Lighting B&W

[Kyle Geerkens]

Hi,

 

I've been reading these forums constantly since I joined. You've all been a great help to me.

 

I'm looking for some advice on how to light for B&W (HDV if it matters). I have no black and white lighting experience and I'm trying to make something really simple look exceptional.

 

Basically, its a medium shot interview segement on a blank white background. Any suggestions on what i could do with shadows on the wall to give the background some character? I have some ideas in mind but I'd like to know some other opinions.

 

Thanks

Edited January 17, 2005 by Kyle Geerkens

[Kevin Zanit]

Well there are tones of tricks for shooting b&w.

 

I think though, a key concept when shooting b&w is separation. You have to create separation of your actors against your set, and also to just create depth in a scene.

 

In b&w you have no color contrast, thus separation is more of an issue.

 

Kevin Zanit

[Michael Nash]

Kevin's absolutely right about separation -- you have to keep an eye out for contrast between foreground and background to make things separate.

 

A quick, simple approach for a talking head is to key from one side with a soft light and let the fill side go dark. Then flag off the background behind the keyed side of the face, and let light spill onto the background behind the filled side of the face. That way light overlaps dark, and dark ovelaps light. You can dial in the darkness of the shadows to taste.

 

A similar approach is to model the person however you like, preferable with a backlight of some sort, and give the background a simple, soft "top chop' somewhere just above the shoulders. If the shadow on the backgound is dark enough, the person with really "pop" out from the background.

 

But I'm curious, if you have the liberty to shadow or pattern the white background any way you like, then why do you have to use a white background in the first place? Why not just pick a more interesting one?

[Kyle Geerkens]

Thanks,

 

Can you describe "top chop"?

 

I don't actually have a good reason for the white background except to say that this is what the director has asked for. In my understanding, the enhancement of this blank background is intended to be subtle, thus simple shadows will suffice.

 

I was thinking of using the fill technique you mentioned. Essentially what I would like to avoid is harsh straight lines on the face such as the one down the middle of your face in your bio picture. BUt removing the key light and using only soft fill will help with that.

 

one more question (please bear with me), the light dark contrast that you descibed between foreground and background seems fairly boring. I know with so i could throw on the wall that wouldn't compromise the simplicity?

 

 

Thanks

[Michael Nash]

A top chop is just a shadow that comes down from the top, cutting or "chopping" the light from the top ("cutters" or "chops" are usually described by the side of the lamp they come from, e.g. topper, bottomer, left-sider, right-sider).

 

the enhancement of this blank background is intended to be subtle, thus simple shadows will suffice...

 

the light dark contrast that you descibed between foreground and background seems fairly boring.  I know with so  i could throw on the wall that wouldn't compromise the simplicity?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Okay, so where exactly do you draw the line between "simple" and "boring?" :P

 

Seriously, if your director has requested a plain white background, it's probably because he wants it fairly "plain," A.K.A. "boring." Of course it's possible to spice up a plain white BG with shadows, but then it's not a plain white BG anymore...

 

In any case, there's an unlimited number of shadow patterns you can cast on a plain white BG. Poke around for all kinds of "found" objects, and play with moving the light around. Or custom-cut your own cucoloris out of foamcore.

 

But regardless, in B&W you still will want to pay attention to the separation between foreground and BG you'r creating with value (light and dark). A couple simple approaches will keep you out of trouble: layer contrast over midtones (a modeled face with a bright key and dark fill over a mostly grayish BG); layer midtones over contrast (a more subtly modeled face properly exposed over a high-contrast BG); or strategically overlap light and dark tones on FG and BG as we discussed.

 

I was thinking of using the fill technique you mentioned. Essentially what I would like to avoid is harsh straight lines on the face such as the one down the middle of your face in your bio picture.  BUt removing the key light and using only soft fill will help with that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

:D THAT's a pretty extreme example! That picture is actually of sunlight coming straight on through the window, and flagged by the window frame. The dark side is a cast shadow, not the result of "no fill." ;) The picture's pretty tiny, so I know it's hard to see rerally what's going on there...

 

But I was suggesting using no fill, but with a soft key light. The natural contours of the face provide the transition from light into shadow, so no hard lines there. The only way you'd end up with a harsh line like that is if you took the light around a full 90 degrees to the side. I would recommend a 3/4 front light, at least enough to let the key hit both eyes of the subject.

[Kyle Geerkens]

Thanks Michael,

 

I'll put your suggestions to good use! we've now substituted black curtain as the background. I'm then going to cast a gobo of the show's logo behind the subject.

 

 

Thanks again

[Chris Keth]

Thanks Michael,

 

I'll put your suggestions to good use!  we've now substituted black curtain as the background.  I'm then going to cast a gobo of the show's logo behind the subject.

Thanks again

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

That's a much better idea for the background.

 

Another important tip for lighting B&W is to have as close to the full range of tones as you can. Try and have a pure white reference and a pure black reference in your frames. That way everything 9in between is put into proper perspective and it won't appear muddy.