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Claudio Miranda


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There is beautiful work from Claudio. Can anyone tell me how and what the background lights that shine into camera near the end (also used a little on the missy video) were done and also the top light in the scenes entering the second room - past the bouncers and the red curtain

 

Claudio Video

 

I am looking at details on what lights and what strength they were - since I have been asked for something similar. I am assuming they are fresnels with an op shinning them into lens - are they fresnels. spot or flood and what strength

 

On a similar vein there are some outside paparazzi scenes in this video that are nicely lit - any idea on the lights (right near the beginning)

 

Rob Thomas

It is the shot of him from the back with his hands on his ears. I assume 2 very high back kickers from a kino or book light?

 

 

thanks

 

Rolfe

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To me they look like beam projectors. It is an old Hollywood light that some have rediscovered in the last 10 years (well at least thats when I first saw one) Mole started making a modern version about 5 years ago or so and produce them in the 2k, 5k, and I think in the ten or twenty K variety.

 

There is no fresnel. Just clear glass with a concave mirrored surface, that can easily be broken if dropped. It is basically a tugsten spot light type beam.

 

But in the video there is more to it. There is smoke in there on the set and if you increase your contrast in the transfer room, it'll blow out as you see in the final piece.

 

Great video. Nice production design

 

Best

 

Tim

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I couldn't see that streaming video yesterday.

 

It could be as simple as a 4x8 bounce board (poly) goal posted on a pipe and hit with lights from the ground. Or it may be a 8x8 or 12x12.

 

The hard way, depending on the production, money, cameraman, could be a lift with a large light direct through a large frame.

 

I'm sure you get the point. It is a large soft source.

 

I doubt it was kinos unless it was a few image 80's hanging on the pipe or a blanket light. But I would bet the first scenario as hitting a bounce form the ground with tungsten would be easier than lifts or hanging lights or building a blanket light and hanging it. Unless the production had money.

 

Tim

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Thanks very much for the reply Tim. I need to play around with smoke and crunching it out in TK. It is a great look, Any other advice on how to keep the foreground control, also I note the warmth. Is this half CTO on the key lights

 

thanks

 

Rolfe

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Hey Rolfe,

 

Glad to help.

 

Talk to your favorite colorist before your next shoot. Perhaps you can get an idea about how much smoke is too little, not enough, or just right for your next shoot.

 

About the warm look, It could be about 1/2 CTO but I don't think it is quite that warm, or it could be something else. Perhaps a quarter CTO and the colorist did the rest for most of it. But what I did seem to notice was I thought they were using a hanging Chinese lantern perhaps off a boom pole next to the actors/musicians faces in the close ups. I mean it looks like it was right up against their heads or right behind them, but the bulbs inside were dimmed way down. No need for half orange then. But also in one shot I saw what I though was a lantern behind them, but the light was panned off like it was a fresnel dimmed way down too. It moved too smooth to be a hand held lantern. But it was pointed right at the camera and again no need for gel.

 

The ideas go flying all over the place on a music video but as long as they keep the final look in mind, it may be color on the lens, color on the lights, or color from a dimmer.

 

Take a look again and see if you agree.

 

By the way, I have never shot an anamorphic film, but wouldn't the horizonatl blue streaks suggest it was shot in scope with scope lenses and not S35 with spherical lenses?

 

Best

 

Tim

 

PS I am not sure what you mean by foreground control. In the close ups? Wide?

Edited by heel_e
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The foreground issue - is about keeping it cleaner (less smoke) close to the camera. Here in the UK we have theatre smoke that for some reason is illegal in the US - but it is very controllable (not sure of the details but I will speak to one of my theatre Stage Managers)

 

Yeap - it looks like ti was shot on Primos or maybe one of the older glass types (E series?)

