How to get rid of these shadows

[j buison]

Is there any way to remove these shadows. Do I need to light up the wall?

[Bill DiPietra]

Are you talking about removing them in post?

[j buison]

No. When I shoot it.

[Bill DiPietra]

Just move the light to the right so that the shadow will be out of frame. Right now, it looks like the light is positioned in front of the subject on the left side, which is why you're getting the shadow.

[Justin McAleece]

You wouldn't really notice the shadow if the light you were using was more diffused or a "softer" source. The shadows could basically disappear if the light were soft enough.

[Mike Bao]

Pull the bed away from the wall. This way if you put it high and at an angle you can flag it off the wall,while his key remains intact.

[j buison]

Yea I had a led light on top of my camera and pointed a little to right of his. So the best choice is to get another light and light the right side? Thanks fellas

[David Mullen ASC]

Filling in the shadow with more light will work OK, but it is probably the least favorable way to get rid of a shadow (and will only reduce it), especially if it means hitting the subject from two sides with lights of equal intensity.

 

Lighting the white screen up separately to wash-out any shadows is also a solution but a poor one, creating a bright background behind the actor.

 

You're better off using a larger softer light that produces a softer shadow, and/or raising the light higher so that you can use a topper flag on it, this way the shadow mainly falls behind and below the actor into that dark blue curtain area and the flag cuts the light off of the white screen.

 

Or if it's only the fill creating that shadow, at least get it right over the lens so that the actor's shadow falls right behind them rather than to one side of them. And use a bigger softer fill.

 

And pull the subjects farther from that wall.

[j buison]

Thanks David, I appreciate your help.