No question, David, a feature is on the agenda. Right now, I'm doing shorts and mini-shorts, but there is method to this madness. Namely, the shorts are key points from a photography point of view excerpted from my feature script I'll be shooting at this very location and surroundings. In other words, I get to pre-view some of the lighting and sound challenges. I have a whole series of these shorts and I'm running through them as fast as I can in preparation for the feature. So the shorts are not just wasting time.
How did you learn how to light
- Thread starter Victor Nhat Nguyen
- Start date
Not to mention every time you take on several occupations you're killing somebody's job opportunity. I love hiring crew
Give me the money and I'll gladly hire. I hate asking people to work for free or deferred/back end (which, let's face it, realistically amounts to free). That's why I can't get a DP - no money, and I won't ask to work for "reel, experience, future opportunity, I have pretty eyes, BS#33". Can't pay - don't hire.
That said, I do want to learn a bit about cinematography regardless, because it makes me a better filmmaker. And yes, I'd love to hire a DP on the feature, so that I can concentrate on the other extremely hard challenges; there is no doubt in my mind that the result would be better if I had more people to take care of stuff, but... yeah. Welcome to the world of no-budget filmmaking.
nycineaste
Well-known member
4 point lighting (key-fill-backlight-background) works. Dont listen to anyone who knocks it. Its a jumping off point, a tool, a way of thinking step by step, not a formula. Use a soft key and dont worry about being a motivation nazi. Set it 45 degrees from the camera, most of the time. No need to overthink anything. You can "skip" lights. On my short I used a (soft) key, no fill, no backlight, and a (hard) background light (2 lights, but it's still 4 point lighting in a way -again, its a way of thinking step by step, not a formula). (El Mariachi was lit this way- A soft key, and a background light, on lots of shots esp in the bar). I found that you if you light the background and keep the key low you can get a good silhoutte effect quite often. Below are stills from my wonky beginner short. I'm no lighting whizz (my darks here are likely grainy from the no-fill the highlights look blown on these images but thats my crappy early grading, the footage isnt blown)... but it aint bad for a total beginner, cause I thought in 4 point lighting (think key-then fill-then backlight-then background). Start there, add creativity and personal taste as you grow, I believe.
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...pe-of-filmmaking-bore-modern-audiences/page13
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...pe-of-filmmaking-bore-modern-audiences/page13
Mentorship mostly. DP Tim Naylor.
Lots of observation of light I like in real life. How it forms. Looking around at the sources, colors, what its bouncing off of, and the textures at play. No one ever said you have to bounce off just white card or cloth.......
Lots of observation of light I like in real life. How it forms. Looking around at the sources, colors, what its bouncing off of, and the textures at play. No one ever said you have to bounce off just white card or cloth.......