better understanding/measurement of light...

M

matthewd5

Veteran
ok i have been reading everything i can get my hands on to obtain a better understanding of cinematography vs. videography...

the best book i have found so far is "digital moviemaking" by scott billups.

half of the stuff in there i already learned and the other half is totally new to me. the best part is that the half i already know i learned in at least 100 different places over a long time period and yet it is all in one book.

anyway, he is big into getting a light meter, he recommends the gossen digi-six...

pretty cheap, $100 +/- street price.

my question is do people on here use meters much?

and does anyone use/recommend a meter for measuring the light temperature??

matthew
 
Re: better understanding/measurement of light...

I always light by eye with a monitor when I shoot DV.... but then again...I suck really bad a lighting... really bad...
 
Re: better understanding/measurement of light...

well i have been trying some experiments like when the camera thinks i need a high f stop i'll put on the nd filter for 1/8 and then use the iris manual/auto button as a cheapo light meter to see what it thinks i need then...

i always use the manual iris adjustment and only use the auto toggle as a light meter.

trying to figure out the differences in the picture betwen the shot with no neutral density and the shot with the 1/8 and the wider open iris setting.

i suck at experimenting. i tend to get all the stuff and then only wonder about settings when i'm actually shooting something for real.

matthew
 
Re: better understanding/measurement of light...

[quote author=matthewd5 link=board=news;num=1089338615;start=0#0 date=07/08/04 at 19:03:35]
the best book i have found so far is "digital moviemaking" by scott billups.[/quote]
I liked his book too. But I hope if/when he releases a 3rd edition he includes an index. Non-fiction books without an index, especially technical ones, really drive me nuts. :-[

Great thread, though. I'm really looking forward to hearing from the gurus on this subject.
 
Re: better understanding/measurement of light...

I use light meters for many things. Getting contrast ratio right usually needs a light meter, unless you are shooting off the clock and have time to dink about. Docus, I rarely bother with meters, since every camera has a light meter in it, if you know how to read it.
 
Re: better understanding/measurement of light...

Not sure I understand what the questions are...

For a light meter, I find that on video shoots we rarely use one. The camera itself is a light meter, so you set your key light's strength/position based on what the camera's meter tells you, and then you add other lights "to taste" while watching the monitor to see what effect they're having.

That's on a small crew though. If you have a three-man camera crew and a separate gaffer and grip situation, the gaffer will frequently set lights based on a meter, after a quick conversation with the Director of Photography, which may go something like this: "I want an exposure of f/2.8, with a 4:1 contrast ratio, and a slightly warm rim/edge light". The gaffer can then go and set lights using just his/her light meter, not even bothering with looking through the camera. Then once the actors are in place, you make final adjustments by looking at the monitor and maybe a waveform monitor.

But for small shoots where the director of photography is also the gaffer and is also the camera operator, I don't think I've ever seen a meter on those sets. Could come in handy, but nobody ever bothers, they just light by experience and come pretty darn close the first time, and then adjust/tweak based on how it looks in the monitor.
 
Re: better understanding/measurement of light...

[quote author=Barry_Green link=board=news;num=1089338615;start=0#5 date=07/08/04 at 22:40:21]Not sure I understand what the questions are...

For a light meter, I find that on video shoots we rarely use one.  The camera itself is a light meter, so you set your key light's strength/position based on what the camera's meter tells you, and then you add other lights "to taste" while watching the monitor to see what effect they're having.

That's on a small crew though.  If you have a three-man camera crew and a separate gaffer and grip situation, the gaffer will frequently set lights based on a meter, after a quick conversation with the Director of Photography, which may go something like this: "I want an exposure of f/2.8, with a 4:1 contrast ratio, and a slightly warm rim/edge light".  The gaffer can then go and set lights using just his/her light meter, not even bothering with looking through the camera.  Then once the actors are in place, you make final adjustments by looking at the monitor and maybe a waveform monitor.

But for small shoots where the director of photography is also the gaffer and is also the camera operator, I don't think I've ever seen a meter on those sets.  Could come in handy, but nobody ever bothers, they just light by experience and come pretty darn close the first time, and then adjust/tweak based on how it looks in the monitor.[/quote]

Jewelry, car commercials, and fashion is where I use the meter most. Jewelry is a pain in the ass to light correctly. Cars are full of little pot holes that require lots of readings, and fashion is often done with long runs that need light to get polled so all of the hesitation points get a good light for the "looks."

Interview and talk - talk, who bothers with a light meter usually?
 
Re: better understanding/measurement of light...

The camera itself is a light meter, so you set your key light's strength/position based on what the camera's meter tells you
Click to expand...
I have a cameraman filming for me most of the time and I don't trust his eye and I don't always have time to do it for him. So, I can just shoot my little spot meter and tell him what to set it on from accross the room.
 
Re: better understanding/measurement of light...

Or if you are dealing with a heavy setup and don't want to risk taking the camera out until you already moved all the lights (mostly for cramped sets). You can pre-light by meter, even though you'll be the cameramen.
 
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