Blown out BG

yagfxg33k

yagfxg33k

Well-known member
I have an outdoor scene. The actors are mostly in the shade but the BG is in the sun. If I expose the actors properly, the BG is totally blown out. If I expose for the BG, the actors are too dark.

I have a PVC fram that I have mounted fabric screen onto and have put this behind the actors but it does not knock the BG down enough.

Can anyone suggest a solution? Can this be adjusted in post?

Any help greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
 
Light your actors with a daylight-balanced fixture (either HMI or a large tungsten light with CTB gel on it) so that the difference in brightness between the actors and the background is minimized.
 
Classic lighting issue. My first defense would be to change the time of day in which I'd be shooting, or just wait for a cloudy day. After that, bring in the HMI's- but that's a LOT of light to have to balance.

fn
 
Well, problem with that is that it's a remote area and I have no juice on location. But I am all ears as to a decent portable rig that I can rent :)
 
Bounce sunlight onto the characters with large reflectors or mirrors. Depending on the width of the shot, you be able to place a vertical double silk 12x or 20x behind them to cool down the background.

or there's always the option of shooting greenscreen for characters and shooting the location without them exposed for BG.
 
No portable light is strong enoch to fill against full blown sunlight. This leaves you with two options, large mirror ore bounce board in combination with the fabric screen. Or shoot on a cloudy day. The time of day you choose to shoot is crucial, avoid shooting between 12 and 2 when there is direct sun.
 
Here's what I'd do. If possible I'd move my actors into the sun and put a 12x12 frame of light grid over them to knock down the direct sunlight, then use reflectors and or mirrors to bounce some fill light onto them for a more attractive light. When I use mirrors, it is either to double bounce light (shoot the mirror into a soft side reflector or white card, bouncing onto the subject) or shoot through a diffusion frame (216, or 250 diffusion usually) onto the subject. Rarely will I blast a mirror directly onto a subject unless it's for a hard back light. if it's just not possible to move them into the sun, then I'd try to alter the shot where my background is not so hot. shoot into some trees, or the shadowed part of a building, or wait for the background to be backlit. Regardless, I'd find a way to put some fill light on them, either with reflectors/mirrors, or bring in some power and some daylight balanced light.
 
Well, if I shoot it before about 2 in the afternoon, the actors will be blasted by the sun and squinting etc. I have a specific production schedule so I do not have the luxury of waiting for a cloudy day.

Here is a still of a test shot from the location. This is being shot with a Z1U.
 
I take it you are bouncing a little fill. You could put u a large PVC frame and rent a silver reflector screen, Something like a 12'x12'. Shooting in another time of the day would be ideal, You can always save lunch time, well, for lunch, or for shooting close-ups that can be better faked...
 
Looking at the location still, here's what I'd do:

Set up a big, at least 6x6, if I had a grip truck, I'd use a 12x or a 20x single stop scrim and set it just out of camera range on the right side. I'd then use either a large mirror or shiney board outside of the shade blasting through the scrim onto the talent. A very large white fill, as large as the main, used opposite the main light. I'd also use a dull shineyboard behind and to the side of the talent to give an edge light. I'd consider putting something white on the ground in front of the talent as well.

But I'd still prefer to wait for a little overcast, or shoot at first light or last light of the day. And I'd really not be that interested in seeing that background anyway. Work smarter, not harder.

fn
 
You should use a graduated Nd filter to knock down the background. It looks like you can reframe a little to bring the hot spots higher into the frame at the stronger part of the gradient on the filter and reflect light on his face to bring it up since he is high in the frame.

You could also shoot the way you have it and lock the camera down and go shoot some other trees at that same distance and composite them over the blown out spots like take out the building and replace with foliage.
 
Oppressor_LOB said:
You should use a graduated Nd filter to knock down the background. It looks like you can reframe a little to bring the hot spots higher into the frame at the stronger part of the gradient on the filter and reflect light on his face to bring it up since he is high in the frame.

You could also shoot the way you have it and lock the camera down and go shoot some other trees at that same distance and composite them over the blown out spots like take out the building and replace with foliage.
Click to expand...
This is an interesting solution and i would like to hear more on how you would proceed into the post production composite
what soft ware ? after effects etc ?
are you suggesting a rotoscope and create the foreground as an element ?
also as to lock down
I would agree that one take should be a total lock down for saftey then as with most coverage and composites he is going to find out the moving the camera (should he like to do this is ascene lifesaver ) in some cases ...
There is a 3d animation program called syntheyes and it allows for the composite of non locked down elements ref.animation master hunter sequence by Joe Williamsen and get the details ..I am not 100 percent sure but i think it can be used on live action ..
Good Luck
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 
You can try filming the background correctly exposed, but your characters will be under exposed as you said, but that you can correct with selective color correction to brighten up in post.
 
I guess this would be similar. Ignore the stretch was shot using ana adapter.. not output correctly, which is why I put the image to ask some questions but anyway.... These guys are in the shade strong sun in bg... all I used was a 3x3 metre reflector for this. Note though there is a little dappled sun making its way through the trees as well...
Rehearsal.jpg
 
if the dolly shot is slow enough you can still composite the background trees.
Yes, The main shot would be a forground element and the footage of just trees would be in the background behind the mask.
 
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