pre-lighting

[Rich Hibner]

I have a short coming up I'm filming and there are 3 scenes that take place. Laundromat, Motel room and billiards. Do any of you's pre-light the scene the day before a something, so when actual filming takes place you'll have a really fast setup? I'm still learning lighting so I think being able to light the scene ahead of time will speed things up and get me more prepared. But what if you aren't able to? Do you just look at a location and and know right away how to light it?

[Tom Jensen]

I have a short coming up I'm filming and there are 3 scenes that take place. Laundromat, Motel room and billiards. Do any of you's pre-light the scene the day before a something, so when actual filming takes place you'll have a really fast setup? I'm still learning lighting so I think being able to light the scene ahead of time will speed things up and get me more prepared. But what if you aren't able to? Do you just look at a location and and know right away how to light it?

 

If it's a huge set and a lot of action takes place there, yes. On a music video or a commercial, or a big scene for a movie you would pre-light. On a movie the standard procedure is to scout the location and then figure out the logistics at that time so on a shoot day you would go in, light it and shoot it. All of these locations sound relatively small so you probably don't need to pre-light it. You need manpower to pre-light and you need manpower to light. Whenever you send someone off to pre-light, you are losing manpower and equipment.

[Chris Millar]

I'm still learning lighting so I think being able to light the scene ahead of time will speed things up and get me more prepared.

 

>>Makes sense - so do it.

 

But what if you aren't able to?

 

>>Then you don't do it.

 

Do you just look at a location and and know right away how to light it?

 

>>The more experienced you are the more likely this will be the case - so back to first answer:

 

Do it ;)