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Top Lighting Bathroom Stalls


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Hi all,

I'm shooting a low budget short where the meat of the story takes place in a public bathroom during the day (both in two of the stalls, as well as in the bathroom). The bathroom is 4,8m x 3,85m with no where to place any light stands, or bounce lighting off the ceiling, without them being seen in frame and I would prefer to have a 360 lighting set up, as we are limited with time and will shoot both in the direction of the mirror, as well as the window.

I was thinking top lighting with 5 x 4' 4 Kinos on auto-poles, but the ceiling is  not that high at 2,87m, and there are two other gotchas: a window and a mirror placed directly opposite each other. So, I either:

a) Cover the window up with a painting (blocking any and all source of lighting from the window)

b) Use decorative frost on the window and on the top of the mirror (in case the kinos creep into frame), or ND the window out

I would really prefer not to use the down lights with heavy diffusion, and like the fact that Kinos have barn doors and the lighting won't be completely flat and spread out (as would be the case if I used Astera or other tubes).

Any advice from DPs/gaffers who've shot in similar circumstances would be much appreciated ?

Thank you.

Koors_Lighting Diagram.jpg

Koors Recce-021.jpg

Koors Recce-088.jpg

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4'x4-banks Kinos are too bulky -- I'd use a Litemat, like a Litemat 2 over each stall with a tight honeycomb grate. Ideally you'd be allowed a few screws into that ceiling to set them but if not, a wall-spreader will work but you may need a cover that is painted to look like a architectural beam to cover the end facing camera. Litemats are light enough that even a thin wooden goalpost built and painted to match might work, just something to allow you to screw the Litemats into place. You will need to dress out the power & ballast cables.

I'd consider spottier bulbs over the sink if you want more mood, or keep the bulbs but use a small cylinder at the bottom of each can light to limit the spread more.

The window is up to you -- frost it, ND it, color-correct it, whatever you need. The mirror opposite may need to be covered or reduced in size to make shooting easier unless all your wider shots play towards the window, so if the mirror is off-camera, cover it in black.

By the way, you can put Astera tubes in Kino housings to have the advantage of the barndoors, etc. but without needing cabling to a ballast. But I think it's all too bulky.

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