Pop quiz Cinematographers

[Joseph Rudolph]

You have been hired to shoot a hip hop music video in HD, it has the following locations/scenes:

 

House Party Day/Night

Club

Green Screen

Street at night

 

You have access to the following equipment - list attached

 

Creativity is open, what do you use for each scene and why (quantity if applicable)?

[Joseph Rudolph]

Quiz continued -

 

Any other ESSENTIAL equipment needed?

 

Extra points for creativity because equipment not on the list, will require additional funds.

Edited September 18, 2008 by Joseph Rudolph

[Chad Stockfleth]

I'll say this again because I think it's important.

 

Your question is ridiculous because there are infinite variables to each setup!

 

If you have a particular student film you're working on, with specific questions, I'm sure people would be happy to help you.

[Brad Grimmett]

Is this a film school assignment?

[Adrian Sierkowski]

I'll trade in all my lights for 18K HMI and 1 Genny and 1 Muslin...

There.. lighting for everything covered....

[Joseph Rudolph]

I was looking for a wide range of opinions on the equipment one would use for the scenes. However, some specifics are:

 

Ext. Street -Night - The artist is walking down the street, followed by a couple of cars. The street is about 50 yards in length, practicals - 3 overhead (30 feet above the street) tungsten street lamps, separated every 15 yards or so. What 5 pieces of lighting from the list would you use to augment the lightning in this scene?

 

Green screen 12x12 - 2 people will be performing in front of a greenscreen. What pieces from the list would you use to create an even lit screen? What pieces would you use to light the performer?

 

House party - Something similar to

[JD Hartman]

Insufficient data to compile a meaningful answer.

 

Tungsten streetlights? If the "color" of the light appears yellow, then it is more than likely high pressure sodium. I'd use 2k fresnels with white flame green gels. You don't have the correct stands on the list or hardware that could be used to mount your fixtures to the existing poles.

[Hal Smith]

Trick question.

 

Why?

 

The camera used isn't mentioned. It could be an HV-30, HVX-200, RED with a $35,000 Zeiss lens on it, or any of one hundred different camera and lens combinations. Each of which would have a totally different requirement for light level and fill ratio.

 

(But I like the 18kW HMI, genny, and muslim approach. When in doubt...set the cast's hair on fire. :) )

[Joseph Rudolph]

HVX200

[Chad Stockfleth]

I think you are missing the point.

[Robert Sawin]

I was looking for a wide range of opinions on the equipment one would use for the scenes. However, some specifics are:

 

Ext. Street -Night - The artist is walking down the street, followed by a couple of cars. The street is about 50 yards in length, practicals - 3 overhead (30 feet above the street) tungsten street lamps, separated every 15 yards or so. What 5 pieces of lighting from the list would you use to augment the lightning in this scene?

 

Green screen 12x12 - 2 people will be performing in front of a greenscreen. What pieces from the list would you use to create an even lit screen? What pieces would you use to light the performer?

 

House party - Something similar to

 

Your choices are limited to the style and story you are trying to tell. Yes Music videos are still stories. read the lyrics find out what the artist was going though when he wrote it. Don't force a particular style just because you can or have the option to. Find out what you have to work with and make a mood that works for each location. Separate lighting styles to separate thinking and mood. Like blue represents depression, Red represents anger and so forth even hard light vs soft light. Your question is relative to the limitations of the story and direction.

[Joseph Rudolph]

Your choices are limited to the style and story you are trying to tell. Yes Music videos are still stories. read the lyrics find out what the artist was going though when he wrote it. Don't force a particular style just because you can or have the option to. Find out what you have to work with and make a mood that works for each location. Separate lighting styles to separate thinking and mood. Like blue represents depression, Red represents anger and so forth even hard light vs soft light. Your question is relative to the limitations of the story and direction.

 

 

It was brought to my attention, that my original post may have come across harshly, if so I apologize. The "pop quiz" was just a fun way to phrase it and I did not intend for it to be interpreted like that. While not a quiz for school, I am pretty ignorant when it comes to grip/lighting equipment. I usually just work with what I can get for free, which is what I own, a couple of 500k tungsten lights w/ umbrellas. I am now working on a project that will require much more than that, and wanted recommendations on the basic equipment I should use. As someone who is not a DP, I thought there may be more of a standard lighting/grip package used by most productions and wanted to emulate that with the equipment from the list.