Short Film - Stills

[Andreas Kaufmann]

Hi there,

 

i just finished my student short film and just exported some of the images.

Would love to hear some feedback.

 

http://mediadesign-kaufmann.de/grading-tests-movie-project

[Bob Speziale]

The stills are great. They look like they come from a big budget feature film.

[Matthew W. Phillips]

Some of the stills looked "smoky" or "foggy" as though the contrast levels were messed with. The ones in that room with the brown wood walls? Did you use a fog machine or did you grade them in such a way to try to make them look like they had high DR look?

[Bill DiPietra]

Very impressive! What did you shoot on?

[Andreas Kaufmann]

Thanks guys. I shot on a blackmagic cinema camera mft with a speed booster on it (to get the super35-feel).. for the aerials I used a blackmagic pocket cam.. It's a cabin by the sea .. I used a hazer to get a kind of wet foggy feel..

I didn't lower the contrast level.. do you think it's to foggy for an old interior sea atmosphere?

[Adrian Sierkowski]

I think it's just right, personally.

[Bill DiPietra]

Agreed. Looks great.

[Shane Astaire]

Very Impressive!

[Jared Bedrejo]

Impressive indeed! Looks very professional. If you don't mind me asking, how'd you light these scenes in particular?

 

 

 

[Andreas Kaufmann]

Glad you like it.

 

Picture 1: I used a hazer to get the light beam of the torch. Key light was a bluefiltered (i think the moon filter from lee) LED Panel from left at about eyelevel. In the back you see a practical (oil lamp).

For the right side of his face I bounced a 1,2kw HMI against a reflector - which served as a rim light on his face and also gave some ambient light to the whole scene which otherwise would be massively underexposed.

 

Picture 2: Really basic setup. Softened 1,2kw and 575HMI shining from the outside through a window. I think we used a bit of fill light (just a reflector from the right side. Otherwise the practical bulb next to his head is doing a tiny bit of a rim.

 

Pircture 3: 1,2 kw HMI from left top bouncing on a reflector into the room to give bluish ambient light. Key light for the old mans face was a warm LED which is placed just right a bit above eye level . It should simulate the practical bulb which is hanging above.

The light on the younger actor is from a Bulb behind him. Otherwise there are to practicals which doesn't affect the overall lighting. My lighting concept was to have many light sources and still have the scene dark.

 

Sometimes I like to light more from a side axis to avoid ugly nose shadows. If you place your lights 1 meter next to the camera axis it often looks ugly to me.. but that's not always the case of course.

 

Hope that helps!

Edited July 18, 2014 by Andreas Kaufmann

[Jared Bedrejo]

Nice! Really comes to show that you don't need much to produce quality images.

[jay obertone]

Lovely filmic images.

[joshua gallegos]

Amazing!