Need outer glow with no electricity

Alex Yorchak · October 27, 2008

Hey everyone, I'm new to this forum, and would just like to say Hi. I'll probably be posting often, as my cinematography skills are far from perfect. first question, is there anyway I can create a backlight/halo style light to give the talent a very soft outer glow when I am outside and have no access to electricity. (im reproducing the last scene from seven and we need to give the guy playing kevin spacey's character that outer glow he has in the last scene.) Any suggestions? Thanks alot!

Adrian Sierkowski · October 27, 2008

Welcome Alex,

Reflectors and Bounce board as the order of the day for that when outside w/o power. Or a Mirror, but that might be too much light; depending...

Matt Irwin · October 28, 2008

You would have a much easier time shooting toward the sun, thus placing your actors in natural backlight, and then filling them with bounce/reflectors. Depending on your shots, this may allow the actors and camera more freedom of movement since it is far less difficult to dance with reflectors or snipered shiny boards when they are next to camera as opposed to opposite camera.

If you require a SOFT halo backlight, you have some options-- try to shoot during magic hour or at a time of day when the sun is low in the sky and softened through the atmosphere, diffuse the hard sun with a large frame of diffusion, and pray to Ra for the perfect amount of haze in the sky, to name a few...

If you're going for hard key light with the sun, you can place large bounces or lemays (silver cloth reflectors) on either side and behind the actor.

There are many other ways that might be suggested, and choosing the best approach depends on the shots, action, camera movement, logistics (!!!), and available resources.

I could be more specific, but it's been quite a while since I've seen Se7en... suppose I need to remedy that soon.

Ron Sharp · October 28, 2008

I believe that the halo effect is from the sun placed behind the actor.

and a bounce board to fill the shadows.

Esteban Rodriguez · October 30, 2008

I believe that the halo effect is from the sun placed behind the actor.
and a bounce board to fill the shadows.

As everyone else has said, bounce, bounce, bounce. Take advantage of that big old light source in the sky and then do your best to shape it how you want. Shoot with the sun as a backlight, and fill in the rest...