Color Temperature: Does it Really Matter with White Balance?

Jared Caldwell

Jared Caldwell

Active member
I know there are numerous articles on color temperature and wattages and all sorts of stuff (which I have made an honest effort to read extensively), but the question I have to ask is: does color temperature really matter?

For example, say I have a well lit scene within the dynamic range of the camera. I catch a lot of details because of my good lighting, but the colors are not what I want. As long as I adjust my white balance accordingly, does that mean I can change colors for mood and style in post?

James Cameron loves his blues. Fincher loves the greens at times (but mostly the darks). Say if I wanted to shoot scenes indoors, and wanted a "darker" look, after getting my lights set up and getting the contrast I want, does it really matter what color temperatures I use?

Thanks!
 
If you're lighting flat, a manual white balance will solve almost all color problems. If you're someone who likes to mix color temperatures, then things can get a little trickier (but still very possible).
 
It seems to me you do the same thing I do. I light a scene to my liking, do a manual white balance, and color correct in post.

My theory is I want the cleanest, most accurate capture possible. I would hate to adjust color in camera, let's say to green, and then decide later I don't like green. Certain colors are almost impossible to adjust, so I feel it's best to capture the best dynamic range and then you have a good original file to try anything you want in post.
 
Sweet. I am just pretty nervous about this film shoot. I have a pretty good bit of experience shooting music vids outside, but this is my first "biggie", and I want it to go as smooth as it possibly can. I think lighting and sound are going to be key in whether or not this film will be "believable" or not to the audience.
 
SexyPants said:
I think lighting and sound are going to be key in whether or not this film will be "believable" or not to the audience.
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That's pretty true of every film. If you pay attention to getting quality in those areas, you're in good shape.
 
Thanks, Horse

I am almost done with the script (going on vacation to finish it), so I think content will be pretty good, I am just trying to take every precaution to match the visuals with the content.

I am planning on shooting on a rented HVX200. I know that digital is not film, but I am hoping to capture good enough footage so that viewers will take the movie in a professional light.

Another question that may be more of an "Equipment" question, but do you have to do different things with lighting if you are using an M2 adapter?

Thanks again!
 
SexyPants said:
the question I have to ask is: does color temperature really matter?
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its really important for film, but we of coarse get the miracle of white balance. But the reason its important is in case you MIX your color temps. As you know, normal bulbs are orange and sunlight is blue, so white balance or not, if you have a window or sunlight in the shot, and assuming you're using more light than what comes through a window, normal lights will screw up ur shot.

And considering you can't change the color of the sun, you should pick up a gel pack with some CTBs, or probably even better, go to Home Depot and get some daylight fluorescents that screw into normal sockets. If you have a complete kit with 5600k lights, you never have to worry about it, and if your on location or doing doc work and there's a lamp or ceiling fixture you want in the shot, it takes thirty seconds to switch the bulbs. just bought some yesterday, they were i think $9 for a 3 pack
 
Cheesesailor77 said:
its really important for film, but we of coarse get the miracle of white balance. But the reason its important is in case you MIX your color temps. As you know, normal bulbs are orange and sunlight is blue, so white balance or not, if you have a window or sunlight in the shot, and assuming you're using more light than what comes through a window, normal lights will screw up ur shot.

And considering you can't change the color of the sun, you should pick up a gel pack with some CTBs, or probably even better, go to Home Depot and get some daylight fluorescents that screw into normal sockets. If you have a complete kit with 5600k lights, you never have to worry about it, and if your on location or doing doc work and there's a lamp or ceiling fixture you want in the shot, it takes thirty seconds to switch the bulbs. just bought some yesterday, they were i think $9 for a 3 pack
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Sweet. I have seen those, I just haven't picked up any yet. I bought 3 150 watt clamp lights with "daylight" bulbs (I know they aren't 5600k), and 3 250 watt halogen work lights just to sort of mess around with lighting. I am planning on renting lights later on for the shoot.

What would you suggest for wattage for indoor lighting? I know it is a very broad question, but I am kind of going for a higher contrast/heavier shadows kind of look. Enough watts to play with, but not enough to make everything look flat and washed out.

Thank you!
 
As previously noted you can WB if you have consistent lighting... if you want to get the daylight bulbs from Home Depot be sure to stick with whatever ones you choose first... what ordinary companies call daylight can be anything from the high 4K range up to the high 6K range... like 6500k.

Also there's nothing wrong with lighting part of the scene with one color temp and the rest with another... the only thing you really want to avoid is a WB that shows light from a window as BLUE... so you could light your subjects with daylight bulbs/fixture and then use tungsten elsewhere in the room and WB for the daylight fixture... People usually won't question a yellowish character to the BG around the people, but a blue-ish hue on a person or coming through a window and the cinematic illusion is popped. You may as well start burst zooming all over the place after that.
 
MattinSTL said:
...what ordinary companies call daylight can be anything from the high 4K range up to the high 6K range... like 6500k.
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Also, keep in mind, that DAYLIGHT (e.g. outside light from sun) can be anything from ~3000K to ~12000K. But it has been "set" to be 5600K in lighting terms...)
 
Yeah I started to type a longer reply including "the golden hour" and all that... somebody can correct me on this but in my experience the biggest problem is WB your subject to a lower color temp then the windows... but I think you can usually get away with going the other way... the gist is that if you can see outside you need to light your subject and WB to whatever color temp that light is. The cookie or other BG lighting can be something lower and it shouldn't hurt the shot.
 
Color Temp matters alot

Color Temp matters alot

The deal with color temps is to match a light source it's not so much a daylight v. tungsten type of deal. It matters both in film and video, just like white balancing and grey carding does. So here is the skinny say you are lighting outdoors at night okay and there is a street lamp outside that you want to use in the shot it could be cool blue or phosphorous or whatever color on film normally praticals don't light a room but digitally it may show up the key here is how are you going to see the subject in the shot in both circumstances. Well you can add another light but whatever light you add must match the source. Best way to do this is with gels and there is a formula to do this with gels but let's say have color temp meter you can mix and match gels until you get the same color temp as the source you want to mimic. So for those of you wanting to know why it's important that is probably the best explaination I can give you. It helps the audience not notice the off camera lighting that is occuring.
 
Okay, well what about if sunlight is illuminating a blind in the background? Will this generate conflictions with artificial light sources even though the actual sun is not beaming through a window???
 
My approach is to do my best to make the tungsten and daylight presets look good. I like the idea of not having to do a manual white balance, because I feel that if I can make the preset look good then my white balance is repeatable. Does that make sense? There have been a number of times in which a manual white balance is done and then done again, in the same room with the same lights and the outcome is different. There are a number of reasons this can occur, but the way I feel is that if the preset looks good then you are done. Obviously I realize this not always doable due to the nature of the shoot, but if you truly have control of the lighting then there really is no reason that you can't work with the presets. Thats how film is done right?

I avoid mixed light like the plague. If the room is mostly filled with light from the window, then match that light. HMI's,CTB and blue practicals. If you can't do that then I guess a manual white balance might save your ass, but its still gonna look funny.

I just like repeatable results, points of reference are huge and thats all a preset is. If youneed to relight a room to match something that needs to be reshot, or just needs to match, well you might be boned if you did some crazy manual white balance. If you know that you lit to the preset then you should be able to achieve succes much faster and easier.

Thats just my opinion, have fun with it.
 
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