How to achieve this Lovely Window light Variation?

[James Westbrook]

I really love this image and the different window lighting variations. How exactly was each one created?

 

I'm guessing the window on the right is bounced and then further diffused, either diffusion on the window itself or a frame further back? The window on the left maybe a big HMI source, but also a combination of soft and hard light?. The haze of course helps with the atmosphere.

 

I'm wanting to create something similar, would this be possible with a modest tungsten package? Up to 5k and 4 x 4 frames & boards. We are in a studio purpose built set and both windows are half the size than the ones you see in the image

 

Thankyou in advanced.

 

 

 

[Kyran Ford]

You should be able to work with your package, especially in a smaller space. Just gel your tungsten sources with CTB. You won't get the same exact look as HMI, but you'll get a similar effect.

[Guy Holt]

Just gel your tungsten sources with CTB. You won't get the same exact look as HMI, but you'll get a similar effect.

 

I wouldn't bother gelling your lights with CTB. Full CTB only passes about 30% of the light and will make your 50000W light a 1500W light. Pre-setitng your camera to 3200K and using the lights unfiltered will enable you to use the 5k as a big source. This scene was most likely shot on a set and lit entirely with tungsten lights. Besides hitting the heavy diffusion just out side the window with lights, there is also a hard light source rigged inside and above the window to edge Daniel Day Lewis and dig into the room.

 

Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting Sales and Rentals in Boston

[David Mullen ASC]

In this case, a spotty light coming through the lacy curtain sheers creates both a hard shaft and a secondary soft source, by lighting up the sheers.

 

You need the haze on the set to be able to see the shaft.

 

I don't think there is an additional light above the window to edge Daniel Day Lewis, the smoke would have revealed that by having it become hotter and washed out above the window, and the beam would have spread on both sides of the window, but here you can see the top of the window creates a cut in the light so that the shaft ends just above Daniel Day Lewis' head, and it's dark to the left of the window, there is only one beam of light. The window is very tall so it was possible to have a high spot light come through the window and reach Daniel Day Lewis where he was standing. If he literally took two steps away from the window towards camera, it would have been out of that light.

 

That's the problem with smoked sets, the smoke gives away any lighting position that comes from behind the actor.

[James Westbrook]

Thanks for the replies. What works better, putting the diffusion on the window itself or on frames further away?

[David Mullen ASC]

You won't get the beam of hard light if you cover the window with diffusion. As I said, in the window on the left, the soft light is coming from the hard light glowing the curtain sheers. The window on the right looks like another hard light is coming through, just less spotty and bright than the one in the left window.

 

As for whether to put diffusion on a window for a soft light effect it just depends, it would make the light as soft as it could be, being closest to the actors, but could look artificial.

[David Mullen ASC]

You won't get the beam of hard light if you cover the window with diffusion. As I said, in the window on the left, the soft light is coming from the hard light glowing the curtain sheers. The window on the right looks like another hard light is coming through, just less spotty and bright than the one in the left window.

 

As for whether to put diffusion on a window for a soft light effect it just depends, it would make the light as soft as it could be, being closest to the actors, but could look artificial.