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An upcoming music video is in the process of budgeting, the script requires mostly night scenes, euthanizing moonlight. The main question I have is: How on earth are scenes like this lit? perfectly even lit scenes like this. I understand you'd need a big source most likely through a 12ft diffusion frame but this is a ridiculous amount of light for this forest scene, which also confuses me because the trees are still silhouetted as if the source was directional but yet everything is so soft. I don't understand how such a large set can be lit so softly yet with so much contrast. Does anyone have any theories to how this lighting setup was achieved in a floor plan? Of course I'm not setting this as a goal for this project, nothing of that scale but I find it incredibly interesting non the less. https://gyazo.com/b78933c3fa1a298ff04e686924ab53e6 https://gyazo.com/40bf199b982ebab5764e70a53168b117 https://gyazo.com/d76dc2acd1521cf948255f4ba59b3fd5 Thanks Seth

I'm about to start a feature and because of our schedule as well as dropping temperatures, the possibility of shooting day for night is becoming more and more real. My concern is that having red/orange light in the night scenes is extremely important to the director, but that the grade will suck all of that out. The source for the light is a campfire, but one of the characters will also be bloody and wearing a faded red jacket. I've seen the 40's/50's day for night scenes which have a lighter grade and thus more colors, but those seem to have been done because of the sheer expanse of the locations that needed to be seen. Cast Away is the best example of fire/red light I can find for day for night, however I have read that there were some VFX in those shots. While we do have access to a good VFX house, I want to be able to introduce red light practically as a baseline. One detail, we'll be shooting in the woods in California so I'll have limited generator power due to fire concerns. So essentially I am at a loss. Any advice is deeply appreciated.

Hi there, I have a film coming up with a scene that takes place in a chapel. The chapel is not very big (roughly 45 feet x 15 feet) and has wooden shutters for windows which will be open. The challenge is that we shooting the entire day in this location but story wise this scene happens over 30 minutes. The back of the chapel faces north so the sun rises on the one side of the church and sets on the other - see floor plan with sun path. If budget and time was not a problem I would tent the windows and bring in lights to recreate the sun streaming through. I am looking to create a moody soft directional feel where there is some contrast happening in the shot. Just wondering if there are any budget friendly solutions your side where I would be able to maintain a soft directional light sources coming from one side of the church (east or west) through the windows? As it stands now I could use the sun, put it through silk and it would look great for a few hours but not enough to make our day. Let me know if you got any ideas? Many thanks, Jacques

Hi there, I have a film coming up which sits in the suspense drama genres with a touch of comedy. The director has put forward a number of Coen brother films like Serious Man and Fargo as narrative references. Anyway, long story short we have quite a bit of the film that plays out in a house up on top of a mountain. I am really keen to bring the scripts drama out by playing with contrast but I really want to retain my high lights and my black level so I have detail in them. Looking at Harris Savides mainly, Lance Acord and Matthew Libatique in Mother! They really nail this dramatic look. Please check the references I added from Mother! and God’s Pocket. Looking at the references I would like to know what your preferred why or technique is to control the int exposure with ext spaces in the shot. I can see in Mother! the windows are looking out onto trees which are some what darker which helps the contrast. There are options with the ext. but I am curious to hear about techniques where I can increase the ambient light in the house without it looking like I have lit it. I am shooting Arriraw on Alexa Mini with Baltar lenses. It’s my first film shooting Arriraw so I have not tested this extensively. Kind regards, Jacques

Hi, i'm currently in my second year of Uni and for my dissertation my question is "Will LEDs Lights be able to replace every type of light used in film production? " If anybody who has knowledge of different types of lights could help? By doing this questionnaire I'd really appreciate it thank you. :) https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd75cWHDKLyzAQ4gygI19yFEOWUUhkpW1tTUJZZWWP9uVXvmA

Well, after four years of valiantly fighting it, I've given in, accepted my fate, and become a Vanman: And she's a blank canvas: I now have to begin the process of figuring out how I'm going to fit her out to cart around all of my crap. First big question for the layout will be - my new Inovativ cart, should I plan to wheel it in through the side doors? Or out the back? And if you've got a nice van fitout that you'd care to share, I'd certainly appreciate any good ideas for shelving/storage solutions that I can steal.

