I am wanting to go black and white in post... but I want the entire background to be black, and just part of his face to be shown up in in a nice shadowy white, and to look really dark and gloomy... kind of intense. Kind of like some gatorade commercials if you know what I mean. Will this be a lighting task, or some other way of achieving this? Please help...
Help getting this look...
- Thread starter ChasBetts
- Start date
filmmaker58
Well-known member
Re: Help getting this look...
If it's a closeup your talking about, almost nothing is easier. Hang some duvetine (black cloth) and put your talent 6 to ten feet in front of it, and use one light to light the subject. Light him slightly from the side, and flag all of the light off the background. I'd probably put a backlight up too to separate him from the black, and you could soften the key light a bit with some diffusion depending on how dramatic you want it.
If it's a closeup your talking about, almost nothing is easier. Hang some duvetine (black cloth) and put your talent 6 to ten feet in front of it, and use one light to light the subject. Light him slightly from the side, and flag all of the light off the background. I'd probably put a backlight up too to separate him from the black, and you could soften the key light a bit with some diffusion depending on how dramatic you want it.
BLUESPIDER
DVXuser Ninja
Re: Help getting this look...
Some visual examples would be nice..
Some visual examples would be nice..
Re: Help getting this look...
you mean like this
before:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/johntwo/fam and stuff/ben-notMBd.jpg
after:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/johntwo/fam and stuff/ben-MBd.jpg
i got this effect by accident, and seriously crapped my pants
you mean like this
before:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/johntwo/fam and stuff/ben-notMBd.jpg
after:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/johntwo/fam and stuff/ben-MBd.jpg
i got this effect by accident, and seriously crapped my pants
mastermind
Well-known member
Re: Help getting this look...
i did this for a music video and it was really cool because i had the subject take a step into the light from absolute darkness and one step back and he was again in absolute darkness.
Black backround is a good idea. What i did was have my key light set at a high angle (point partially down at the subject) and i had a small fill on a low angle to slightly fill in the shadows. definately will need quite a bit of flagging off to control the light but with your lights at these angles you can do alot of control with barn doors alone and not have much hit the background. As mentioned previously, you may also want a rimlight to seperate him from the BG.
Just experiment and you'll end up with what you need. It took me an hour to light this shot perfectly. It was also hard because i needed to light the studio mic htat was in front of the talent as well without affecting the rest of the set.
i did this for a music video and it was really cool because i had the subject take a step into the light from absolute darkness and one step back and he was again in absolute darkness.
Black backround is a good idea. What i did was have my key light set at a high angle (point partially down at the subject) and i had a small fill on a low angle to slightly fill in the shadows. definately will need quite a bit of flagging off to control the light but with your lights at these angles you can do alot of control with barn doors alone and not have much hit the background. As mentioned previously, you may also want a rimlight to seperate him from the BG.
Just experiment and you'll end up with what you need. It took me an hour to light this shot perfectly. It was also hard because i needed to light the studio mic htat was in front of the talent as well without affecting the rest of the set.
Re: Help getting this look...
I think u must try. Like everybody said its esay, just use the black background and point your talent face with light, be carefull not to iluminate the backround. Also you sould try to be in a low-light place. I did it in 16 mm: with S-VHS and with MiniDv when I studied.
I think u must try. Like everybody said its esay, just use the black background and point your talent face with light, be carefull not to iluminate the backround. Also you sould try to be in a low-light place. I did it in 16 mm: with S-VHS and with MiniDv when I studied.
mastermind
Well-known member
Re: Help getting this look...
[quote author=Lalo link=board=news;num=1106885649;start=0#8 date=01/31/05 at 12:57:14]I. Also you sould try to be in a low-light place. [/quote]
actually you want to be in a NO light place. turn off all lighs and put blankets on the window and use only your lighs which you will have control of.
