5D Mark II for an interview

N

Nasser

Well-known member
Hello all

I'm trying to setup my 5D mark II for an interview , below is my setup with
CL-655PMD Cool lighting and 5 in 1 reflector , I have some issues here :

  • Video live view close after few minutes.
  • As I'm alone I have to find a way to focus on my face ; I do have remote shutter but it dose not work on video mode.
  • White Balance , I set to K3200 .
Need your guideline folks :dankk2:
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This is probably obvious but I'll just throw it out there, don't let the monitor face the talent.

Other than that I'd pull those chairs away from the walls to create some separation and angle them about 45 degrees so you don't have a flat b/g.

Cheers,

BT
 
bill totolo said:
This is probably obvious but I'll just throw it out there, don't let the monitor face the talent.

Other than that I'd pull those chairs away from the walls to create some separation and angle them about 45 degrees so you don't have a flat b/g.

Cheers,

BT
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Also if you got another light backlight the subject...it will better separate the subject from the bkgnd also
 
Thanks guys
I presume the interviewee usually set in front of the talent faces to face , So I set the monitor at this potion and pretend it as interviewee.
Is there any illustration for such setup .
 
Where to start...
First check the camera and make sure you have the auto off disabled, this shuts the camera down after about 5 minutes I think. For your setup...
Get out of the corner, better separation from BG
I see you have two or more lights, good. Use your soft light for your key light. A lot of interviews have the key just above the camera (frame) pointed directly at the talent, gives a nice overall look. Get you other lights and use that as your fill. The reason I would do this is the soft light can get closer to the talent with out frying them. Lastly some background light texturing or open the curtains and have the sunlight come in as accent in the back, white balance to tungsten and that should get you a fairly nice look. Start with the room all dark, as in don't use the overhead lights or other practicals unless you need them. Then start turning on your lights and see what looks good in the monitor. Have fun.
 
Check out the video I recently uploaded to YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVAc4VWHigo

I talk about how to use your laptop as a monitor for your Canon DSLR using the Canon EOS Utility software. First off, it's free so that's great. But the biggest advantage is you can control everything remotely from your laptop...including focus, exposure, and start & stop.
 
Hello guys , thanks for all inputs , see below is the new setup and result footage for your comments plesae , the talent looks yellowish a bit . do you feel it has 3D look ?
what about the camera position and frame outline

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End result
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NextWaveG said:
I would light the background a bit more. Just my personal taste. If you feel like sitting through another one of my videos, I go over my style of interview lighting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vidhFY8kww
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Thanks , looks very interested video , I have the following Coolights sets :


  1. CL-255PMD Cool Lights Portable Dimming 2 x 55 watt Softlight with Eggcrate l
  2. CL-655PMD Cool Lights Portable Dimming 6 x 55 watt Softlight with Eggcrate l
  3. CL-MF0150 Cool Lights CDM 150 Fresne
Do I need to use white balance card for light temp. correction .
 
New footages , I think I'm almost there but lacking the camera position and framing the talent :undecided

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Remember lighting is all about mood. I like interview lighting with a very large soft key light and then lots of backlight. But that's jut me.

If you were shooting a person who needed to remain anonymous, you would throw your normal lighting out the window.

Nasser said:
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This to me looks great. Just add some backlight and your set.

Nasser said:
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For this one, the key is a bit too harsh for my taste... but then again, that may be the look you want.

All said, I think you're on the right track. Play around and see what lighting style you like the best.

I shot with a large soft key light and moderate backlight in these commercials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_adgKcelhQ

But shot with no backlight in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJdt5Y9p28c

IMO it's all about personal taste.
 
Lighting/composition is totally subjective, but IMO you could do a couple things to improve your set up.

1. Create contrast on the fill side of the face by creating "negative fill" with a solid black flag. Not only will this create a bit of contrast but it will make your subject more three dimensional. Put the flag just outside of frame (sometimes it ends up being very close to subject... about a foot or so).

2. Put your Key light and fill light on the same side (both very soft and diffused). Your first light will go almost on your subjects cheek and ear and the second light will be ganged up next to your first light more frontal to your subject. This will make one large source and the key light will "wrap to fill side". So essentially the light is hitting the key side of his face but also wrapping around to the fill side and then smoothly grading off to the shadow fill side by his cheek and ear.

A couple other things that help.

have your subject looking into the direction of the light (where you or the interviewer will sit).
You/the interviewer may want to sit closer to camera so that the subjects eye-line is closer to lens (this tends to feel a little more personal).

Also, place the camera so you're shooting angled a bit more into the shadow (or fill side).

Last, try to pull your subject off of the wall (and I prefer keeping the light off the back wall as well).
If I do light the back wall then I do it with a different light (not the subjects light).
good luck.
 
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