lighting in front of seamless

[Andrew Ramsay]

Hey there,

 

Looking for some advice on how best to light something similar to the screenshot attached. It will be two talking heads, not just one. Similar gray seamless background. I've attached a pic of how I hope it might work, but I would appreciate advice from people with more experience. If you had suggestions on types of lights, I would greatly appreciate that too.

 

Cheers,

 

Newbie

[David Mullen ASC]

That's basic 3-point lighting with an extra spot on the backdrop. The key light is high enough and flagged to reduce spill onto the seamless so it could be spot lit and fall-off on the sides.

 

But there are no rules here, you could so more of a single big soft side key that lights both the subject and the drop, like in many Irving Penn portraits.

https://irvingpenn.org/portraits/

[Andrew Ramsay]

Thanks for your quick reply David! If I may ask a follow up - if there were two people in shot instead of one, both looking down lens, would three point suffice? or would you run the risk of one person being too dominant? And lastly, for the spot on the background, does that need to be positioned above talent or below or doesn't matter?

 

Many thanks!

A

[David Mullen ASC]

If the two people are side-by-side, then one 3/4 frontal key light should work for both -- it helps if it is larger and farther away to be more even but if it is closer, you can use a net flag to feather the brightness down on the person closer to the light. This assumes they are both facing out to the camera, not facing each other.

 

If they are facing each other or keep turning from that 50/50 profile angle to face the camera now and then, you're better off with two backlights at cross angles, a "cross key", and then a frontal key or fill right over the camera lens, with a topper flag at minimum.

 

If it is a waist-up shot, then the spot on the drop can be on the floor behind them pointed up, but if it is a wider shot, that won't work, you'd have to arm it out and make it a top light pointed down or have it come from one side but behind the subjects.

 

The key to all of this are solid flags, net flags, and black wrap to control the spill.

[Andrew Ramsay]

Thanks so much!

[Andrew Ramsay]

David, if you'd permit me two quick follow up questions -

 

There will be a little back and forth between the two subjects, but most of it will be out to camera. We are considering having a C camera (same position as cam B but on the other side of camera A) - so we'd end up with B cam capturing an MCU of talent B, and C cam capturing an MCU of talent A. How would this effect the lighting set up?

 

And the other question is (off topic in lighting, but I saw that you're a cinematographer) - if we add this C camera are we safe re the 180 degree rule? e.g even though most of the talking is straight down the camera is the 'line' still established between two subjects rather than subjects and camera?

 

Your info is very helpful, thank you very much.

 

Andy

[David Mullen ASC]

Its a bit dangerous to have three cameras running for moments where they are supposed to address the camera they can only look into one lens after all. I dont see any 180 degree line issues.