Lightning Flash - Halloween

[James Oldham]

Hi Folks,

 

I would like some advice on what strobe/flash fixtures I could use to replicate lightning and what would be the best way to power this when shooting externally.

Also has anyone found issues whilst shooting on Alexa with strobe lighting i.e lack of global shutter and what other approaches you could take to this problem.

 

Thanks in advance

[Stuart Brereton]

Strobes generally cause rolling shutter artifacts because of the short duration of the flash. If I'm doing lightning effects, I prefer to use a HMI with a dimmer shutter. It's a much more controllable and 'organic' way of doing it.

[David Mullen ASC]

I've used Lightning Strikes Paparazzi strobes, which don't cause rolling shutter artifacts on the Alexa at the right settings. Atomic strobes work OK too though I found that there were shutter cycles where the rolling shutter artifacts passed through.

 

Otherwise the safest thing is to use metal blinds on an HMI, the type you slap open and closed randomly.

[Phil Rhodes]

I just built an LED strobe with phase control, but I appreciate this isn't an off-the-shelf solution for everyone!

[Benjamin Huddleston]

I've used Lightning Strikes Paparazzi strobes, which don't cause rolling shutter artifacts on the Alexa at the right settings. Atomic strobes work OK too though I found that there were shutter cycles where the rolling shutter artifacts passed through.

 

Otherwise the safest thing is to use metal blinds on an HMI, the type you slap open and closed randomly.

 

David,

 

Where would you source those metal blinds, at any lighting rental house, or are they a rare specialty? Do they fit in the barndoors/scrims slots, or how do they attach to the head?

 

I've got a rather large exterior night scene coming up that calls for lightning flashes, and the Lightning Strikes fixtures can get rather pricey. I would like to avoid pricey and cheesey. Maybe the shuttered HMI is the ticket?

 

Ben

[David Mullen ASC]

The rental house should hopefully have metal blinds that fit onto the front of a 6K or 18K HMI. Similar to the ship-to-ship signaling shutters.

[James Oldham]

Thanks for the responses.

For me the metal blinds raise questions. For example, the beam of light being cut by the blind would cast venetian shadows on the subject, unless put through some medium diffusion or bounced from elsewhere?

Phil, the LED strobe sounds interesting, would love to see picture of the working system!

[David Mullen ASC]

The metal blinds are right up against the fixture so you can't get a pattern from them. Besides, you generally slap them fully closed or open.