Do you guys just use a butterfly/overhead with silk

[Gregg]

to cut down the light during mid-day sunshine? I need to shoot at a place that only gets sunlight during the mid-day because it is in a canyon. So if I want to use sunlight I need to use a big overhead and am wondering if using just using one or two white silks will be enough to make the light soft enough for video shooting.

I will try to use bounce cards to fill in the front of the model but might not be able to catch any light since the overhead might be blocking all the light.

Would you guys think that the light will be diffused enough to just use the sunlight or will the shadows still be too harsh because the light is almost directly overhead? Someone I know says he just always blocks out the mid-day sun light entirely and uses artificial lights until the sun gets lower in the sky.

I know I could rent some HMIs to fill in the front but I doubt the budget will allow it.

 

[filmat11]

You might not need the overhead silks in place during the other parts of the day when there is no sun, but bring them in to match what you have already shot, when the sun does hit your set. I have had to rig an overhead and adjust it for the sun's movement all day. Your friend is right about using, say an HMI to replace the sun. And if you want the illusion of sun all day, YOU WILL NEED ADDITIONAL lights to pull this off....- Key,fill and backlight. The biggest difference in shooting all day in a canyon, is the light in the background, which is too big to control, will make the canyon walls look different through out the day.
You can also use reflectors(shinney boards) that have both a hard light reflector and soft light reflector on the other side. If you don't have any light on your set for quite some time, the reflectors will not offer much help. You will need to rent these, and get combo stands to use them. Since you will probably not be on perfectly level ground, you need to make sure that your stands have what's call a "Rocky mountain leg" on them, to adjust for rough terrain.

 

[bcheong]

Silks diffinitely diffuse the light quite a bit. For my personal taste I almost think too much. Filmat11 makes some good points on lighting continuity. It's best to do a tech scout and figure out your blocking and see how much of an issue it is - to a certain degree you can sometimes get away with it.

 

[Gregg]

Thanks guys, I should have added that this is in a pool area of a home that is in a canyon. So the walls of the canyon will not even be on camera- just the back of the house and part of the pool area.

 

[filmat11]

Well, at least you'll be closer to power ...LOL
As far as the director in me, and without seeing your script, I guess I'd plan my wide and establishing shots during the time when the sun hits the house, and use reflectors and extra lights for the closeups of your talent. You can get away with renting smaller 200-400- or 800 watt Jokers, rather than big 1200 watt or larger units.( But with out seeing your set, this is a tough call to make.) ---MY CAVEAT
.Best of luck, and when your done, please post a still or two..It's always nice to see what folks are working on, especially after you share some thoughts on helping them with their projects..

 

[Noel Evans]

Yes good call Filmat, shooting this way is much better when you have a tight budget to work with.

I recently did exactly this.

 

[Michael Carter]

Quick note on silks & 'flys...

Quick note on silks & 'flys...

Silks diffinitely diffuse the light quite a bit. For my personal taste I almost think too much.

(Showed up late to this party!) Guys, don't limit yourself to the stock silks; hit the fabric stores and get some gauzy, open-weave white mesh... really gorgeous for overheads. It opens the shadows up (especially under the eyes & chin), but still gives a more natural sunlight look... shadow edges will soften up a bit, red-hot highlights will be cut, but it still looks like "real sun", not that dead 3/4 silk look.

Also, if you're doing a big butterfly, the gauzey stuff doesn't make nearly as much wind noise, it's very quiet. I did a fashion shoot where I locked crossbars of metal conduit on C-stands at 10' up, and about 12' apart, and just stretched & clamped gauze across 'em (clamp it on with the stands low, then raise both up at the same time; sandbags or guy lines recommended!). Gave me about a 6' x 12' butterfly, fast -- the talent could move around freely.

 

[Cool Lights]

Mesh. Interesting.