Bright Day Lighting and squinting

[Dan Dumouchel]

Hi there guys/gals, I'm new to this forum.

 

I am shooting a music video out doors durring the day with low Canadian winter sun. I am worried that on the day we shoot (we don't have the option of waiting a day or two) it will be super bright and in the actors eyes causing them to squint the entire shoot. I would love to wait for magic hour but we only have 3 days to shoot a 4:50 video... I know CRAZY! But we have a deadline to meet.

 

I was thinking of using 12X12 and a 8X8 with silk. But I am worried about shadows on the ground that look like a 12by or 8by.

 

Also I am worried that this will make my actors look soft and underlit compaired to the background. Do I need bounce or a fill HMI for these scene's if this is the case because that will seriously slow the shoot down.

 

Thanks,

Dumo

[DavidSloan]

Well if you don't want your actors to squint, it seems that the most logical solution is to not have them facing the sun. As far as the shadows from the 12 by and 8 by, maybe you can direct them out of the camera's view, or go in tighter on faces.

 

HMI fill is great, esp if it's a really sunny day causing harsh, dark, contrasty shadows.

 

Good luck, m8. I'm sure some of our primo members can advise you.

[John Holland]

Well if you don't want your actors to squint, it seems that the most logical solution is to not have them facing the sun.  As far as the shadows from the 12 by and 8 by, maybe you can direct them out of the camera's view, or go in tighter on faces. 

 

HMI fill is great, esp if it's a really sunny day causing harsh, dark, contrasty shadows.

 

Good luck, m8.  I'm sure some of our primo members can advise you.

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[John Holland]

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Hi just turn the talent around so they totally back lit u may have to set camera lower or higher than u might u think is best for shot just to avoid sun down lens all the time if loads of snow u shoudnt need to use any lamps snow is great fill over expose buy at least a stop try and a use low contast stock like 18 .

[Dan Dumouchel]

Thanks for the advice guys. We are hoping to shoot facing South/SouthWest for the VIEW and that is why I am worried about my actors facing the sun. I will try my best to educate the director about this problem. And educate myself on how to use 12by's effectively. If there is anything I can read online about shooting outdoors please send a link... thanks.

 

Dumo

[Rolfe Klement]

I would use nets - for the CU and ECU shots - check the ASC "Van Helsing" article in the magazine for some examples of the village shots

 

For beauty try and soften the light a little. For shooting in snow I recommend using loads of flags to create negative fill. Almost like a black shower curtain around the talent - you biggest problem is too much light from all over with no direction

 

Bright light is one of the reasons actors wear sunglasses all the time :)

 

I was very impressed on a high speed photosonics shoot (not mine) where the actor almost caught fire it was so bright - but managed to keep his eyes open. You can see this problem especially in the theatre - the actor has almost no pupil. Another thing to distract you from enjoying a movie

 

Off the point - I heard actors are sometimes rehired because they make sitting to standing focus pulls easy (a kind of sit in the edge and push up as opposed to rocking around in the depth field) and actors who can make it look relaxed looking right into a huge HMI from 4m away

 

thanks

 

R

[Michael Nash]

we only have 3 days to shoot a 4:50 video... I know CRAZY!

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I hate to tell you this, but a great many professional music videos are often done in TWO...

 

Shoot the wide shots without diffusion, and you can't tell the performers are squinting. Shoot the closeups with diffusion, and you won't see the shadows of the frames. If you must see the shadow of a frame, try to disguise the edge with something that appears logical to the location (dress the edge of the diffusion frame with tree branches if there are trees at the location; create a straight solid edge if it's an urban location).

[Bob Hayes]

Yes. Leave the wide shots clean and diffuse the Closer shots. A full silk will be too thick. Your actors will look like they are in shadows. Use a thinner diffusion. I carry an arsenal of diffusion. I often use a hi-light ¼ silk combo. Other tricks are to place a couple of 4x4 black flags where the actor is looking so they aren?t looking into a bright area. You can also nd the back ground. Hang a single net to darken the BG. Every couple of years I end up with a cast member on some sort of medication that makes their eyes extremely light sensitive. Once I actually used Rosco scrim black side to me to really knock the BG down. You just have to shoot at an f-stop that puts the scrim out of focus and you need to flag the light off of the scrim.

[David Mullen ASC]

I like using Half Soft Frost or Quarter Grid Cloth rather than silk. What's nice about Half Soft Frost is that you only lose about a half-stop under it so the background doesn't get much brighter in comparison.

[Justin Marx]

Ask the actor to CLOSE his/her eyes and look at the sun (EYES CLOSED) then open while NOT looking at the sun.. Works well for shorter shots, not sure about a 5 min video... I live in SOUTH FLORIDA, and we have that problem on the beach frequently.. The other thing we do that someone mentioned already, is to black out, or make the area in the talents eyeline darker..

 

Or just tell them if they squint it will look like crap and they will never be a successful group!!

 

Go luck.. Hope it all works out for you..

[Dan Dumouchel]

Wow! Thanks for all the tricks and tips! I'll definetly use something less than silk and grab some Big ol black flags for the actors to stare at.

Michael Nash... I am well aware that 3 days is long enough to shoot this... I just hope the weather cooperates because those 3 days are all we have... we have backup indoor shots but the band and director want out door so... ya, cross your fingers.

 

I'll let you know how it turns out!!!

 

Thank you so much.

Take care all...

Dumo