More Fluorescent questions in Thailand.

Bob Hayes · April 28, 2005

You?d think I?d be done shooting by now. And I haven?t even started. My question involves these weird fluorescents here. Actually they are starting to pop up every where. Light bulb sized they are several bent fluorescent tubes. I ran a color temp on them and the are warmer then 3200 by about ½ cto. And they would require -12 green to correct them. Because my temp meter takes a long time to determine the color temp. I feel they are really limited in spectrum also. My location is huge and I can?t change the bulbs. Here is the question. I plan to shoot with tungsten and add full green and ½ cto to my movie lights. Can the lab time out the green for a film finish non DI? Can the lab time out the green for a film finish? How ugly is it going to look. Also several shots require me to start outside in shade with no 85 filter do a stop change and move into green orange hell. Can the lab do this kind of color change on the fly. I feel like this is going to be ugly :-)

Thanks

Bangkok Bob

Edited April 28, 2005 by bob1dp

John Pytlak RIP · April 28, 2005

You?d think I?d be done shooting by now. And I haven?t even started. My question involves these weird fluorescents here. Actually they are starting to pop up every where. Light bulb sized they are several bent fluorescent tubes. I ran a color temp on them and the are warmer then 3200 by about ½ cto. And they would require -12 green to correct them. Because my temp meter takes a long time to determine the color temp. I feel they are really limited in spectrum also. My location is huge and I can?t change the bulbs. Here is the question. I plan to shoot with tungsten and add full green and ½ cto to my movie lights. Can the lab time out the green for a film finish non DI? Can the lab time out the green for a film finish? How ugly is it going to look. Also several shots require me to start outside in shade with no 85 filter do a stop change and move into green orange hell. Can the lab do this kind of color change on the fly. I feel like this is going to be ugly :-)

Thanks

Bangkok Bob

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The latitude of using a color negative film will likely work to your advantage. Correct for the green and low color temperature as dictated by your color meter to get "in the ballpark" for color balance. If you have a "prosumer" or professional digital still camera (e.g., the Kodak DX-6490 or DX-7590), set it to "tungsten" balance, and shoot with your intended filtration to check whether you are color matching the mixed light sources in an acceptable way.

If the spectral output of the "compact fluorescents" is discontinous (i.e., has a low Color Rendering Index), you may see some color shifts or lack of color saturation for certain colors, but shooting digital stills will let you judge how serious that may be.

Be sure not to underexpose, as a well exposed negative gives the lab much more flexibility in correcting any mismatch.

When using an additive printer, slight balance changes can be made "on the fly", but you are limited to the changes allowed by the particular printer used (e.g., many change in 0.025 log exposure units, with a limitation on the spacing of the changes (usually at least a few frames). You need to spread out the changes for a big shift in color, or disguise it (e.g., pan off the main subject during the change) otherwise the change will be too obvious. Correct as much as you can in your original exposure.

Here is a discussion of additive printers:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/...shtml#plusminus

Sam Wells · April 28, 2005

Shooting in SE Asia and you're gonna time out green, yikes. I haven't been to Thailand but Vietnam seems to be made out of green :)

I've shot with fluoros that sound like those here in the US but on vid not film. I don't know what CT they're close to, they're just jive. I'm sure they're limited in spectrum.

I do think Asian skin tones handle off-CT better than caucasian but that is **opinion** not science. (could be I've seen too many Wong Kar-wai films B) ) But I'd keep skin tones where you want them, hit with tungsten as a priority.

-Sam

Bob Hayes · April 29, 2005

Should I use a magenta filter on the camera? At least on the shot that is all Flouro. Will it help the lab. Most of my experience is in television directo to Telecine. No film finish when I corect this level of green and orange out.

John Pytlak RIP · April 29, 2005

Should I use a magenta filter on the camera? At least on the shot that is all Flouro. Will it help the lab. Most of my experience is in television directo to Telecine. No film finish when I corect this level of green and orange out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, if your color meter is saying the compact fluorescent lights there are a 12 green, correct for them with appropriate magenta filtration. The lab will have a much easier job of "tweeking" the final balance.