stop down for night interiors?

claudio rietti · June 7, 2005

I am shooting a night interior on a small set. the set is not elaborate, just a small room with a bathroom attached on the right hand wall and a large window on the left, 3-4 feet from the bed. My plan is to light with a couple of 800 W bulbs coming from the window through light frost and filling two or 2.5 stops under. The walls should be slightly under the key (1.5 stop under?) There are no practicals in the room. would it be advised to stop down from the exposure reading from the key? If so, how much?

Also, there is a shot in the bathroom that i would like to illuminate just the face of the actor who would be facing the mirror, and the background would be the bedroom illuminated by the window. My motivation for the key light would be a window above the mirror. the problem is that the window doesnt exist. Is this something that i can overlook or should i be safe and make a window? Any suggestion/advice would be really appreciated.

thanks

June 7, 2005

What are you shooting on? Film or video? If film, what recommended asa speed? In the case of your first paragraph you should seriously go out of your way on this and get a latitude test done- shoot an actor before both a plain black and a plain white background, 3 stops over exposed, then 2 stops overexposed,then 1 stop over and eventually neutral medium grey followed by 1 stop under exposed, then 2 under and finally 3. Find out where your film falls apart yourself! Print them and see what effects you can find- do the same (equivalent) with the video too if that is what you are shooting on. By doing this you will be confident in executing the ideas you present in your first paragraph.

As for the mirror- why CAN'T you have the window? Sounds like a great idea to me! Go with it- stick an angled mirror/beadboard/coloured piece of card up there the size of the window you imagine and bounce whatever colour temperature emmiting lamp you decide on - play, let your imagination have fun!

Good luck, and above all have fun!

claudio rietti · June 7, 2005

right, i'm shooting on 16 mm 200 ASA Kodak 7274 and unfortunately i don't have the time to test anymore. i did test for the bathroom scene and it looks great, but i am worried that the light is unmotivated, but no worries on that, i'll put a window up. I will have a digital camera with me that would give me a rough idea of how the lighting is, so i will try that. any recommendations on articles on such a topic? Any personal experience with lighting night interiors and what to set the exposure as compared to the reading?

thanks for the input.

June 9, 2005

No article at this stage is going to guide you with what you've already made up in your mind- I think you've done your homework, you have your stills camera to do basic on set tests with- just go shoot! :)