Lighting this scene and colour's temperature

[Alessio Signoriello]

Hi everyone,

 

I would like to know how few of these shots have been made. I am interested to know how the different colours are balanced and the way to achieve this. I notice that some lights are warmer and might be set on tungsten balance, but I have also noticed a green look in the overall composition, which I love. The example is the first picture, the lights from the top are orange warmer look and the rest of the frame has a green colour. How can I achieve that?

 

Also in the other images, how do I keep that warm orangish temperature colour without ruining the skin tones of the talent? For example the last shots two shot. The key side of the actor is lit with an orange yellow color and the background is of blue/white. Do I need gels, filters or change the colour temperature of the white balance?

 

Thank you,

 

Hopefully I was clear enough.

 

 

[David Mullen ASC]

There is no single technique if you want to mix colors within the shot. Gels, mixed color lamp sources, color temp settings on the camera are all valid techniques, it depends a lot on the scene, the location, the light sources, etc.

 

In the examples above, Cool White fluorescent tubes were used, which are in the mid-4000's in color temperature with a green spike, so if your digital camera is set to 3200K (or you use tungsten film stock) the tube will render cyan (blue-green) but if you set the camera to 5600K (or use daylight-balanced stock), then the tubes would render a bit yellow-green. In the case of "No Country For Old Men", 500 ASA tungsten-balanced stock was used for the night work.

 

Colored lighting will affect skin tones, there is no way around that. The face in the second frame is lit with a very warm light so the face is warm, not neutral. I don't know if the warmth was done by dimming a tungsten lamp (a technique that Deakins often uses) and/or used a gel since there seems to be some yellow-green color mixed in, but maybe that's just some color timing adjustment to add some green into the warmth.

[Alessio Signoriello]

So if in the first frame the stock is tungsten balanced, why the tubes look more yellow? The light in the corridor that hits the door and the rest of the frame looks green/blue, I have a bit of confusion. :S

[David Mullen ASC]

Maybe the tubes are yellow... and it's the building and sidewalk that are cyan-colored?

 

There are only tungsten-balanced and daylight-balanced stocks made, so do you think this night scene was shot on 250 ASA daylight-balanced stock or 500 ASA tungsten-balanced stock? Particularly given that Deakins doesn't use daylight-balanced stock?

 

Given that Deakins has his own forum, you should just go directly to him and ask him.

 

It's possible to overthink this stuff... if you want a mix of cyan and warm lights in a shot, put cyan and warm lights in the shot, whether you gel lamps with cyan or orange or use light sources with that color bias.

 

The "how" is less important than the "why", having the concept and then pursuing it, doing it. If what you like is the mix of colors, then play with using a mix of colors when you do a show.

[David Mullen ASC]

I see something I like in a movie, let's say a strong yellow-orange streetlamp color coming through a window, I don't think "if only I knew what gel was used for that movie!" -- instead I think "I'll try to create that effect when I do a movie" and I'll try something that seems to get me the results I want, it's not important to use exactly the same techniques as someone else, it's the visual idea that is important. In fact, it's probably better to come up with your own ways of achieving things.