Looking for a practical/key to light this back alley

[Fausto Brusamolino]

Hi everyone,

 

I am new to lighting for filming, and I have been trying to find a solution for lighting this back alley. (photo attached)

The photo was taken during a site inspection and shows the existing lighting in the street, and approximately the angle of view and size of the shot.

 

I would like to find a practical (like a street light above the door or similar) that will light the door, there will be a person standing on the right hand side of the door, and would like to make the number 91 more visible.

 

The blue light at the back might be replaced with something else, but my main concern is what to add as practical. The light/s that we install will have to stay for about 3 weeks as this scene will be filmed several times.

 

I would love if the practical itself will serve as key light, without adding anything on the side of the street where the photo was taken..

 

Any tip to point me in the right direction will be appreciated!

 

[JD Hartman]

What/where is the light coming from now? Sodium streetlight diagonally across from the door? Or wall mounted security light accross the street? Will you want to completely replace the light and direction of the lighting? More toppy? More photos would have helped, can't take too many on a location scout.

[Stefano Stroppa]

A few personal opinions from my little experience:

- The strong blue light is up to you, depending on the type of film you’re shooting (so I guess such a blue might fit well in a sci-fi scene for instance), also if the scene requires the actor to open the door, would that blue light all come out, in that case overpowering the practical you placed above the door?

- What’s inside the door?

1. If that’s a sort of back entrance of a pub you can set up something like an LED emergency light? On the other hand if that's the main entrance of a pub you could place a red sign or something: this way you could really play with colors and contrast.

2. You could just hung a bare bulb with a shabby rain protection, that would fit that kind of place (just experiment with different sizes, types and colors)?

- Don’t use any practical and you can give the main actor a torch to play with it.

- I personally feel that this big street light off screen left (the existing lighting in the street) is somehow killing a little bit of contrast in the foreground, as if the wall is flatter than what you want it to be. And if you really want that practical above the door be the key light maybe you can diminish the intensity of that big source: if you can’t move it, you can wrap it with some NDs or kill it completely with a huge flag and replace it with a smaller fixture that would fill up a bit in case it'd be too dark. I guess the darker the alley the more powerful would be that practical you put above the door.

Can’t really say much with just a picture and knowing nothing about the story and the type of film you’re shooting, but I hope this can help you out and inspiring you at shaping your ideas and solutions on the matter :)

 

[charles pappas]

my idea: attached an image of a practical (or similar caged style fixture) that could be placed over or near the gray protrusion below the 91. battery powered if needed.

 

location looks great; self composes.

 

 

[Fausto Brusamolino]

Thanks everyone for your help and time!

 

What/where is the light coming from now? Sodium streetlight diagonally across from the door? Or wall mounted security light accross the street? Will you want to completely replace the light and direction of the lighting? More toppy? More photos would have helped, can't take too many on a location scout.

The light is coming from a sodium street light, coming from the opposite side of the street. We don't have the resources to block or gel that light, my intention at this stage is to leave that street light as it is, and add some lighting near the door. I totally agree with you that I should have taken more pictures, thanks for the reminder. I will be back there in few days and will investigate the situation a little better.

 

 

 

A few personal opinions from my little experience:

 

- The strong blue light is up to you, depending on the type of film you’re shooting (so I guess such a blue might fit well in a sci-fi scene for instance), also if the scene requires the actor to open the door, would that blue light all come out, in that case overpowering the practical you placed above the door?

 

- What’s inside the door?

1. If that’s a sort of back entrance of a pub you can set up something like an LED emergency light? On the other hand if that's the main entrance of a pub you could place a red sign or something: this way you could really play with colors and contrast.

2. You could just hung a bare bulb with a shabby rain protection, that would fit that kind of place (just experiment with different sizes, types and colors)?

 

- Don’t use any practical and you can give the main actor a torch to play with it.

 

- I personally feel that this big street light off screen left (the existing lighting in the street) is somehow killing a little bit of contrast in the foreground, as if the wall is flatter than what you want it to be. And if you really want that practical above the door be the key light maybe you can diminish the intensity of that big source: if you can’t move it, you can wrap it with some NDs or kill it completely with a huge flag and replace it with a smaller fixture that would fill up a bit in case it'd be too dark. I guess the darker the alley the more powerful would be that practical you put above the door.

 

 

Can’t really say much with just a picture and knowing nothing about the story and the type of film you’re shooting, but I hope this can help you out and inspiring you at shaping your ideas and solutions on the matter :)

 

Lots of good points here, thanks!

In terms of story, luckily there's a bit of freedom, and we are not too constrained by a specific time or style.

I like the LED emergency light idea, and the bare bulb with rain protection. Very true that the street light from the left is flattening everything, thanks for pointing that out.

 

my idea: attached an image of a practical (or similar caged style fixture) that could be placed over or near the gray protrusion below the 91. battery powered if needed.

 

location looks great; self composes.

 

 

I like this idea, thanks heaps for sharing, but I am concerned that having that type of light on the wall won't illuminate the person standing by the door the way I'd imagine.

 

 

Thanks again for all the inputs, will keep you posted, and will attach some pictures down the track if anyone is interested.