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Lighting a Boxing scene


Robert Chuck

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I was recently asked to help shoot a few reenactment boxing sequences for a documentary and was wondering if I could pick some of your brains. After studying a few film scenes and actual boxing and MMA events, I think that a fairly strong (but soft?) top light and some harder sources that can dance around the subjects as a back light would be the simplest approach.

Since I think this will be done on a 'modest' budget, I thought maybe some 4ft quasars through a magic cloth or silk for the top light, and like source 4s or pars for the back lights. I feel like I might be missing something, but I also do like to keep things simple.

Does anyone have any insight on how to light a scene like this, or perhaps any recommendations as far units or approach? Or even references that I could research? So far, I've referenced Ali, Raging Bull and some of the reenactment footage from the Dark Side of the Ring docu-series. 

Any kind if advice would be greatly appreciated, 

RC



 

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9 hours ago, Robert Chuck said:

I was recently asked to help shoot a few reenactment boxing sequences for a documentary and was wondering if I could pick some of your brains. After studying a few film scenes and actual boxing and MMA events, I think that a fairly strong (but soft?) top light and some harder sources that can dance around the subjects as a back light would be the simplest approach.

Since I think this will be done on a 'modest' budget, I thought maybe some 4ft quasars through a magic cloth or silk for the top light, and like source 4s or pars for the back lights. I feel like I might be missing something, but I also do like to keep things simple.

Does anyone have any insight on how to light a scene like this, or perhaps any recommendations as far units or approach? Or even references that I could research? So far, I've referenced Ali, Raging Bull and some of the reenactment footage from the Dark Side of the Ring docu-series. 

Any kind if advice would be greatly appreciated, 

RC



 


I think the common soft toplit look is usually for practicality. Yes it looks good, but it’s not the most dramatic look. But it does allow you to shoot 360 which can be important when you have to shoot a lot of coverage in continuity and make your days. 

There’s also the realism aspect. If you look at real boxing matches, they are also top-lit so the audience can clearly see what’s going on.

I would only say, don’t forget that it’s the final image that counts in the end. Simplicity and efficiency are great and make the crew (and often the producer) happy. But it can also be a trap that keeps you from going for the most interesting or appropriate images for the story. If you look at ‘Raging Bull’ there are moments when the top lights fade out and the lighting goes very dark and sculptural, when you get inside Jake La Motta’s head. 

So don’t forget that you’re not just a technician, but also an artist. Go for great images first, and don’t let your work be ruled by what is easy. 

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One variation of the soft top light look that might be good is to create a hot top light along each side of a square over the ring, or light the diffusion with rows of bright lights so that you can shift the top light in closer shots so that it is more of a top/back light, then overexpose so that the shadows open up.  In other words, maybe you create a grid of pars pointed down in a 3x3 pattern (9 total) and use them all on for the wide shots but turn off the row nearest camera in the close-ups so that there is more top light upstage and the foreground falls off more. Or basically have a rectangular soft box for each side over the ropes or just beyond pointed inwards as a backlight for each direction. And then maybe a soft box for the center for the wide shots.  I'm thinking of "Ali" and how the hot top light was a bit from the back and the face was filled by the bounce off of the floor.

 

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