Day for Night Question

[Jase Ryan]

I'm shooting a project next week on 35mm. We are shooting on a scene on city streets that takes place at night. All the shots will be easy to light as they're fairly close, except one long shot that we want. In order to light it, it would require lighting up 2 city blocks and we just can't afford that. So I'm thinking about shooting that one shot at twilight and making it night in post. My concern is, how would that cut it? Would it come across looking like its actually at night? Would it match othre shots that are done at night and lit? Does anyone have suggestions or examples they can show?

 

Thank You.

[David Mullen ASC]

I'm shooting a project next week on 35mm. We are shooting on a scene on city streets that takes place at night. All the shots will be easy to light as they're fairly close, except one long shot that we want. In order to light it, it would require lighting up 2 city blocks and we just can't afford that. So I'm thinking about shooting that one shot at twilight and making it night in post. My concern is, how would that cut it? Would it come across looking like its actually at night? Would it match othre shots that are done at night and lit? Does anyone have suggestions or examples they can show?

 

Thank You.

 

Day for Night only works in exteriors where, in real life, the moon would be the only source of illumination -- mainly because sunlight will overpower any other artificial sources in the frame, so those won't expose realistically.

 

Dusk for Night works better when there are other sources in the shot because they would expose brightly enough.

 

Trouble will be lighting your night shots to match that soft blue-ish toplit look.

 

In terms of it actually looking like real night in the city, well, it's a bit stylized, all that blue ambient light everywhere, but as long as you can darken the sky or avoid it, it can work.

[timHealy]

Building on what David said:

 

Are there street lights on that block to make it look like night? and can you shoot towards the west where there will be light on the horizon after sunset, but a gradation of dark sky down to a lit horizon? Or doing the same thing looking towards the east before sunrise?

 

Best

 

Tim

[John Sprung]

Another good just before sunset trick: Get a sun reflection bouncing off a window or two and straight into camera. When you darken everything, it looks like a light on in the building. Then, as David says, keep the sky out when you're really shooting the closer stuff at night.

 

 

 

-- J.S.