GIVING BIRTH IN A HOSPITAL SCENE

[BJ Galinato]

I'm about to shoot this scene in a small set with two 12ft high boards attached together as hospital walls. In the middle of this small set (since we dont have any budget to shoot in a real hospital) is a

hospital bed and monitors and an oxygen tank. The scene is of a woman giving birth and three doctors are on hand to assist the woman. What would be the best lighting set-up that won't require

too much equiptment and less set-ups for different scenes like close ups, tool and monitor shots.

I know this may sound crazy since each scene should be lit differently but this is for a television and time is of the essence when shooting.

 

BJ

[Gordon Highland]

Lots of hard overhead top light, like you would have in an operating room. Use a white sheet over the woman, and it will bounce back up into the surgeons' faces. Might use a ProMist or similar diffusionfx filter so the hot white edges glow. A couple of lights in the background maybe bounced off the ceiling (or cards) for general illumination. Hospitals are "cold," so a greenish or bluish cast makes sense, which you could achieve through a false white balance, fluorescents, or in post.

[BJ Galinato]

Lots of hard overhead top light, like you would have in an operating room.  Use a white sheet over the woman, and it will bounce back up into the surgeons' faces.  Might use a ProMist or similar diffusionfx filter so the hot white edges glow.  A couple of lights in the background maybe bounced off the ceiling (or cards) for general illumination.  Hospitals are "cold," so a greenish or bluish cast makes sense, which you could achieve through a false white balance, fluorescents, or in post.

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Thanks Gordon! I also asked a director about this and he had similar suggestions about

the coldness of the look. I also like the hot white edges glowing. It's also what I had

in mind and it's just good to know that someone as experienced as you (I'm not a

DOP nor a director by the way, just a clueless art director wanting to shift careers) had

the same vision. Anyway, I was about to do this as my first directorial job but it got

canceled due to a change in direction. I appreciate greatly your interest in giving me a hand.