Dramatic Lighting in a Boardroom

[serrialthrilla]

Hey guys. I'm about to start shooting my final project at school. The main scene is happing in a boardroom, where an upset young man holds few executives hostage. Obviously the lighting in a boardroom should be fairly even; however I want to try adding some dramatic elements to it. Of course I can keep it simple and use the existing light, plus a little fill if needed, but I really want to have more fun with it. I understand that my options are very limited. Thought maybe you guys have some ideas.

 

[david_kuznicki]

Hey guys. I'm about to start shooting my final project at school. The main scene is happing in a boardroom, where an upset young man holds few executives hostage. Obviously the lighting in a boardroom should be fairly even; however I want to try adding some dramatic elements to it. Of course I can keep it simple and use the existing light, plus a little fill if needed, but I really want to have more fun with it. I understand that my options are very limited. Thought maybe you guys have some ideas.

The first question-- does the boardroom have any windows?

David Kuznicki
Production Manager, WGTE-TV30

 

[Icarus2005]

You're only as limited as your budget and creativity.

There are some very dramatic boardroom in TV and films. My guess is your budget will limit you since this is a student project.

For a hostage scene though, it seems like the obvious thing to do is have a bright flo in the middle of the of the room that the guy shoots out when he walk in, leaving only sconces or windows left to provide dramatic lighting.

 

[serrialthrilla]

Most likely it will be a room without windows, since the shoot will take many hours and recreating the natural lighting will be tough. I would consider having a room with a window, in case I find a good solution to make it work. Having windows would of course allow me to make the lighting more dramatic. For example I would like to use a reddish, late afternoon light, which will contribute to the overall anxiety of the scene which we are trying to create. The equipment available to me is the following.
1 (possibly 2) ARRI lighting kits with a 1k; 650; 350; 150
Three redheads