Push Processing 7219

[Guest mark_baldry]

I am about to shoot a documentary film in low light conditions - the interior of a bar. i cannot use any additional lighting only the light in the bar.

 

i have shot a test film on 7219 and the results in some areas of the bar where very dark.

 

test film

 

what would the result of push processing 1 stop have on the film? i've not done this before so please forgive my ignorance.

 

thanks

 

Mark

[Hunter Hampton]

Someone posted an example of pushing 7219 1-stop on here- It looked pretty good to me.

 

I think in the clip that you showed, you can add more light in the darker sections of the bar. That would help you out much more than just pushing 1-stop.

[Daniel Carruthers]

I agree with hunter

I wouldnt push the film, the bar looks like it would be real easy to hide additional lights,and supplement the lighting already there.

[Chris Burke]

I am about to shoot a documentary film in low light conditions - the interior of a bar. i cannot use any additional lighting only the light in the bar.

 

i have shot a test film on 7219 and the results in some areas of the bar where very dark.

 

test film

 

what would the result of push processing 1 stop have on the film? i've not done this before so please forgive my ignorance.

 

thanks

 

Mark

 

 

 

Do they have all the lights on and turned up in the bar? Or are they or were they set to an "evening" level, which many establishments do for business hours. If the later, then turn them up. Like it has been said before, it would be really easy to fill in some of those shadows. Ask the bar if they don't mind putting up christmas lights or something like that in the darker areas. Practicals can go a long way to helping you with your particular needs.

[Guest mark_baldry]

Do they have all the lights on and turned up in the bar? Or are they or were they set to an "evening" level, which many establishments do for business hours. If the later, then turn them up. Like it has been said before, it would be really easy to fill in some of those shadows. Ask the bar if they don't mind putting up christmas lights or something like that in the darker areas. Practicals can go a long way to helping you with your particular needs.

 

my problem is i am filming a cabaret so cannot use any additional lighting as it is a small bar and additional lighting will interfere with the audience and performers so the light levels in my test film will be the same on the night which was why i thought push processing may be the answer but am a bit concerned about the image quality by doing this.

[Chris Burke]

my problem is i am filming a cabaret so cannot use any additional lighting as it is a small bar and additional lighting will interfere with the audience and performers so the light levels in my test film will be the same on the night which was why i thought push processing may be the answer but am a bit concerned about the image quality by doing this.

 

 

the image quality will probably be much better than you think. Have you tested pushing the film yet? the new 19 emulsion is very fine grained. What are your concerns?

[Guest mark_baldry]

the image quality will probably be much better than you think. Have you tested pushing the film yet? the new 19 emulsion is very fine grained. What are your concerns?

 

my concern was that there would be too much grain and i've read that push processing would effect the colours.

[Daniel Carruthers]

if I was in your shoes I would refuse to shoot that with out any additional lighting

I would set up lights so that it adds to the cabaret performance and not distract from them

light it like a stage.

[Guest mark_baldry]

Have shot another test film and had it pushed processed one stop to 1000ASA.

 

Results where much better than expected and i do not think light levels will be an issue now. Iissues are now more about camera placement etc which I will need to work out before final shoot.

 

second test film can be seen here

 

Test 2

[Bengt Freden]

Hi Marc,

 

It´s somewhat hard to determine the grain structure in this small size, when it is scanned at a lower resolution like this is (which 'hides' the grain a bit), but it seems that the graininess is not so badly affected. Furthermore, in a location like this, it kind of fits well for the atmosphere. It might look different if it was projected onto a big screen with a really good projection lens, though.

 

Moreover, it is possible that the contrast has been reduced a bit - this is also hard to compare, as the scenes are different. So, perhaps you need a higher contrast ratio. However, it might be nice to have a balanced lighting and a 'softer' negative to start with, as it is always easier to add contrast digitally in post, than try to soften a contrast that is too high (washed-out whites or skin tones, for example).

 

Is this the actual camera (Krasnogorsk K3) that you are going to use in your shoot ? If it isn´t, try to shoot another test with the actual camera that you are going to use - this is a demanding lighting situation for ANY lens, and I´d say you probably need the best and fastest primes (I´d avoid a zoom lens at all costs) that you can find for this. You will probably be shooting on a stop close to full most of the time, so you need a lens that is very contrasty and has a high resolution already at full open. There are not many lenses that has this - perhaps Zeiss Ultra primes?

 

If you have focused the lens on the K3, and the scanning is done here at a level where these things can be seen, it is pretty unsharp - you might want to consider another lens. And if the end result is critical to you, shoot another test - there is always time to do this BEFORE the shoot, rather than after . . .

 

Best,

Bengt, photographer ;)

Stockholm

Edited December 18, 2008 by Bengt Freden

[Guest mark_baldry]

Is this the actual camera (Krasnogorsk K3) that you are going to use in your shoot ? If it isn´t, try to shoot another test with the actual camera that you are going to use - this is a demanding lighting situation for ANY lens, and I´d say you probably need the best and fastest primes (I´d avoid a zoom lens at all costs) that you can find for this. You will probably be shooting on a stop close to full most of the time, so you need a lens that is very contrasty and has a high resolution already at full open. There are not many lenses that has this - perhaps Zeiss Ultra primes?

 

If you have focused the lens on the K3, and the scanning is done here at a level where these things can be seen, it is pretty unsharp - you might want to consider another lens. And if the end result is critical to you, shoot another test - there is always time to do this BEFORE the shoot, rather than after . . .

 

Best,

Bengt, photographer ;)

Stockholm

 

sorry for delay in my reply but i've been ill with FLU.

 

the camera i used was a bolex sbm with vario-switar poe4 zoom lens. i do have have some prime switar lenses but being a bayonet mound camera it means i would probably have to select one focal length and stay with it for the duration as changing it would be time consuming especially when i cannot control what i am trying to film. maybe the 10mm wide angle would be the best choice?

[Gus Sacks]

I pushed 7219 a stop and rated it at 640 (with an 85) and I think the production was considering adding grain in post! They did not, fortunately.