Need some expert opinion on a commercial project

[charles leo panadan]

I was wondering if someone could help me out here . I have attached a reference images my director has sent me for a commercial . Because of budget restrictions my producer tells me he can only avail me 5 Kino 4 banks for the shoot . 

For the first shot , I'm thinking of edging 2 kinos from the subject's both sides and a key from front diffused and a bounce from bottom for the fill . 2 kinos on the background.

Second : Car thinking of blocking light from outside using black cloth on camera and rear side . A kino from outside to edge her (from top)and one from camera side as key . May be ND the lens to cut the lights from the window from her side.

Third : A ring light setup with tubes individually set up to create a square in front of the mirror and light up background as required

Final one : A kino bank over the head diffused and side lighting her for key with 2 Kino banks .

What do you think? Please drop in your valuable notes. 

[Jay Young]

You are going to fight ambient in the car, but its possible.

You are also going to need diffusion on the bottom left shot.

All of these can be done with the kinos.  Negative fill will be much needed on this.

[Stephen Sanchez]

I have some suggestions. A lot of this falls under personal preference.

Setup #1. This picture looks like a photo shoot. Many photographers tend to have a high key light to push shadows down. This looks like a big softbox up high. Two Kinos on key side through 6x6 half grid will work. This makes for a quite even soft square blob. 1/4 grid can be used if you want less wrap but I would break it with an opal to bleed the bulbs into a singular shape (for eye reflection and specular kicks). One Kino for back edge, either overhead on hair/shoulders or in kicker position, whichever your fancy. I'd employ a large fill, two 8x8 ultrabounces dead-hung will do, but I've gotten away with 4x8 cards clamped together or raised 4x8 cards with muslin extending them to the floor.  Of course, white cards for under chin if desired. Two kinos for BG on floor shooting up.

Setup #2. This shot may have been done with natural skylight for her face, but they added a light for her hair behind her seat. I believe you can see the reflection. Black around camera's window and the neighboring window to the right will do. The car's rear window depends on the car and if it looks good to you. It's an easy fix either way. Polarizer for hard sun kicks and reflections. You can also cut some reflections by black-taping areas of the dash that arent visible to camera. I honestly think a kino outside will do nothing. Offhand, I believe I've measured a Kino from 4 feet away at f8, and skylight at f36. So I think a Kino fixture will cut more skylight than it replaces. Inside, behind her seat a Kino might play, especially if the rear passenger window is tinted like in the picture. I've used a Litepanels Astra behind the seat like that before.

Setup #3. You're talking about building a vanity like this?

That is a great idea. Vanities are cool because you can unscrew bulbs to give shape to your subject on the fly (of course you have to frame out the dark bulbs). Beauty loves soft shadows, so be ready with some 2x3 cards to fly in for unexpected darker shadows.

Setup #4. I'd use two kinos overhead to represent the room lights, and space them away from talent. Perhaps with 250 clipped on each to enlargen the sources. Remember, you're lighting the room too and it exists beyond the frame. I'd suggest using at least a 4x4 diffusion frame for key. My go-to would be 250. Or go 6x6 half grid again if you can't get more gear. Fill with white or negative.

I hope this helps. 

[charles leo panadan]

On 10/24/2020 at 6:35 AM, Stephen Sanchez said:

I have some suggestions. A lot of this falls under personal preference.

Setup #1. This picture looks like a photo shoot. Many photographers tend to have a high key light to push shadows down. This looks like a big softbox up high. Two Kinos on key side through 6x6 half grid will work. This makes for a quite even soft square blob. 1/4 grid can be used if you want less wrap but I would break it with an opal to bleed the bulbs into a singular shape (for eye reflection and specular kicks). One Kino for back edge, either overhead on hair/shoulders or in kicker position, whichever your fancy. I'd employ a large fill, two 8x8 ultrabounces dead-hung will do, but I've gotten away with 4x8 cards clamped together or raised 4x8 cards with muslin extending them to the floor.  Of course, white cards for under chin if desired. Two kinos for BG on floor shooting up.

Setup #2. This shot may have been done with natural skylight for her face, but they added a light for her hair behind her seat. I believe you can see the reflection. Black around camera's window and the neighboring window to the right will do. The car's rear window depends on the car and if it looks good to you. It's an easy fix either way. Polarizer for hard sun kicks and reflections. You can also cut some reflections by black-taping areas of the dash that arent visible to camera. I honestly think a kino outside will do nothing. Offhand, I believe I've measured a Kino from 4 feet away at f8, and skylight at f36. So I think a Kino fixture will cut more skylight than it replaces. Inside, behind her seat a Kino might play, especially if the rear passenger window is tinted like in the picture. I've used a Litepanels Astra behind the seat like that before.

Setup #3. You're talking about building a vanity like this?

That is a great idea. Vanities are cool because you can unscrew bulbs to give shape to your subject on the fly (of course you have to frame out the dark bulbs). Beauty loves soft shadows, so be ready with some 2x3 cards to fly in for unexpected darker shadows.

Setup #4. I'd use two kinos overhead to represent the room lights, and space them away from talent. Perhaps with 250 clipped on each to enlargen the sources. Remember, you're lighting the room too and it exists beyond the frame. I'd suggest using at least a 4x4 diffusion frame for key. My go-to would be 250. Or go 6x6 half grid again if you can't get more gear. Fill with white or negative.

I hope this helps. 

thanks a lot ?