Lighting Large Set

[Mark Cresham]

In a script I'm working on (I will be writer, directer, etc. as well as gaffer) there will be a scene where the character walks through a pool club in a continous shot. Similar to John Travolta walking through Jack Rabbit Slims in Pulp Fiction.

 

I would like some feedback on the best way to light this scene, as there is alot to light, as well as the fact its a continous shot so hiding the lighting is also important.

 

I want the lighting to be natural to the environment (bar lights, table lights, ceiling and wall lights etc), but if I don't use addition lighting I'm worried about it looking dull.

 

It will be shot hopefully using an Arriflex 435 Xtreme, most probably using Fujifilm Eterna 500T. I am keen to get this right as I'm sure you'll understand.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Well, take your meter to the location and get some readings. You can always just reglobe what's there with higher power lights (though i'd recommend running your own power to them as opposed to house power which you may blow if you string too much up).

Also you can throw some Kinos up in the ceiling as florescent lighting, maybe even give them a bit of a blue tone.. if you want. A lot will depend on the look you're after.

Were it me, and this is just a scene in my head I'm making up, I might just expose for the pool tables and let everything else fall into darkness, while hitting my main character with a little eye light, maybe a slight rim from a neon sign or something....

 

What's this location like? how high are the ceilings and what are they made out of? what kind of budget do you have? what kind of windows are around, be this a day or night scene and which way do they face? And why on earth would you want to gaff and direct... sounds like a loosing proposition to me....

[Mark Cresham]

Thank you for your valued input, and your approach is helpful.

 

I also wondered if perhaps I could use minifluds, hidden from shot when panning camera between club activities and the character walking through the club. I want to have the feel of things going on as the character walks through, I like and understand your vision, but this scene needs the whole club to be seen, with extras as club patrons, for a busy feel to the club as the character walks through.

 

The reason I'm directing and gaffing, and pretty much everything else is due to budget and crew restraints, because It will be a guerilla production.

 

This scene can be classed as a night/interior becuase the club I'm hoping to use has no windows, and the celing height is approximately 3 metres.

Edited May 17, 2010 by Macre

[Brandon Del Nero]

I did a scene just like this (www.playgroundpictures.net)

 

Basically, we had cubby holes up in the ceiling, so we lined the square cubbies with white card, a few 2x wall spreaders to hang 1 and 2k's on (the 2Ks above the subject), and kept the ceiling as far out of frame as possbile.

 

I threw a few 4K HMI Freznels across the room from frame R with some full soft frost (if I remember correctly, it was several years ago)

 

Short answer, mount bounce from the ceiling and keep it out of frame, throw from a distance with some power if possible for a nice dramatic key

[Eric H]

Thank you for your valued input, and your approach is helpful.

 

I also wondered if perhaps I could use minifluds, hidden from shot when panning camera between club activities and the character walking through the club. I want to have the feel of things going on as the character walks through, I like and understand your vision, but this scene needs the whole club to be seen, with extras as club patrons, for a busy feel to the club as the character walks through.

 

The reason I'm directing and gaffing, and pretty much everything else is due to budget and crew restraints, because It will be a guerilla production.

 

This scene can be classed as a night/interior becuase the club I'm hoping to use has no windows, and the celing height is approximately 3 metres.

 

 

sometimes what you don't see is better than what you do. A int/night pool hall is something we all have a picture of in our head. So, what makes a pool hall busy? how many tables are there... 2, 4 or 20? does the actor stop and deliver dialogue? but probably the biggest issue you'll have is to light this yourself because of your crew limitations. Working in you favor is the 500 asa. I personally prefer Vision3 and it sometimes takes a lot of work to underexpose when you are lighting....I usually start turning off my units. maybe if you think you need more fill and you don't see the top of a pool table or two, you can place some poly on the table and bounce the overhead back up..........but back to my original idea...to make it look busy without seeing everything is also solvable in the sound mix...a dark pool hall can sound busy too...no? maybe it's good to watch a few films with pool hall scenes....it's easy to see where the light comes from when it's a dark scene. Less easy to identify the units used but at least you can get an idea of where they were hidden.

 

 

I hope this helps...

 

 

Eric

[Gustavo Brum]

In a script I'm working on (I will be writer, directer, etc. as well as gaffer) there will be a scene where the character walks through a pool club in a continous shot. Similar to John Travolta walking through Jack Rabbit Slims in Pulp Fiction.

 

I would like some feedback on the best way to light this scene, as there is alot to light, as well as the fact its a continous shot so hiding the lighting is also important.

 

I want the lighting to be natural to the environment (bar lights, table lights, ceiling and wall lights etc), but if I don't use addition lighting I'm worried about it looking dull.

 

It will be shot hopefully using an Arriflex 435 Xtreme, most probably using Fujifilm Eterna 500T. I am keen to get this right as I'm sure you'll understand.

If I was you I would play with "pools of light", having some areas go a little darker than others. Also since you are shooting film, play with the CTS and CTO's , gel some areas to look warmer than others and so on.