Hey guys, so I have a shoot that requires a shot at the bottom of the ocean. I wont have access to a tank but I may have access to an aquarium (a very big one lol) I can easily make it pass for ocean. however! ive never shot similar and im wondering what lighting ill need to replicate a bit of sun coming through the water in the lower angle shots. the aquarium is 11m deep. Is there a rule for falloff in water? thanks ! K

Hey all, This has been a question I've had for a while. Are there a specific type of globe/light source that is commonly used to replace practical bulbs? I.e. If you're trying to reach a certain exposure, and want to use practicals, where could one find an assortment of different globes to reach a certain light level? Thanks!

Looking for a solution - need a rotating lighting rig to simulate the movement of light on a stationary vehicle. Trying to simulate a train passing through darkness and shade. Any suggestion other than having someone Hollywood the unit or flag.

Has any one ever lit a car for sunset after its already dark on location? There are a few ways I can think of with large set ups or in a studio but in this case im looking for more of an on the go shoot with my largest light being a 1.2 my concern is that i want to avoid the light looking like a street light . I need to make sure there is enough ambient daylight. any thoughts would be much appreciated. thanks

Hi lighting experts! Thanks for always being so generous with your knowledge and experience on this forum and I've learnt so much from all of you. I have a shoot coming up for which I would like to get your help in reviewing my lighting plan. The concept is to have atheletes in motion against an infinite black background as in the first couple attached images (IMG 7502 and IMG 7504) I've only ever done infinite black shoots in a blackout studio but due to production constraints this will have to be done on location - a multi sports hall and a air rifle range (IMG 7500 is the hall, I couldn't upload the image of the range but it will be windowless so that's easier for me) The athlete in the hall will be a table tennis player and as you can see, while the hall is fairly large, there are windows above head all around and the shoot will have to be done during day time. My plan to combat this is to shoot from one corner of the hall and have 3 black background drapes (those typically used in photo shoots) form a cove around the subject. I was then planning to boom a 4' Kino Tegra (any practical ideas how to do this? We don't have access to a proper c boom) slightly behind the subject and bounce light back into the subject using a polyform core placed below camera or on the table where the shot size allows. I'm also looking to accent the subject with some colored backlights and was thinking of another Tegra back left/right with Lee steel blue / bright pink, flagging off spill using 2 floppies and/or the honeycomb. Do you guys think this would work or do you have any suggestions on better ways to approach this situation? Thanks so much as always!

Hello Everyone, My name is Vicken Joulfayan, and I am a new member here! I am a graduate student at the New York Film Academy in the Masters in Filmmaking program but my focus is primarily on cinematography. I am the DP for seven master thesis film projects, two of which are scheduled to be shot in the next several weeks, and am in need of advice for lighting. Although I have researched a lot and have a general idea of how to light each project, I need your advice in deciding which exact equipment to rent. The projects have budgets but they are minimal. I've embedded links to the first two projects I am working on in June, and they include the location image and overheads. Project 1 : https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByO5kv_UG9-NQkxDekNQdHZRdkE/view?usp=sharing For the bedroom night scene, we are recreating rain outside the window ( the space is visible in the picture, which is almost 3 feet, and then there is 6 feet downhill grass. The light will be put there at the bottom of the slope). Project 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByO5kv_UG9-NSnd3eDdLbUNnRjg/view?usp=sharing I am trying to keep it as simple as possible when it comes to lighting this one if it is a possibility. For both projects during day and night scenes, all the locations have big windows. I was thinking of 1.2hmi? par? or maybe Led even? Example aputure lightstorm ls1s) and additional fill IF needed inside, and practicals. Would I need a bigger frame than a 4x4 if i have exterior shots ( backyard shots)? I want to be able to see inside( characters) well exposed yet also have the outside location exposed ( outside logically more but still clear) without having the need to light so much additional light inside (tosco scrim black). Would a small LED be effective to create eye-light? Also we get 10 tiffen filters of our choice, Iwas planning to get these after research: - IR ND 1.2 / 1.5 / 1.8 - ND.6 ND.9 soft grad - Black pro mist 1/8 1/4 1/2 - Soft fx 1/2 - 1 + there is this grant where i can chose 6 full rolls or equivalent from LeeFilters that i am applying for. What do you guys recommend as primary to have!? cto, and ctb i think would be sad to have full rolls of! My choices are: 1- OPAL 2-GRID CLOTH 1/4 .. 3- HIGHLIGHT 4- ND 5- + - green. ? Equipment: Red Scarlet Mysterium X, EF mount. Lens given from school : Rokinon I also have the option of renting (POSSIBLY ) either zeiss CP.2 ,Canon Cine primes or Leica R cine mod. Which do you advise?! I really appreciate any feedback! Thank you in advance! Best, Vicken Joulfayan (818)224-9124 Vicken@joulfayan.com

