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Help with Lighting an Interior Large Room


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Hey everybody,

 

I'm a first time DOP working on a low budget short film, with tight deadlines and could use some help with lighting a medium size industrial type space.

 

Its a dark rectangular room 15ft high high, 30ft long and 16 ft wide with no reflectable surfaces,

except for the front wall which has a large white13x13 ft film screen on it, which I am thinking of using to bounce light off. Using 1k arri and a second light. Or a 4x4 bank kino flow.

 

My lighting arsenal consists of two 1k tungsten fresnel arris, a 700w open faced arri, a 650w and 300w arri fresnel. And two Kino Flo 4x4 Banks. (tungsten)

 

Some background info: We have one day to film and have 14 shots to do. The director wants a gritty realism feel.

 

I want to keep the back ground lights stationary, to one side of the room.

To create an ambient low light atmosphere through out the room.

I was planning to bounce two Kino Flo 4x4 Banks off the walls, but since the walls aren't reflective bounce the kino's off foam core from the ceiling corner or just aim both Kinos at the scene from up high?

 

Or should i light a 1k arri through a 24x36 silk to create a broader softer light source?

 

As a key light I want dramatic directional lighting, slightly harsh. But with some fill so the shadows aren't jet black, and try to get the shadow edges a little feathered.

 

For closeups Im thinking to use a 1k arri as a key 7ft high at a 45 degree angle with a 650w arri diffused from the barn doors as fill on the other side. And to move these two lights as needed and flood them out for lager groups off people.

 

 

Any insight or opinions would be most helpful.

 

* I have included a photo for reference of the room, on shooting day the room will be empty and darked out.

 

 

Cheers,

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The photo (and/or link) doesn't show, at least for me.

 

Everyone will define "gritty realism" in their own way. If it were me, (and bear in mind you told us nothing of the story or the action in the space) I would probably use the Fresnels for the background (maybe floor mounted shooting up/across the walls), the open face as a back/rim/kicker, and one Kino as a key. I'd save the other Kino for the just-in-case stuff.

 

But again, this assumes that serves the story. And there are myriad ways to juggle that gear.

 

-j

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Hi Jeff,

 

I guess there are a 1000 ways to skin a cat, I thank you for your suggestion.

Your approach sounds like i good way to add drama to the background, via texture and shadow.

The interior is a punk gang hang out.

 

I tested a 1k arri at 45 degree angle med spot at 8ft high with a stop diffusion on a friend of mine.

With a kino as fill, on the right, and liked that look.

 

But I will need to find a way to light groups of people, without casting multiple shadow from two or three different light sources.

I suppose using the Kino as key will cast softer shadows.

 

Cheers,

Mike

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