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Learning to Light for Every Situation


Stephen Selby

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It seems that a DOP needs to learn to light for every situation and then tweak those according to script and specific locations. Though not exhuastive I have listed the situations in which one should practice lighting. Can you think of others that are good to practice?

 

DAY

Interiors room dramatic. Hard sunlight through windows with possibly a little fill.

Interiors room soft. Huge softbox outside window with a little fill inside room if necessary.

Interiors car and transports dramatic. Hard sunlight through windows with possibly a little fill.

Interiors car and transports soft. Huge softbox outside window with a little fill if necessary.

 

Exterior dramatic. Hard sunlight with some bounce fill for close ups - or recreate use mega HMI

Exterior soft. Cloudy day - or recreate use mega HMI and huge diffussion screen

Exterior Contre-jour.*

Exterior underwater.*

 

Exterior to Interior or vice versa** - Doorways mixing 2 of the above

 

SUNSET/SUNRISE

Pretty much the same as above but with lower sun and lower kelvin temperature.

 

NIGHT

Interior Dramatic* - such as a prison door opening.

Interior Cosy - Practical lamps

Interior Clinical - Strips Lights

Interior Watching TVs

Interior Candle scenes

Interior Torches* (i.e. caves, breaking into a house etc.)

Interior Moonlight coming in from outside

Interior Streetlight coming in from outside

Interior Car Headlights coming in from outside

Interior Fires

Interior Oil Lamps

Interior Storm Outside*

Interior Car

Interior Party - disco lights.

 

Exterior Moonlight

Exterior Streetlights

Exterior Car Headlights

Exterior Fires

Exterior Candles

Exterior Torches*

Exterior Storms*

Exterior Underwater*

 

Exterior to Interior or vice versa** - Doorways mixing 2 of the above

 

SPECIAL SITUATIONS

Greenscreen*

Rear projection*

Front projection*

Smoke*

Snow*

Rain*

 

I've starred some of them which I think are in particular the most difficult and need more practice on. Personally I find doorways extremely difficult especially when the exposures are different either side of the door and lighting is different e.g. walking from moonlight outside into cosy warm lit interior. Perhaps one should avoid opening doors in movies - have the character walk up to a house in the moonlight and cut as one puts the hand on the door handle to inside and hanging up a coat? Are there any movies or behind the scenes that you recommend watching for door and lighting transitions? Close-ups are not too bad it is the masters that are hard to shoot.

 

I find torch scenes at night quite difficult because if you over crank the moonlight the torches light seems a little dim. Perhaps I need to use some 320 lumen flashlights and a bit of smoke. Though trying to get an even coverage of smoke is very tricky - amost need black garden sprinklers or tubing everywhere in a scene without it showing.

 

 

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