore an ND.6 gel on the window will bring it down to a natural-looking three-stops over.)

 

In prep, I shoot some lighting ratio tests just to confirm that.

 

Otherwise it's mostly by eye.

Edited November 12, 2004 by David Mullen

[MiguelDelValle]

Depends on the situation, normally I light everything by eye, I ask myself what is the mood, the intension of the scene, I think In how lighting can ruin or help the scene, how do I think it will look correct how do I want it to look.

 

Than if its important I choose an Fstop for they key light and go on from there by eye and if its necesary I check the ratios with the lightmeter at the end.

 

I think is more important to focus on what the light has to say and later you can meter and adjust ratos.

[Mark Sasahara]

I can't say that people have a real process. You just kind of do it. You keep contrast and what's important in mind. I must be a wuss, tho' 'cuz I still use my meter.

 

you learn what your lights do and how much power they have and as the other foks have said, it's experience. That's the great thing about video, you can see the results right there. Just be aware that film has more lattitude than video and a few other things.

 

RIT PPHL Class of '85 Do they still have the Photo Illustration program?

[DavidSloan]

When I read a script I usually see the scene lit, in my head. By the third or fourth time I've read the script, I pretty much know how the scene will be lit. So in a nutshell, I conceptualize using pure intuition. I'm not very strict when it comes to exposure. Everything I've shot so far has been in the S16 format so I usually open up a stop, sometimes even two...depending on how I'm feeling it. I use my meter to get an idea of what range I've got going on, and then I bring stuff up, or down, depending on my chosen stop. Pretty simple, and direct approach, really.

[Chris Keth]

RIT  PPHL  Class of '85 Do they still have the Photo Illustration program?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I'm not sure, actually. I suspect not since I haven't heard of it.

[batman_dan]

I am a Grade eleven high school student and we are working on a short movie production. I am the Gaffer and we only have minimal lighting, I was thinking of incorperating other halogen lights. Is this a good Idea or is it Futile? Will this help or hinder?

 

We Only have a 3 lights but it is an inclosed set so it shouldn't be to difficult, right?

 

Thanks,

Daniel :ph34r:

[Chris Keth]

I am a Grade eleven high school student and we are working on a short movie production.  I am the Gaffer and we only have minimal lighting,  I was thinking of incorperating other halogen lights.  Is this a good Idea or is it Futile?  Will this help or hinder?

 

We Only have a 3 lights but it is an inclosed set so it shouldn't be to difficult, right?

 

Thanks, 

            Daniel  :ph34r:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

That depends on what the lights are and what style you want to achieve. For example, you could probably pull off something film noirish with the right three lights. On the other hand, there's very little chance you could get very high key, bright lighting if all you had was a couple little peppers and a 500 watt spot or something like that. If someone could tell you the right gel for the halogens, I don't see why they couldn't be used for a small student production like yours.

[batman_dan]

i AM USING VARIBEAM 1000, they are very bright. Thanks. :ph34r:

Edited November 19, 2004 by batman_dan

[Laurent Andrieux]

Well that's a good begining. If the set is small, it might even be too much light ! (do you use a recent video camera ? they are very sensitive) I would say you should bounce the light off a wall or roof or foamboards better than straight on your caracters.

 

You can use additional "home" halogen, considering that if you don't dim them, they're pretty close to you varibeam "redhead" in terms of color temperature.

 

Have a good video monitor so that you can control the light pretty well. Remember what David said : about 3 stops under will be black, 3 stops over will be white (or close to) if you spotmeter. But you need to correctly set the exposure rating to use it. I guess tyou have a video cam, since you don't precise this. Have a look at the camera's booklet, it ill tell you the required stop for a typical illumination, f=11 at 2000 lux, for instance. (don't take account of the minimum required illumination, it assumes eletronic gain and stuff, mind the typical figure only) then you can apply a simple rule : 100 ISO, 2000 lux, N = 4. For a typical Power HAD 2000 lux N=11, you get about 800 ISO. if it's N=8 that is required for 2000 lux, it is 400 ISO then...

 

Good luck !

[batman_dan]

Thank you very much for this insight. It is very much appreciated by the whole Crew.

 

:ph34r:

[Ed Nyankori]

Batman,

 

Dont be afraid to use halogens or even household bulbs in cliplights or practicals. They have a lower colortemp (they are more orange) than your varibeams but thats ok for video b/c it tends to go so blue anyway. As mentioned above use a bounce for your subjects and augment your set with the cheap stuff. If you have access to blackwrap its great for controlling the light. If a prop is to be featured you can use one of your halogens to make it pop or to bring up your background where needed. Be careful when you see out the window that light is very blue and bright that can become troublesome. I never met a light I didnt like (though there are many I dont love).

[Jeremy]

Also, if you're working with bright lights, keep diffused light in mind. If hard lighting is the look you want, then that's great, but if you want softer light, you can try a couple of different things.

 

One: When I was in high school, we didn't have access to any real diffusion (actually, this seems to be the case sometimes nowadays, too), so we used C-47s (clothespins) to attach wax paper to the light. This is a cheap way to diffuse in a bind.

 

Two: If you have a white ceiling, you can shoot the light straight up, which should result in pretty even top light coming down, however, this is obviously not an easy way to control any spread light, it's just a way of knocking the light level in a room up, overall. Also, the bounce cards a great way of aiming some diffused light, if you bounce it into them, and then aim them at your subject.

 

Enough of my rambling. Hope this helps!

 

Jeremy

http://www.throughaglass.com

[batman_dan]

Thank you again. We are reaching the Half way point and very excited. Thank you for this help.

 

:ph34r: