Is this lighting possible?

[appleguy]

Hi all,

I would like to pull off some unique lighting idea for a project I saw something similar on another project.
Basically it involves using a light of somekind to create a narrow beam of light that has as little feathering across as possible and can be used to flash over a car.
As though the light was a beam around three to four inches across and as long as the shot requires so we can see it 'scan' over surfaces.
The image I found is this.



Someone I know suggested that it be done with two passes and using a mask to cut from light to dark but I don't see why this couldn't be a simple practical lighting effect which would make the days shoot far easier to control.
It would be great to hear from you all.

[Pickthorne]

Elipsoidal reflector spotlight...like a Source 4 by ETC. They make them in HMI and traditional incandecent. ERS's are basically slide projectors and the beam can be shaped into a sliver using the shutters situated at the gate within the fixture, no external flags or doors, making it easy to pan and tilt about. The edge can be as hard or as soft as you'd like.

My theatre might be showing here...and I am without formal film lighting training/experience so take what I say with that in mind.

[David W. Jones]

Source 4, Dedolight, tight snoot on a Fresnel, pair of holes in a piece of foam core, there are a number of ways to do his. What lighting instruments do you have at your disposal?

[Shooter]

To see (photograph) a beam of light.... it needs to have an "atmosphere" eg fog, dust, smoke..

Photographing a car (shapes and surfaces) is all about the reflection of light. What you see in the surfaces is the reflections of the light sources (and anything else you have not controlled)

Aiming a sharp light at a car will not achieve the effect shown.

[appleguy]

I don't want to see the beam in space, I want to see it hitting an object so simply put instead of aiming a spotlight at a car and getting a spot of light on the bodywork i want it to be a thin line of light that can move across the bodywork and something I can move around over the body of the car.

Kit wise we're renting lights in so whatever you guys can suggest really.
Pickthorne someone else suggested something similar a source 4 Leko, you could be onto something there.

cheers

[Shooter]

You will need to devise a way to see a reflection of your " thin line of light" and then devise a way to make it move.

ie ..you need to see the source of the "thin line of light".

If you choose the Source 4s....what would you project them onto? Black screen, grey screen, white screen. None of them work as a screen or as a reflection.

BTW - your source and screen need to be massive to cover the lens like contours of the car surfaces.

[legrevedotcom]

I reckon you'd use a softbox (or Chimera in the video world) that is only strong enough to produce a reflection. A strip light with build in "barndoors". Put it on a boom... pan the boom over the car to ge the reflection.
Then at a seperate angle but from the same direction, aim a Source 4 at the same area panning at the same speed.

The softbox would generate the reflection but not enough light to light the car and the source 4 would generate the light.

Disclaimer, I have no idea if this will work... it does inside my head hehe.

[Shooter]

It wont work.

This is an indicator of the kind of scale of a soft box required to photograph a car because of the curves and contures involved

A car is a mirror of its surrounds. You photograph the reflections. (Actually thats the same with most objects except a car is also ...shiny). The reflections are the light sources..and anything else that is not masked. eg the studio grid an d the light stands, and the crew... etc....

http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?q=lig...YuoGQDA&zoom=1

[Marc Villafan]

Shooter is right. You do need large sources.

Here is something that was on the smaller scale, a test really, though, it demonstrates the point of how large the sources are when compared to a single fixture to create seamless reflections. Rather than small specular dots.
But this wasn't a perfect setup by any means. Because, even those platypus clamps will likely be visible in the giant wide angle lens that is the surface of a car. Even a large toplight silk/whatever you choose to use will have to be completely seamless.

And of course, every car is different. Which is definitely part of the beauty, and challenge of displaying the cars personality and shape in a fitting manner on screen.

IMG_1333.jpg

[legrevedotcom]

Wauw... I love the amount of effort that goes into car photography! Amazing info the last two posts...