GH5 How to achieve black-ish background around subject?

B

bhuether

Member
Hi, I am planning to shoot some videos of myself playing guitar and I like the sort of dark background achieved in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGipFrts650

This isn't a GH5 specific question, but just curious how one would go about filming in this way. Does it require a very large space? I have a room where I have about 12 ft x 12 ft of open space around me plus some space that this fades to (a bar with kitchen behind it).

Thanks,
Brian
 
Pretty much any type of black background ( black painted background ) with the light flagged off from the background will do. Duvetyne Black Commando Cloth is a low cost popular fabric to make a black background.

One comment on the video you linked to: Because the guitar player is also dressed in dark colors it makes his head appear to be floating in space, which is something I would try to avoid if possible.
 
bhuether said:
Hi, what do you mean by phrase flagged off?
Click to expand...

You use a black "cine flag" ( which can be anything that is black, flat and positionable ) to block your light from falling on the black background. When I used to shoot studio photography we made our own black and white reflector/flags from 4x8 foot, 2 inch thick styrofoam sheets that you could buy at the hardware store. You tape the edges with 2 inch gaffer or duct tape to stop the styrofoam from getting damaged, then you paint one side with flat white paint and the other side with flat black paint. Because of their size they were great at flagging off your main lights so they don't light your background, your lights only light your subject. Here's what a typical cine flag or "cutter" looks like. It's black material stretched over a steel frame, which makes it easy to position with a grip head or grip arm.

CIneFlag.jpg
 
The farther the subject is from the background, the easier it is to prevent light from falling on the background. So the bigger the space, the better. You could even possibly do it at night outside, but the lights would almost certainly attract insects. Although the flags described above are what the pros use, LED lights make it possible to use just about anything to control the spill of lights. You can use a couple of plastic squeeze clamps and a sheet of black paper to act as a flag -- in the old days, tungsten lights would have incinerated them, but LED lights are much friendlier to plastic and paper.
 
Ok, here is a diagram of my space. This sort of gives an idea what I have to work with. On far right is desk where I work. Then there is a lot of space to the other side of the room, just that it isn't open. There is a dividing wall, a bar.

Curious where you would place subject and camera!

thanks,
Brian

Screen Shot 2019-07-28 at 3.18.49 AM.jpg
 
What's the ceiling like ?

For small rooms where space is tight I've used AutoPoles that compress between the floor and the ceiling, so they have no legs sticking out, but you can attach lights or a wall-boom to hang lights without getting in the way of anything on the floor. ( you can also attach wall-booms to the walls, which will give you a 7 foot boom that rotates 180 degrees and can reach down to the floor or up to the ceiling )
 
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