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Alternate solutions to hanging up lights


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How would you guys hang up lights, or light the scene really... in the hallways pictured without getting stands in the way? The ceiling is about 10 ft high and the hallway is about 5 ft wide.

 

The idea is to make the space look like it is underground, so we'd be blocking out all the sunlight from the windows.

 

I have 2x 2Ks, 2x 1Ks, 2 650s, and 2x 4 Bank Kinos. All tungsten lamps.

 

There will be 2 actors going back and forth through both hallways.

 

IMG_4097_zps9c2d6ac5.jpg

 

Cheers,

Jared Bedrejo

Edited by Jared Bedrejo
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There are two problems: lighting the hallways and lighting the people. I don't see much of a problem with the first. The left hallway photo looks like an underground hallway, except perhaps for the opening. Options for lighting the people: 1. Light from the doorways they are coming into/out of. 2. Put one or more light stands just before the people in the hall. 3. Put a Chinaball on a boompole, and have someone move it to match the actors. 4. try bouncing some light down the hallway. You might get lucky. This is one of those situations where you learn what to do by trying it.

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If you can add a wall sconce or ceiling fixture where you need it, then that would be a good idea, the challenge being mounting the fixture and powering it. Sometimes you have no choice but to run thin zip cords along the ceiling with neat white tape over it. Or find LED fixtures that can be battery powered. You can also hide a rig sometimes by adding a fake header beam in the hallway, made neatly out of foamcore or heavy card or lightweight wood. If the ceiling is off-camera then obviously it is easy to hang a paper lantern or do a ceiling bounce, etc.

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This is one of those classic problems we as DP's run into all the time. The production wants a corridor or hallway that's convenient, but there is no way to light it. In my opinion, it is best to find a location that has the lights and look you need somewhat in place and fight for that. Easier to add to existing, or swap some fluorescents around than building it from scratch. Hanging lights that look like they belong (art department etc), hiding wiring and pre-rigging becomes a big deal, big money thing real quick.

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Wall spreaders may help. But they'll need to remain out-of-shot, and in many domestic premises the ceilings are low enough that you can have significant difficulty finding a light that's low-profile enough to remain easily out of shot by the time you've got the spreader in place. LEDs are a boon here since they are naturally low profile and can be battery-powered. Take care that the spreader doesn't leave a mark on the wall. Putting things in between the spreader and the wall may alleviate this, but take care that you don't end up using something low friction which can cause things to collapse. They may also collapse if overloaded.

 

I find corridors (especially white-walled ones) look better if you restrict light coming from installed fluorescents to aim more directly downward, rather than having it bounce off the walls and go everywhere. Sometimes this can be done with some black tape on the sides of the lamp (make sure you have something to clean the inevitable warm, sticky goo off afterward). You can do it with black or black-painted cardboard, too. Helps enormously. Whole corridor just falls off into black with pools of light in it, if you're careful and lucky. Take care you don't overhead the lights, or start a fire, though. There are also safety issues with working off a stepladder to install it.

 

P

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I ended up getting Polecats. They only fitted in the right hallway. So for the left hallway, I blocked out most of the sunlight by essentially making a box with flags and duvateen around the door then shot a Junior through the glass. Then I put a Baby in the room right before the centered door.

 

For the right hallway, I put up three polecats equally spread out through the hallway equipped with a 4 Bank Kino, and a Tweenie on the others.

 

We just shot it yesterday so I'll post results when it's finished!

 

Thanks for the help y'all.

 

Cheers,

Jared Bedrejo

 

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Edited by Jared Bedrejo
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