Need help choosing light set up for film clip...

J

Jesse-H

Member
Hey,

I am making a music video for a school project and I want to create a scene that looks similar to this one:

14un6.jpg


I am going to need to have a grey backdrop (Should it be light or dark grey to look like the image?), but I was wondering what sort of lighting set up would I need for something like this? I am pretty new to all this sort of stuff. Also, with lighting the backdrop, what sort of light would I use to do that? I know the background in the image I have supplied was done with a huge grid light in a film studio, but is there any other ways of getting a similar effects without having to use big grid lights?

Thanks in advance for any help given. :)
 
do you have a higher res photo? Its hard to tell exactly what their doing with a that photo but if I had to guess I'd say heres about what they did.

For what circle in the background they either have a light from behind the talent (a fresnel) set to spot to get that circular shape. There are two lights on either sides of his face with some soft of diffusion. The talent has to be relitivily far from the back ground to get that much spread on the light. That or it is rigged from over the shot on a c-stand or to a pipe with a maffer clamp.
 
Aiight thanks, so for the 2 lights on the subject, do you think I would be able to pull something like that off with either two umbrellas or 2 softboxes?
 
2 Softboxes would get it done, but they are going to need to have some punch because you've got some real distance to cover there. A couple of powerful flo's should get it done also and may be easier to do.
 
Kino Flo is a brand of florescent softlight.

A setup like the diagram wouldn't work because you'll just end up flooding the talent with lights from either side and canceling out the backlight effect. I would say one Kino Flo or Cool Light florescent in front as a fill and 2 hard light source pointing directly down at the talent from behind on both sides (probably don't need softbox because you need more of a spot effect), maybe placed even further back as where the background is. Plus the background light.
 
I have to agree that its not soft sources on the sides but rather some kind of hard light like a fresnel. Then backlight is probably a fresnel too. Its all too spotty to be softlights. Huy Vu nailed it.
 
Heres my guess

Wall light - 2 x fresnel placed about halfway between wall and subject but wider.

Subject - 2 x fresnel for kicker placed outside shot probably close to wall and about or just above shoulder height. Which gives the rim on his shoulder but splashes his cheeks and allows his hands to be hit as well.

Subject - front on key - probably a small soft source.

Not sure what wattages of the lights are or if the colour balance was achieved via a particular WB and gels. Or a tungsten balance and gels. Would need to experiment to get it right. Wouldnt take long to set up though.
 
Hey,

Thanks heaps for the help.

Also, if it isn't to much work, would you be able to create a diagram of the light set up for me like I created one earlier. To create them just simply use Kevin Kertz light set up generator thing, which you can download here:

http://www.kevinkertz.com/fm/LightingSetup.psd.zip

Thanks heaps.


Edit: I have had a go at recreating what you guys explained, let me know if I'm on the right track... Thanks. The film clip is being shot next week and I want to get a test set up this week to make sure it looks all correct so I'm running out of time.


lightsetup2hb8.jpg
 
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Close, but no. If you put those lights you have placed behind him one square closer to the wall and two squares wider than the other lights then point them to the centre of the wall you would be close. Looking at the shadows, seems they have used cutters also.

If you have limited space also, your going to have to watch the output of the diffused light source at the front - you dont want that spilling onto the wall causing shadows - it will need some controls.
 
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Thanks heaps man, you've been a great help, is this what you meant with the background light?


lightsetup3tj8.jpg
 
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Looks about right to me. There may be some playing with the camera position and the front softlight and maybe you might experiment with moving the side lights on the subject about a bit, but its pretty close to what you're looking for.
 
Aiight sounds good, thanks heaps. Also, what color background do you think the backdrop was and what type of lights were they you reckon? The blue toned ones or the ones that are more yellow looking? I will be doing a test run on Friday I believe so I will let you know how it goes, thanks.
 
Heres another example of a scene I like, what sort of light bulb is needed for that type of colour light, like I dont want the backdrop having some yellow looking light I want it grey with a highlighter white looking spot as shown here:

19ec4.jpg
 
Maybe it's just me, but that background looks like it has light coming from the other side of it. Like a 1k or a 2k at about knee height on the back side.

Anyone else thinking the same?
 
Yes indeed. It is but I'm not totally sure how they got that bright spot yet unless the white cyc is open at the back somehow.
 
^ Yeah theres a light there, theres actually a stage there on that fades away and then the backdrop is about 30cm from the stage and light you can see is placed between the two. What I'm wanting to know though is what type of bulb do I need to get that white light look, and not the yellow glow look.
 
Jesse-H said:
What I'm wanting to know though is what type of bulb do I need to get that white light look, and not the yellow glow look.
Click to expand...


As long as the backdrop is actually white, and not yellow, then the light back there should be color matched to the other lights in the scene.

If you are using 5600k lights to light the talent, then use a 5600k light for the backdrop. If you are using 3200k lights in front, then use the same in back.

Simple.
 
With a point light source like that one and it being white, its more than likely an HMI class bulb which are inherently daylight / 6000K. But, the less expensive way to get a tungsten fresnel to do that, would be to gel it with the appropriate level of CTB gel to bring it up from 3200K to 5600K. This would be a "Full CTB" gel so you could do it with that also.
 
PerroneFord said:
As long as the backdrop is actually white

Simple.
Click to expand...

The backdrops in the images I have posted have been grey haven't they? I don't want a white background, I want like a grey background with a highlighted area which will be like a white colour if that makes sense.
 
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