Lighting Large Room for the RED 1

[Luke Sweetman]

Hi

 

I'm presently in college, and am working as a DOP on a short Visual Drama.

 

I'm just looking for some advice about lighting for the RED 1 as this is the first time I have worked with it.

 

The idea behind the script is one slow track back from a CU on a kids face to WS of the room, all shot 120fps.

 

The room is large about 30 feet long and by about 15 feet wide, there are four windows 5 feet high by 3 across, all the windows are along one side of the room and one on the back wall.

 

Here is a link to a test that was shot on the EX 3 at 60fps.

http://vimeo.com/11005464

 

Lighting is just with a bouncing blond and a 4ft bank of Kino flo and the light from the windows.

 

just trying to decided between geling the windows or blacking them altogether.

 

 

any advice would be appreciated.

 

 

thanks Luke

[Brian Drysdale]

I'm not sure why you'd want to do too much different to your test unless you're not happy about the look. I'd put ND over the windows behind the characters, perhaps slightly over exposing the outside a bit to match the side window. The alternative may to put closed curtains (or opened slightly - according to personal taste) over the window behind the opening framing if the full window is distracting

 

The other question is do you have enough lights to light this room without the natural light coming through the windows?

[Luke Sweetman]

Hi thanks for the reply

 

More then enough if needed, set of kino's 4ft bank x 2, 2 x blonds, set 1 red heads, 2 kits of mini kino flo's, set of 300 watt Arri's.

 

Can get any combination from those.

 

I think the basic problem with the test is the flatness of the colors, true the windows weren't diffused, the lighting was very basic and I did very little in changing the color settings in the EX3, but it still looks flat.

 

I was thinking that as the shot moves from a close up out to a wide that it could be possible attach the mini kino flows to the jib arm under the camera to pick out some light in the eyes.

 

The concept is a Birthday party, I want more richness in the colors.

 

Apologies for broad nature of questions..

 

thanks Luke

[Brian Drysdale]

I suspect you may need to get the colour richness in your grading. However, you could warm up your lights by not fully colour correcting (eg using 1/2 CTB or 3/4 CTB according to personal taste), so that there is a touch warmth in the shadow areas. The art direction, wardrobe & make up will have a big impact on the scene's colours. Using the mini kino will give some fill and should catch the eyes in the opening CU, although I'd keep an eye on it in case it catches the legs on the table later on, so it may have to be dimmed and/or switch off as the shot progresses.

 

I suspect there's more natural light coming through your windows than you'll be able to create with your lights, so I'd tend to make use of it. To recreate that light usually involves having HMIs. The main problem is the natural light changing, but since it's basically one shot, it could be a matter of picking the time of day when the daylight is best for your shot.

[Kieran Scannell]

I think the shot works really well technically, but if you want colour it has to be in the frame. there are very muted colours in your test, blues, gray's, dark brown, all flat and washed. I agree with Brian, if you pour light from the logical source i.e. the window and bounce from the other side for fill you might get the shot you're after. Also with the deep focus there needs to be more happening in the frame, poppers or confetti something that dances in front of the lens.