[quote author=Lalo link=board=news;num=1106885649;start=0#8 date=01/31/05 at 12:57:14]I. Also you sould try to be in a low-light place. [/quote]
actually you want to be in a NO light place. turn off all lighs and put blankets on the window and use only your lighs which you will have control of.
mastermind
Well-known member
Re: Help getting this look...
regardless of objective, I believe that you can pull off a better job when starting with nothing. Kinda like a painter starting on blank canvas. You can't deny the fact that it is WAAAY easier to control the amount of spill on the BG when you don't have light shining through a window or from another "unwanted" source. Sure it's an F-stop difference but you're the one creating it rather than having to COMPROMISE to achieve it by blasting 2k on your subject (which will be harder to control spill on) and then shutting down to compensate for the background. Just my opinion. Or rather the way I would do it.
U said yourself:
[quote author=Lalo link=board=news;num=1106885649;start=0#8 date=01/31/05 at 12:57:14]I. Also you sould try to be in a low-light place. [/quote]
regardless of objective, I believe that you can pull off a better job when starting with nothing. Kinda like a painter starting on blank canvas. You can't deny the fact that it is WAAAY easier to control the amount of spill on the BG when you don't have light shining through a window or from another "unwanted" source. Sure it's an F-stop difference but you're the one creating it rather than having to COMPROMISE to achieve it by blasting 2k on your subject (which will be harder to control spill on) and then shutting down to compensate for the background. Just my opinion. Or rather the way I would do it.
U said yourself:
[quote author=Lalo link=board=news;num=1106885649;start=0#8 date=01/31/05 at 12:57:14]I. Also you sould try to be in a low-light place. [/quote]
Justin_Kirch
Runner Up.
Re: Help getting this look...
Hey, my first post! I hope I'll be of some help. I just got my camera but was experimenting with the settings and found out that the shot you want to do is quite easy.
Have a strong or soft key light focused on your talent, and to get a black background take down your Master Pedestal for Black to -15. It will show some great detail and fast fall-off on the talents face while the background is darker than you can imagine. This set up will only work with controlled lighting of course. (I used one light, my desk lamp, and it worked wonderfully.) I wish I had a screenshot to show you, but I don't have a firewire for my comp yet
.
Hey, my first post! I hope I'll be of some help. I just got my camera but was experimenting with the settings and found out that the shot you want to do is quite easy.
Have a strong or soft key light focused on your talent, and to get a black background take down your Master Pedestal for Black to -15. It will show some great detail and fast fall-off on the talents face while the background is darker than you can imagine. This set up will only work with controlled lighting of course. (I used one light, my desk lamp, and it worked wonderfully.) I wish I had a screenshot to show you, but I don't have a firewire for my comp yet
.
Shooter
Veteran
Re: Help getting this look...
Reducing the ambient light can be called "negative fill" and it is the ideal ( not always achievable) way of creating a blank ( black) canvas to begin working on as you paint light onto the subject.
negative fill - black drapes, controlled spill light, exposure technique.
DVXs are very sensitive in low light and seem to require attention to this area.
Reducing the ambient light can be called "negative fill" and it is the ideal ( not always achievable) way of creating a blank ( black) canvas to begin working on as you paint light onto the subject.
negative fill - black drapes, controlled spill light, exposure technique.
DVXs are very sensitive in low light and seem to require attention to this area.
J.R. Hudson
Spirit Animal
Re: Help getting this look...
[quote author=john2 link=board=news;num=1106885649;start=0#6 date=01/31/05 at 08:21:13]muwahahahaaha![/quote]
LOL
[quote author=john2 link=board=news;num=1106885649;start=0#6 date=01/31/05 at 08:21:13]muwahahahaaha![/quote]
LOL
mastermind
Well-known member
Re: Help getting this look...
i think people are just exagerating the blank canvas thing. I didn't mean that you HAVE to have NO LIGHT WHATSOEVER to pull off this shot. They way I DID IT was to limit the amount of light on set as much as possible and then use my lights to achieve the desired effect. It worked for me and that's the way i like to shoot. Doesn't mean it has to be applied to everyone or anyone for that matter. Just the way I shoot. I only leave practical light around when i can use it to my advantage.
i think people are just exagerating the blank canvas thing. I didn't mean that you HAVE to have NO LIGHT WHATSOEVER to pull off this shot. They way I DID IT was to limit the amount of light on set as much as possible and then use my lights to achieve the desired effect. It worked for me and that's the way i like to shoot. Doesn't mean it has to be applied to everyone or anyone for that matter. Just the way I shoot. I only leave practical light around when i can use it to my advantage.