Creating shadows

L

leaftors

Well-known member
I'm trying to create a soft gradual shadow similar to the upper left corner of this photo

sIUYIcq.png


How do I achieve this?
 
leaftors said:
I'm trying to create a soft gradual shadow similar to the upper left corner of this photo

sIUYIcq.png


How do I achieve this?
Click to expand...

Use a solid flag close to the source for softer shadows. The further a light is from a gobo, the sharper the shadow. Using a softer light also helps hide the shadows of the gobo and create a gradient.
or Use one or more nets, single, double, etc. Create gradient that way
or Use a grad ND filter carefully and selectively (won't work if camera moves quite a bit)
or Post grade a power window in color correction (won't work if camera moves quite a bit)
or Use a lens that has a poor even field illumination so that the corners are vignetted. (not a conventional way to do this, mind you)(also wont work if lens tilts/pans/ or moves much)
or Use the light's natural fall off or barndoors to slightly take the light off that area, should it fall near the peripheal of the lights target area.
or Get the art dept/ painters to selectively airbrush that area of the set with a black mist, darkening the area with a painted gradient (jk)
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
Use a solid flag close to the source for softer shadows. The further a light is from a gobo, the sharper the shadow. Using a softer light also helps hide the shadows of the gobo and create a gradient.
or Use one or more nets, single, double, etc. Create gradient that way
or Use a grad ND filter carefully and selectively (won't work if camera moves quite a bit)
or Post grade a power window in color correction (won't work if camera moves quite a bit)
or Use a lens that has a poor even field illumination so that the corners are vignetted. (not a conventional way to do this, mind you)(also wont work if lens tilts/pans/ or moves much)
or Use the light's natural fall off or barndoors to slightly take the light off that area, should it fall near the peripheal of the lights target area.
or Get the art dept/ painters to selectively airbrush that area of the set with a black mist, darkening the area with a painted gradient (jk)
Click to expand...

You forgot the most obvious one: shoot in a location that has an evil force that manifests itself in the guise of a shadow. Wait for it to get in the right position, shoot.
 
That would be easy to do in a power window even if the camera pans via auto-tracking, which is standard in pro-grade color correctors. However, difficult if the actor moves in front of it.
 
CharlesPapert said:
That would be easy to do in a power window even if the camera pans via auto-tracking, which is standard in pro-grade color correctors. However, difficult if the actor moves in front of it.
Click to expand...

True. But also more obvious if the camera moves and the perspective changes. Most people wouldn't notice, but it's possible. I see the color grading power windows in 'Amelie' every time I see it, mostly due to movement. Drives me crazy and keep me from agreeing about how well it was shot.
 
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