Lighting with 4800k bulbs

[Elliot Rudmann]

Hi, in a few weeks I will be shooting a short 16mm film on Kodak's 7205 stock and since our budget is very small, I am using some of my gaffer's chinaballs. He has 4800k bulbs for them which are labeled as daylight bulbs, but are obviously much lower than standard (HMI bulbs) at 5600k. If I am to render white light on the film, should I gel the bulbs (1/4, 1/2 CTB?) to boost the color temp closer to 5600K or will I be ok without? I know typical fluorescents are rated at 4000-4800 kelvins and the last thing I want is to make this film look green. All suggestions are very appreciated. Thanks!

[David Mullen ASC]

If these are the blue-painted photofloods, they are 4800K but don't have any green in them. It would be hard to gel them in a China Ball though, plus you'd want as much light as you can get out of them. Lowel Lights now sells a fluorescent daylight bulb that has a high CRI value; a little pricey though.

 

If you use the 4800K bulbs, either live with them being warm in comparison to the HMI's, or gel the HMI's with 1/4 CTO to match.

[Andy Karkut]

I am in a similar situation, dealing with mixed light. Shooting 16mm on Kodak 7229 in an apartment with a large balcony (daytime) that the character uses often. I also have a bunch of practical lamps in the apartment with tungsten bulbs.

 

This is what I am thinking:

 

- Use the tungsten stock w/85 filter

- Use Kino Flo with daylight tubes for the overall ambience for interior apartment to match balcony

- Either keep the warm tungsten bulbs in the lamp shades, or switch to the bluecoated 4800k globes from GE, for less warmth.

 

What, in your opinion, would look more 'natural'? Suggestions?

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Personally, the most natural looking would be the INT bulbs being rather warm. That's how I see things when I'm in a mixed lighting room. Perhaps what would be better would be to shoot with and 81EF instead of the 85, which will let the daylight go a bit blue, and the T bulbs get a bit warm; then control exactly in the telecine.

[Andy Karkut]

The apartment is small and the interior has white walls. If I am unable to use the Kinos with daylight tubes for ambience, would it be too much of a stretch to full CTB Arri tungsten lights (bounce off ceilings, walls) for interior to match the exterior balcony color temp?

[Adrian Sierkowski]

You could but you're sacrificing a good deal of stop, CTB removes a lot more light than does CTO.

[Andy Karkut]

Thanks for all your comments, Adrian.