Hello everyone, First time poster here, and I am shooting a promotional video for a martial arts competition coming up where my entire crew has 0 experience with gripping (family and friends). It will be my first time also using bigger lights, and I also have 0 set experience. I want to be most prepared when approaching this, since I'm dropping my own money to rent equipment, and I'm asking a lot of favors. I need your help going over my whole thought process to see if there are any big errors. My budget is under 500 dollars so please keep that in mind. Basically, I'm trying to get the look in the 3 reference stills. The content of the video is a fight scene very similar to the wushu stills. My interpretation of how I can get this look: It looks like they used hard a hard backlight with bounce from the floor and a bead board to get the frontal fill, then hazing the room to get the shaft of light. The room: I have attached a picture of the location below. I have access to a 40x60 foot room, with 20 foot ceilings. The included photo has a rubber mat but when I am shooting it will have a shiny wooden floor. The ceilings are white and the walls are half wooden and half white. The Light: I added a diagram so it will be clearer. I am thinking of using one or two ARRI Fresnel 650w, since it will be in my price range. I am not sure if it will have enough output to get what I want. Also, I want to rig it as high as possible, almost like a top light, but not sure how I can get it there. There will also be candles placed in the cabinet on the back wall, and I want to make sure it will show up with the exposure set to the Fresnel. Light Modifiers: To control it, I was thinking of going full spot and using the barn doors to get it off the background and the ceiling. I am going to put black bedsheets on 2 c-stands, one on each side of the talent. I am also going to use a bounce light into the talent’s faces so they are not completely silhouettes. For Haze, I’m planning on using Atmosphere areosol, Demonstration of the product Camera and Lenses: I am going to rent a sony A7sii (never used it) since I have heard good things about its low-light capabilities, and also rent a 24-70 mm sony lens, since it feels safer and less likely to screw me over than a prime. Questions: My main questions, from most important to least important, since I don’t want to take up too much of your time. Will my method of controlling light work? If not, what are some low-budget alternatives? Is the 650 watt Fresnel enough output for what I want? How can I get my light as high as possible? Can I get this lighting setup done in 1 hour by myself or with an inexperienced crew? Should I use a different camera within my budget? Should I rent a sony a7sii that I have never used before, or use my Rebel t4i that I know in and out? Should I use primes instead of a zoom? I know I will need one wide shot and the rest will be waist up and some closeup inserts of the hands and faces. Opinion on Atmosphere Aerosol? Should I rent a machine instead? I would also like help with the rigging and electrical components of how I can make this work, but I know this is the wrong section to post for that. Thanks, I hope I wasn't too annoying. Basically, I want to recreate this look

Hi all, I'm looking to achieve a certain effect in camera filtration. This particular piece that uses it well (although a bit heavily): I've used pieces of optical glass to get the distortion effect in a corner or half of the frame, but I'm wondering what options I have to create the effect around the entire frame (vignette). The obvious answer is to use a UV filter with various amounts of smeared vaseline and either hold it in front of the lens, or place it in a matte box tray that can be rotated. Are there any other techniques or glass objects you have found work well? Thanks

Finished up a passion project. Short narrative, thought I'd share it guys. Shot on BMCC 2.5k w/Speedbooster and Sigma art 18-35 Lens. Shot Raw and graded in DaVinci Resolve. The story and idea is based on experimenting with the power of music.

I bought a few vintage lights some years ago from the Finnish public broadcasting company YLE and restored them. Now I started wondering what year these fixtures were introduced/manufactured and contacted Mole-Richardson Co. in CA but their customer service informed me that they had nothing to do with these lights. A little bit of googling didn't really help me out and couldn't find information about the "Mole-Richardson (England) Ltd." Does somebody know the history of the company Mole-Richardson (England) Ltd.? Or even better, does someone have any trivia about these Type 398 and Type 598 lights by the Mole-Richardson (England) Ltd.? Pretty vague questions but the history of the industry is always fascinating. Best, Tuomas 'Nopsa' Viitakoski

