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    need assistance for lighting a certain shot...

    Backstory: doing a music video next weekend - shooting on DV-- the end. lol

    Anyway, I want to get a master scene shot / establishing shot of the band and I will only have 2 lights
    ( 2 - Britek 1000w lamps with barn doors and softboxes )

    So for this one shot the band layout will probably be like this or very close to this:




    Where could I postition the lights to get a good effect? I want some shadows/ depth to the frame.... and i know that lighting is somewhat personal opinion too....

    Maybe just put the two lights at key positions on both sides. and just use the barn doors on one light and the other a diffuser? I guess ultimately its' up to me... I guess I'm just looking for some ideas...

    Anyone have any good ideas?
    www.black-list.cc

    #2
    well, you are not going to get very distinctive shadows using softboxes.

    I will try to think of something and post back in a few hours.

    it will be tough considering you only have two lights of the same wattage, is there any way you can get your hands on more, or rent?

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      #3
      Eh not really, I'm tapped out of $$$. I'm just trying to think of the best way to light them with two lights ( same wattage ) like that. Maybe I could get one light up higher or as high as possbiel from a backlight position and get some hard light on them that way... then use a diffuser on another light as kinda like a fill light. Or no... I'm not sure if there are any rules to abide by when lighting, but lol, i'm kind of a ' go against the rules type of guy '. If they say it can't be done I'm the first to try to prove them wrong.
      www.black-list.cc

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        #4
        BOUNCE CARDS!!! I'd either position one behind & above directed backwards at a large & slightly bent (to flood/spread the light) bounce card, and doing something similar with the one in the front, off to the side some for some interesting shadows.

        OR, put both lights at 25-45 degrees off from the front center, with some bright reflective surfaces above & behind the band to get a little backlighting going on.

        Neither way is going to get you as good lighting as you'd get with a 3 or 4+ point light set up, but I think bouncing the light is your only savior in this case with just the two that you have.

        TIS the season, so see if you can get some Christmas lights/ropes to run along the ground around them ... could give some interesting/cool shadows around their faces, etc. & add some extra light for each individual. Who knows, if it looks cool enough (and if they're bright enough ... try to find outdoor ones), it could be your master lighting because of the look, then diffuse your 1K lights for some light fill & backlighting.
        Norm Sanders
        Director/Producer/Editor/Writer/Blah Blah Blah


        *click titles to view*
        "Meat Market" - Comedy - (Completed - DVD available)
        "The Indispensable Chaucer" - Comedy - 5 min - FINALIST in DVXuser's BetrayalFest
        "Berlin" - Dramatic Period Thriller - 15 min (WINNER - Best Historical Film at Route 66 FilmFest ... nominated for BEST SCORE, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST ART DIRECTION at AOF Fest)

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          #5
          ooo nice ideas
          www.black-list.cc

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            #6
            They may SOUND nice, but it's all about the actual application & result. Let me know how it turns out, as I'm curious to see if they work in your situation. Either way, hope it helps some.
            Norm Sanders
            Director/Producer/Editor/Writer/Blah Blah Blah


            *click titles to view*
            "Meat Market" - Comedy - (Completed - DVD available)
            "The Indispensable Chaucer" - Comedy - 5 min - FINALIST in DVXuser's BetrayalFest
            "Berlin" - Dramatic Period Thriller - 15 min (WINNER - Best Historical Film at Route 66 FilmFest ... nominated for BEST SCORE, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST ART DIRECTION at AOF Fest)

            Comment


              #7
              I'd try one light in a line behind and above the drummer and keyboard, the other light in a line behind and above the drummer and the bass, one of the two you can cut slightly, maybe a shower curtain or something. Then use three bounce cards in front to attempt a soft front with shadows. You will have shadows in about 90 degrees off of each other from the back lights and if you work the bounce cards right you'll have soft lighting with shadows on the front of the band. Another cool thing you can try is geling the bounce cards for some differing color effects, or using gold and silver bounce if you have them. The problem is you have so little light to work with I don't know if it'll be strong enough.

              The other setup as envision said is to set up a typicl Key and Fill and try to bounce your backlight.

              Either way good luck with it.

              Comment


                #8
                ...or just buy some home depot lights on a credit card and return them after the shoot for "not working out".

                How shady, I know, but in the guerilla world....
                www.kylestauffer.com

                Comment


                  #9
                  Well it was snowing up in Green Bay and everywhere around there for that matter.

                  So I had to bust out the guerrilla filmmaking tactics lol. So, I had only one light, just a few hours to setup and shoot, plans were changing by the minute so I couldn't keep a shot list. It was crazy anyway, finished day 1 of shooting with the band.

                  Here's a link to some early on grabs just to see what works and what doesn't , color correction..etc....so color and things aren't consistent. The shots are just from the first 10 minutes of what i shot.

                  http://www.reflexive-cinematics.com/SalvaMe.html

                  Day two will be on December 17th in Beloit. Where we will have a crowd /extras so that will work out nice. Then we might use part of another day to get some pick up shots and what not. So I'd say the finished product will probably be ready by the end of the month.
                  www.black-list.cc

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Hopefully you're shooting against a dark backrop.

                    Bounce one light without the softbox off the ceiling for ambient fill and use the other as a key from right of camera at high angle. Don't use the softbox on the key either, use the doors to slupt the light and keep it off your walls.

                    then try and find every small practal you can and use black wrap and gels to throw some life and color onto the set. Small desk lamps can work great, often u can just put in colored bulbs instead of gelling.

                    you can buy very cheap small flos and par20 cans for effect lighting in scenes like these.

                    You can use a table lamp without the shade but backwrap on the back side and set it right behind the drummer for a backlight. 100watt or more bulb. If you do multiple takes you can move backlights so they don't show when the camera moves. I recommend a static master shot with a backlight behind everyone, then tweak the light locations as you go in for the tighter shots.

                    Have fun

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                      #11
                      Forget lighting, focus on the Girl and no one will notice bad lighting...
                      Also, zoom out a little!

                      A.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by a2zproductions
                        Forget lighting, focus on the Girl and no one will notice bad lighting...
                        Also, zoom out a little!

                        A.
                        yeah... right? she is a really cool girl too. But yeah i have more shots than that I just posted a few for now... so people can see the Letus35 being used.



                        60i BIATCH!!

                        www.black-list.cc

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                          #13
                          Just took a look at your grabs: the babe is too hot, light wise, not looks wise.

                          this can be be resolved with a strip of ND just covering her zone to balance her light out with the falloff of the rear characters.

                          not sure if you've played with warming it yet, not much but just slightly.

                          do you any diff on the lights?

                          Comment


                            #14
                            yeah, it was difficult to do. The exposure was set on manual but I often switch it to auto then back to manual to set it but for some reason it kept setting it too high. I will try to resolve it in post a bit.. but yeah i know that the light is a little heavy. the light was a 1000w and yes it was already diffused. I since those grabs are just a small part of the video I thought even though it was a little hot at times this might work artistically for the few shots when it's all put together. Haven't really played with teh color too much just threw a plug in on them.

                            It's a learning experience for me and really, i mean, it's the first thing i've done with a purpose.
                            www.black-list.cc

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