Shooting interior diner during day and night. Pictures included.

James Dierx · July 22, 2009

Hello,

This Saturday I will be shooting in a pretty small diner. I have access to many different lights.. A DP in our area is being kind enough to let us use his lights. I'm not sure what exactly lights I will have access to though. I know he has at least a large Arri kit and some kino flows. We have scissor clamps to hang the lights up high and point downwards. We will be shooting with the Sony EX3.. no 35mm adapater. What's the ideal way to light this location if we are shooting during the day with sunlight coming through big windows. And also, how would we light this for night?

Picture 1

Picture 2

Thanks in advance!

James

David Cronin · July 22, 2009

Could you explain a little bit about the story, the characters, what they are doing, how you want the film to feel in general? These things should be the factors that influence your lighting and others input.

James Dierx · July 22, 2009

Could you explain a little bit about the story, the characters, what they are doing, how you want the film to feel in general? These things should be the factors that influence your lighting and others input.

This is for a 48 hour film festival. The genre, along with some other elements will be given to us the day before we shoot! So I was thinking any looks will do for now!

Serge Teulon · July 22, 2009

This is for a 48 hour film festival. The genre, along with some other elements will be given to us the day before we shoot! So I was thinking any looks will do for now!

Are you saying that by entering this festival that you have only 48hrs to put a film together?

Can you also find out what lights exactly you can get your hands on?

Otherwise we could give you a plan but it won't work as you won't have the equipment....

Edited July 22, 2009 by Serge Teulon

jeff woods · July 22, 2009

This is for a 48 hour film festival.

Given how the festival works, how do you know this location will even work? Especially if you get "road movie"...

My 2 cents is that you've got a lot of contrast that, if you want to see the outside, you need to bump up the inside.

-j

James Dierx · July 23, 2009

Given how the festival works, how do you know this location will even work? Especially if you get "road movie"...

My 2 cents is that you've got a lot of contrast that, if you want to see the outside, you need to bump up the inside.

-j

Well road movie is retired this year. Even if I did get it I would incorporate it into the diner some how! Like a pit stop, along the lines of Spielberg's Duel. That's up to the writers though.

I talked to a DP friend of mine who is letting me borrow his lights. I basically walked away with this information..

I'm shooting during the day. It's bright out. That's blue light. So I'm going to have to match that. White balance to 5600k on the camera. And put a Full CTB on a 1000watt ARRI tungsten light with a chimera, maybe with a grid on it. (p.s. I'm really new to this.. so my terminology might not be right on)

I would then use the zebra bars to determine exposure by judging the lines on the actor's faces (while moving the light to and from the actors?). Does that sound about right?

Still a little confused.. I hope it comes to me by Saturday. Regardless I'm going to post what I shoot here!

Thanks in advance,

James

Edited July 23, 2009 by James Dierx

Satsuki Murashige · July 23, 2009

What's the ideal way to light this location if we are shooting during the day with sunlight coming through big windows. And also, how would we light this for night?

Given that you don't have a story yet, I can only suggest roughly the equipment you may want on hand. For day interior, get HMIs and kinos with 5500k tubes. Probably 400-800w Jokers and a few 1200w Pars. Get mirror boards. Get something like a 6x6 frame of ultrabounce, maybe a silk. Get 10 c-stands. You should probably just get a one ton grip truck. Get at least 3-4 grips who know what they're doing.

For night interior, I'd go with Dedos, tungsten fresnels, and kinos, swap the tubes for 3200K. Build as much as you can into the location so you don't have to constantly move lights around. You could use Chimera soft boxes on the fresnels for key or use something like a Woody light. Maybe some china balls. Watch out for reflections in the window. Use the HMIs to light up the street. See if you can get in the night before after they close to pre-light. I'd hang the dedos above the counter with the scissor clamps, maybe do the same with the booths. Maybe tape some kinos tubes behind the counter, and above the grill area. Maybe have some uplight from the street just outside the window playing on the ceiling.

Edited July 23, 2009 by Satsuki Murashige

Serge Teulon · July 23, 2009

James,

Dor your daytime that lighting will not suffice.

Its not enough for the wides and the CTB will eat the majority of your light output.

If you know the weather for your shoot day and the sun position throughout the day, you can manipulate your shooting times and shoot using the available light, that comes into to the shop, as Key.

As the CTB will eat your light output, try and get a couple more of those 1k's and also some muslin. Bleached for daylight, unbleached for tungsten. I would personally go all daylight, so bleached in your case.

The attachment shows you a simple lighting set up that is effective.

1 key light from right to left (in this case a 10k)

for fill 1 blonde into muslin

For night time, go around the bar and see if you can up the wattage of the bulbs and you can try make use of the practicals together with your 1k's.

Edited July 23, 2009 by Serge Teulon