Interior Day for Night

[Jody Lipes]

Any tips on making interior day for night when multiple windows are in frame more believable?

 

I am planning to use ND on the windows so that outside is at least three under on 7277 320T. I am also planning on letting the windows go half blue.

 

I can't tent the windows because it would be visible. I would also like some texture outside.

 

However I am confused about getting light through the windows under these circumstances. How can I punch "moonlight" through the windows with my largest lights being 1200 HMI's?

 

Would it look silly to completly black out the windows with duv?

 

Any advise would help because I have never attempted this situation before.

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Jody Lee Lipes

[Mitch Gross]

I don't think your plan would work, or it certainly would look rather artificial. Dark blue is not what night looks like--it looks pitch black. Instead of being able to see a bit of the vast world outside with a general ambient exposure (even if very underexposed), in real night just about all that is visible is streetlamps, car headlights and windows in other buildings. Short of showing these which means shooting night for night, you're really better off either tenting the windows or hanging black fabric (Duvatyne) on the outside of the windows. The advantage of the tent is that you can then also position lights outside the location but within the tent to shine in through the window.

[Jody Lipes]

Thanks for the advice.

 

Jody

[Ram Shani]

jody

 

 

cover the window will be a better.

 

if your tent is far from the window and you shoot with tele

you can try to hang christmas lights on the back of the tent to look like

out of focus city lights(you can shape them the way you want)

 

ram

[PhilPowers]

hi there - I had a the same type of problem on a recent short. Without knowing what the story requires you to show its hard to say whats best. However if it is supposed to be a night interior in a domestic house/flat then would it be so out of place to have the curtains(drapes) closed?? You can then simply gaffer tape some black sugar paper(thin art board) to the outside. From a low shooting angle even with the curtains ope this is a cheap beliveable effect as you will only be seing the black night sky from a low angle.

 

Your idea of ND will not work mainly because at night there are all sorts of other light sources ie. cars passing will not have their headlights on shop fronts will not be illuminated etc. The best bet if you have time is to visit the location at night and work out your angles of view. You will then have a good idea of what light you need to create if any.

 

Do you have any night exteriors that precced these interiors? These will dictate your mood. If its very heavly street lit then a strong moon light will not fit well.

 

If you do have views out into the city at night can you not simply shoot these at night??

 

I hope this helps

PP

[David Mullen ASC]

Using ND for day-for-night only works in the same places that day-for-night exterior shooting works -- in areas without exterior electrical light sources like in the desert or woods. It tends to look more like dusk though.

 

"Islands of the Stream" (?), that 1970's film with George C. Scott, used ND on windows of his beach hut to create a day-for-night background of a "moonlit" ocean. "Iron Will", I believe, used this technique also for some log cabin scenes with a view of a frozen lake.

 

It probably would look best with a house in the deep woods where there would be no sky to give the effect away.

 

The ND gelling has to be perfect, perhaps with hard acrylics even, because when the interior is brighter than the view, the ND'd windows become like mirrors, reflecting the interior. You'll see every ripple in the gel.

[Nick Everett]

I was just about to do exactly the same thing. Thankfully I read this thread!

Edited November 30, 2006 by Nick Everett

[J. Lamar King IMPOSTOR]

I like to have the windows dressed with a thick layer of blinds/curtains/sheer cloth etc. then place a sollid outside the window but leave a gap so that some of the daylight leeks in and gives a moon glow effect. You then have to mimmick the moon light from within the room if that is supposed to be the source.