hello lighting gurus , I'm shooting a musical in a restaurant that has a bunch of overhead fixtures and we're going to include these fixtures into some of our shots...each fixtures can be best described as a three socketed bulb cluster that's been packed with CFLs and one inverted paper umbrella ( with a slight yellow tint ) that diffuses the throw....the insets are painted blue/green and they affect the bounce to a degree.... I want to shoot a "sodium vapor" source through the windows on the right , the windows will be diffused...I'm thinking of playing regular tungsten on the floor, like shooting through silks with open faces or kings bulbed at 3200 etc. and scenes all take place at night... I want to be able to use these overheads as they are..meaning fluorescent , to achieve that blue/ green type of hair light ( picture 1 )...but since we have a lot of musical queues we have to be able to dim the overheads up or down depending on the scenes' requirements...so I don't think I can keep the CFLs in there because I can't dim those...instead I'm thinking of replacing them all with tungsten and gel them to match fluorescent , what's your best advice for this....am I on the right thinking path ? I've included two pictures...one is the restaurant and the other is an inspiration for the colour pallet I'm after....although I have to say that in the portrait shot here the blue green is a little too heavy handed ...I want to go for a much more subtle version , meaning that there is less blue-green One last note; we're going to have a lot of wide shots , director loves to see the ceiling and drilling base plates into these ceilings is out of question... thank you!!

Hi everyone! I'm going to be making a movie with my friends soon (Horror/Comedy). This may be a broad question, but here it is. In your opinion, what Cinematography techniques add dimension and depth in an image? With this movie, I am hoping to immerse the audience by creating a visually immersive and interesting "mise en scène". I have been leaning towards good blocking, but I would love to hear how you all feel this is accomplished. Thank you!

Is there way for someone like me to start using a generator so that I might power an M40 or an Arrisun 60? I love the M18 because I allows me to work with a decent amount of light on a very small budget. I've been shooting commercial projects on a thin budget by running with one M18, a few fluorescent fixtures a great deal of light modifiers. In the states, I believe an M18 is about the most powerful light you can run off a house or office circuit. (If there are more powerful options, I'd love to use them) Is the answer as simple as renting or buying a 6500 watt portable generator or is there more to it?

Hi guys It's my first post on the forum, so go easy on me please ;) I given the following reference video and was asked to recreate the look in a small studio: How would you guys approach it ? I'm thinking to have the key light very close to the camera's axis and then I think there is also a diffused backlight to fill in the shadows on the subjects left side. And of course some sort of cookaloris for the background. I'm not sure what kind of key light was used here. Is an LED through 4x4 silk, or maybe tungsten bounced of polly ? How far do you think the subject is from the back wall ? Appreciate your help. Thanks !

As I already do sound seriously, I'd like to get into the lucrative career of sound gripping, thus looking at grip gear to get... specifically these combo stands on Aliexpress (sorry, I can't afford anything better on my $10/day rate!). Anybody tried them before, what do they think of them? https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4m-studio-Combo-Stand-Tripod-Load-20kg-for-Light-2k-5k-HMI-Compact-Par-1-2k/32265490574.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/PRO-3-4m-Combo-Stand-Tripod-load-40kg-for-Spotlight-5K-HMI-4K-M40/32796936968.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4m-Studio-Combo-Stand-Tripod-Load-20kg-for-Light-2k-5k-HMI-Compact-Par-1-2k/32596647221.html

Hello, I'm in the early stages of a project and we're heavily leaning towards black and white. My question relates to the CRI of our lighting fixtures. Considering CRI is specifically the Color Rendering Index, can we just ignore it on B&W projects? My first thought is yes, but I want to cover my bases in case I'm forgetting any beneficial qualities high-CRI lights provide beyond accurate color. Furthermore, does the answer change depending on shooting format? (B&W Film vs. Epic/Alexa Monochrome vs. shooting color and grading in post) Thanks for contributing and I appreciate your advice!

Hey guys, I'm trying to create flicker on a fluorescent fixture in a hospital. Normally I would dim down on the unit or change the voltage to create the desired effect, but there is no drop down ceiling and I can't get access to the ballast without pulling the entire fixture down, which might not be possible. Has anyone used anything to flicker a fluorescent by where the bulb connects with the fixture? My other option is to find a bad bulb which probably won't be a problem at this location, but I'm not confident that it will look right without testing it. Any ideas? All the best, Andrew

For sale, Mactech tubes V1 32k and 55k high output led tubes 110v dimmable 4' tubes $100 each 20- 32k 20- 55k 2' tubes $60 each 12- 32k 10-55k 1' tubes 40 each 4- 32k 4-55k 5500 for whole pkg

Hi, I work at a university and we are in the process of building a new film studio. The studio is 2500 square feet with a rig fairly high up. On three walls there will be an infinity curve. I'm trying to find some advice and suggestions as to what you would put in there in terms of lighting please? I've not had to spec a studio this size before so any advice would be really helpful. So far all I've got on my list is 10 x 6K space lights. As a university we are on a bit of a budget so just looking for a basic studio set up as a start. Thanks in advance, Paul.