Hello all.
I have been lighting short, non-commercial films (mostly student stuff) for about a year after graduating from film school, and although I have been learning a lot as I go, there are two subjects in particular that I am still struggling with, and I would really love it if some of you more experienced lighting gurus out there could enlighten me (see what I did there?).
- The first one is lighting night interiors. I am always struggling with the density of the image, and the contrast that will give a nice penumbra look. Most of the night interior scenes I have done feel overlit and flat.
What I have been experimenting with is partially or completely flagging the light off the walls to make the room much darker than skin tone, but I'm not sure if this is the right way to go. Should I underexpose skin tones, and if so by how much? Should I backlight or sidelight the scene to make the edges come out but keep the scene dark? Should I gel the key light to make it warmer?
Of course I understand that observation is key, and that there is no magic formula that will make all night interiors look nice, I am asking for pointers and advice that will allow me to experiment in the right direction and keep improving.
- My second question is a shorter, but more technical one. How much is the look of a given contrast ratio between fixtures affected by different cameras, and their dynamic range? Would a contrast ratio of 3:1 on a talent's face, for example, feel very different on a camera with a large dynamic range like the Alexa, compared to a DSLR? This is pre-colouring, I mean. The question I ask is because of budget concerns, I have been shooting all my projects with DSLR, and I have an opportunity to be working with either a RED Epic or an Alexa in the near future, and I would like to be prepared. Should I be contrasting more, or less? Or go by eye?
I realize this post has been a long read, and I thank you for reading through all of it. I hope it has been clear, and I would greatly appreciate any answers.
Thank you!
