Creating beams of light through venetian blinds

[Alan John Torres]

Hey Everyone,

 

I am shooting a short this weekend and there is a scene in a restaurant where the location's venetian blinds are closed. I want there to be beams of light pouring in through the blinds. My plan is to fill the room with a light layer of haze motivated by the burning food in the restaurant to help show the beams of light. I am getting a couple 1200w HMIs which I will shine straight into the blinds but I have never used HMI lighting before and I am unsure whether I should order fresnel HMIs or PAR HMIs for this task. Which would be a better choice to give me even and crisp beams?

 

Best,

Alan

[Brian Drysdale]

Usually the crisp even beams are a product of the distance of the light from the window. I'd tend to go for one big light, rather than two smaller ones, although in the US you are limited in how much power you can use.

[Stuart Brereton]

Use either a fresnel HMI or a PAR with a fresnel lens. If the budget will stretch to it, get an Arri M18 instead of a 1.2kw

[Alan John Torres]

Thanks for the tips. I ended up ordering 3 1.2Kw fresnel HMIs. My original plan was to get 2 M18s but it was way out of the budget. I felt like I will have better luck achieving my desired effect with multiple units since I need to flood the room with the light beams from multiple sides of the building. Wish me luck.