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"Eternal Sunshine" spotlight


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I'm working on an HD short, and the director wants the camera-mounted spotlight look Ellen Kuras did in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". I'm wondering what kind of light I should rig to the camera. In the film, the light is very hard and "spotty"...I doubt there was much/any diffusion. It must have also been pretty bright--they shot 500-ASA, but the faces are often pretty blown-out. In an article, Ellen Kuras said she used sodium & mercury vapor lights...I think this was just to balance temperature to streetlights, though.

 

Many thanks for any suggestions/leads.

Justin

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I'm working on an HD short, and the director wants the camera-mounted spotlight look Ellen Kuras did in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".  I'm wondering what kind of light I should rig to the camera.  In the film, the light is very hard and "spotty"...I doubt there was much/any diffusion.  It must have also been pretty bright--they shot 500-ASA, but the faces are often pretty blown-out.  In an article, Ellen Kuras said she used sodium & mercury vapor lights...I think this was just to balance temperature to streetlights, though. 

 

Many thanks for any suggestions/leads.

Justin

I don't know what they used particularly, but every news cameraman in the world carries one of those lights in their kit. Something like an Anton-Bauer Sungun. Mounts to the spud atop the camera and is powered by an AB battery.

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I'm working on an HD short, and the director wants the camera-mounted spotlight look Ellen Kuras did in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".  I'm wondering what kind of light I should rig to the camera.  In the film, the light is very hard and "spotty"...I doubt there was much/any diffusion.  It must have also been pretty bright--they shot 500-ASA, but the faces are often pretty blown-out.  In an article, Ellen Kuras said she used sodium & mercury vapor lights...I think this was just to balance temperature to streetlights, though. 

 

Many thanks for any suggestions/leads.

Justin

 

 

OOOPPPSS!!

Don't go with a news camera-light on camera!

One thing you can do, is to use a theatrical light or a fresnel light, let's say 1k, above your camera, and if you want the spot light effect the cut a circle on a cardboard, and place it away from your source. you can have the circle focused or diffused by moving the cardboard close to the light source for softenning edges, or away to make it more visible.

In case that the actor is moving a lot use the same technigue with a 500W fresnel on camera, but with the cardboard ahead of it.

I bet you can find a way to rig it to where u want.

Dimitrios Koukas

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OOOPPPSS!!

Don't go with a news camera-light on camera!

One thing you can do, is to use a theatrical light or a fresnel light, let's say 1k, above your camera, and if you want the spot light effect the cut a circle on a cardboard, and place it away from your source. you can have the circle focused or diffused by moving the cardboard close to the light source for softenning edges, or away to make it more visible.

In case that the actor is moving a lot use the same technigue with a 500W fresnel on camera, but with the cardboard ahead of it.

I bet you can find a way to rig it to where u want.

Dimitrios Koukas

Yeah, That sounds ALOT easier than what I suggested.

 

Seriously, why turn something simple into a pain in the @ss?

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I'd use a standard spotlight (clamp-light) attached to the camera, and use a snoot.

 

Sounds cool.

The problem with all this, is that when u have to follow the subject in a room it's quiet annoying, either ways, my way too.

Other thing u can do is having her holding her spotlight everywhere she goes!

Just jokin.

Dimitrios Koukas

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it's been a while since i saw the film, but it seemed like the spolight source wasn't directly above the camera, was it? at least a few feet up and to one side in most of these shots? maybe i'm wrong, just a sugegstion. i'd probably do it that way and i think it would look more like a spotlight too since it would cast a visible shadow.

 

/matt

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it's been a while since i saw the film, but it seemed like the spolight source wasn't directly above the camera, was it? at least a few feet up and to one side in most of these shots? maybe i'm wrong, just a sugegstion. i'd probably do it that way and i think it would look more like a spotlight too since it would cast a visible shadow.

 

/matt

Mattias.

I am out of subject here,

I have just visited your site, very nice trailer, How long is the movie?

Dimitrios Koukas

u can msn me at DimitriosPilot@msn.com

Edited by Dimitrios Koukas
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thanks. the film is 14 minutes. i guess i should mention that on the site since a lot of people think it's a feature. (or maybe that's cool?) ;-)

 

since this is a cinematography site i should probably mention that i directed it but didn't shoot it. johan nordström did. check out his link on the site.

 

sorry if we're hijacking the thread. back to the spotlight thing; i'd be very interested in more opinions on that.

 

/matt

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