 

Using smoke as localized scene diffusion is an interesting idea - so "even" smoke in the background, less smoke foreground, smoothing make up on talent, , dark textured art direction with swinging Chinese Lanterns and heavy kickers then some CU's (ringlite on the camera) with no smoke against texture... (mix it up in a pot with some great TK) Mmmm think I just figured out the current

MTV | BET look

 

Which means in 2 weeks it will all switch back to handheld gritty realism or 40's nostalgia :)

 

thanks

 

Rolfe

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The lights in the background on the JC Chazes video are 5k beam projectors. Most of the other lights are sometimes called "Covered Wagons" . These lights are very cheap to make and are great to use. I stole the idea from Harris Savides when I gaffed "The Game" with him. We used these lights everywhere. Basically it is about 6' long with about 6 porcelin sockets on a strip surround in chicken wire with bleached muslin on the outside. The bulbs can be anything you want. On JC we mainly use ECT's and ECA's. I used them because they are right for the job and not because of budget issues. Some people think they are like Kino's, but I think they have a much better quality. I also used an old fashioned scoup light with a 1000w globe. The parimeter was lit with MR16 cyc strips on dimmers. We shot with E-Series anamorphic lenses.

 

On Missy Elliot, there were 5k beam projectors in the background. Both of the videos used some smoke pumping in from the background. Shot with anamorphic C-Series lenes

 

Beam projectors go all the way up to 20K in tungsten and 12K (maybe 18K) in HMI. I personally love the tungsten. All of the top light shining throught the water in the underwater tennis (Pocari) is made up of tungsten beam projectors.

 

There is some information on my site.

 

http//:www.claudiomiranda.com

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I did a quick drawing of the "covered wagons" - do they look like this? - do you neg fill the sides?

 

harris.JPG

 

thanks

 

Rolfe

 

 

That is pretty much how they look. I muss the whole lamp and add black duvateen or black wrap to cover what I do not need, shape the light and/or kill the intensity.

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Hey Claudio,

 

How are you? I worked on the music video Erotica for Madonna way back when that you had gaffed. And I worked a day on a Wachovia commericial you shot. The one with a couple in elegant black tie and dress canoeing to a house on a lake for a party.

 

Really nice looking video in th JC piece.

 

Wondering if you could answer the question about warmth in it? How did you approach it, what did you do and how much did the colorist contribute?

 

Could you breiefly explain the difference between and e series and c series ananmprphic lens?

 

Ah just one more..In the close ups did you use a chinese lantern, shoot into a fresnel lamp dimmed down, or just use the covered wagon?

 

Thanks for the time.

 

Tim Healy

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  • 1 month later...

I put together one of these units and it got very hot. I was wondering if anyone could tell me the true dimensions of the unit. I think maybe I have the chicken wire too close to the ECT bulbs. The muslin starts to discolor (brown) and begins to smell a bit. I guess from what I have gathered over a 6? length you put 6 porcelain sockets on the 1? x 3? (wood), but how much chicken wire is needed? How far away should it be? With the entire thing covered with muslin then slightly skirted with duve it is like a little oven in there because the heat can not escape. Any tips for a safer second attempt would be welcome. If some one could break down the size spec of a safe unit that?s really all I am looking for.

 

Skot Blank

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Hey Claudio,

 

A few questions if you have the time..

 

How did you get the eerie blue/green 'look' of A Perfect Circle's video?

Any info on the lighting, filtration, exposure and stocks used on that shoot will be tremendously appreciated.

 

Your work is incredible - especially the lighting, imo. Did you come from another artistic background or was cinematography your first love?

 

-Jonathan

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  • 1 year later...

I am also curious as to as to safe dimensions for the covered wagon. I also asume the muslin should be fireproofed?

 

I put together one of these units and it got very hot. I was wondering if anyone could tell me the true dimensions of the unit. I think maybe I have the chicken wire too close to the ECT bulbs. The muslin starts to discolor (brown) and begins to smell a bit. I guess from what I have gathered over a 6? length you put 6 porcelain sockets on the 1? x 3? (wood), but how much chicken wire is needed? How far away should it be? With the entire thing covered with muslin then slightly skirted with duve it is like a little oven in there because the heat can not escape. Any tips for a safer second attempt would be welcome. If some one could break down the size spec of a safe unit that?s really all I am looking for.

 

Skot Blank

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