Lighting club with black lights

Dave Plake · November 25, 2004

If anyone in here has seen the movie Belly, and has experience as a dp or experience lighting scenes you might be able to help me out here. I am looking for advice on how to replicate the opening scene when they enter the strip club and there are black lights in the club. Some hints on lighting it and stocks etc. Camera is an arri 435

I need to understand how to shoot with blacklights. How do you meter for them? How many do you use? Do you use key light as wel?

Etc.

DavidSloan · November 25, 2004

Whoops!

Edited November 25, 2004 by DavidSloan

Wendell_Greene · November 25, 2004

Dave I think the original poster is referring not to BACKLIGHT, but rather to BLACKLIGHT, or UV (ultraviolet light) that is around 365nm on the UV-A spectrum

For the scene in BELLY when DMX and crew enter the club, DP Malik Sayeed working with director Hype Williams had the film's makeup and wardrobe department apply a special makeup and products available from a company called Wildfire Inc, here in Los Angeles.

When the actors passed under special blacklight lamps the phosphercent material on their faces, hair, clothes and eyes (special contact lenses) would respond to the blacklight and glow vibrant, bold colors. . You can get the makeup and other materials in an assortment of different colors so as you'll notice in that scene some of the makeup was blue; an effect that Sayeed used to great effect in another scene in Belly [when DMX girlfriend answers the phone while being illumnated by the blue glow of the home theatre project] and for Lauryn Hill's music video for "Ex Factor" which he directed. Malik was probably using a great deal of light in those scenes since he was shooting at 96 fps.

You can also see the use of blacklight near the end of in the Jeremy Rall directed video for Chingy's "Holidae Inn" featuring Snoop Dogg.

The degree of the luminous glow you get depends on whether you use only blacklight or if you combine the blacklight along with your other light sources (Tungsten or HMI) So if as in some parts of that scene in "Belly", lit only with blacklight you only see parts of the actor that have the luminous makeup applied to it. Also it depends on how you expose it---when lighting you'll have to spot meter the luminous materials- about a reflective stop over key (or more) for greater luminosity and a stop under for less. Of course, you'll need to shoot tests to be dead on.

You'll also need to add a UV filter to the lenses of your 435. As for your lights, check the Wildfire webpage as they have a wide variety of lamps available for rental.

And yes I LOVE Hype's video for Ashanti's "Only You" very much an homage to Jordan Cronenweth and Ridley Scott on Blade Runner with the video projection on the buildings. Mauro Fiore was the DP on that video.

Hope this helped.

Dave Plake · November 27, 2004

WOW... Yeah that helped a great deal. Thanks for that. If you don't mind I may hit you up with a couple more questions when we get a little closer to the shoot. My e-mail is warshaue@hotmail.com

If you e-mail me I'll have your address and we can chat. If you don't want to do that and just keep it in the forum that is cool too.

Thanks Again,

Dave

Phil Rhodes · November 27, 2004

Hi,

I shot a load of UV stuff a week or so back. I found it's very easy to overexpose - you expect the effect to be dim, then you fire a 400W Mercury vapour UV flood at it and suddenly it's actually quite bright.

Have your discussion here, then it's archived for others to reference.

Phil

Wendell_Greene · November 27, 2004

You're welcome. You or anyone else here can send me an email or private message via this board. But I agree with Phil's comment, let's keep questions related to this topic here on the board.

People with greater experience and talent are sure to post their thoughts and we'll all be able to benefit from what they'll add to the topic.

Edited November 27, 2004 by Wendell_Greene

Mike Williamson · November 27, 2004

Great post, Wendell, thanks for sharing that info! Do you know of any good articles or interviews dealing with "Belly"? I haven't seen the special edition DVD but maybe there's some good tech info on there? Any progress on the interview you were working on with Malik Sayeed?

Wendell_Greene · November 28, 2004

Any progress on the interview you were working on with Malik Sayeed?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I started interviewing Malik nearly a year ago but unfortunately due to his hectic shooting schedule directing/dping on commercials for RSA [Ridley Scott and Associates]we've been unable to complete it. I hope he'll have some free time over the holidays so we can finish. Not to worry, when it's done, you'll be able to read it here on Cinematography.com, thanks to Tim Tyler.

I haven't watched the special edition DVD with Hype's commentary, so that might give more technical information on the film. I haven't found much in the way of info anywhere else which is why the interview will prove helpful.

J. Lamar King IMPOSTOR · November 28, 2004

and for Lauryn Hill's music video for "Ex Factor" which he directed.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just wanted to mention I LOVE the blue light in that video. I've ripped it off (ahem, paid homage to it) several times. But I used double CTB on a bunch of daylight Kino's with this luminous make-up powder stuff.

Wendell_Greene · November 28, 2004

JLK, if you haven't already, you should try that look with the Kino Super Blue tubes!

J. Lamar King IMPOSTOR · November 28, 2004

JLK, if you haven't already, you should try that look with the Kino Super Blue tubes!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I thought if I ever did it again I might try those. It would be more effective that way.

boy yniguez · April 9, 2005

hi,

boy yniguez here.

is it possible your mercury vapor lamps were emitting more visible light rather than UV?

for shoots that can't source UV lights, hmi's through CONGO BLUE gels would simulate the color.

Phil Rhodes · April 9, 2005

Hi,

No, these are mercury vapour lamps with the cobalt flash on the inside of the envelope, so it's lots of UV with the usual small amount of very deep blue and indigo glow.

Phil