How was this interview lit?

[Knal]

I'm shooting a video this week that I'm trying to make similar to this:


My best guess for how they did it was use a Kino Flo (or something like it) source on the upper right of the camera to light the left side of his face. It looks like their may also be an incredible soft source hitting the right side of his face (particularly right above his temple). I believe it was also shot with primes to get the really soft look on his shoulders/ears. But, I have no idea how they did the background. You'd think it could be keyed on a green screen, but his soft outline would give the keyer a fit.

I'll be attempting to light a gray background (I don't need the colors), but am very interested in how this look was achieved. If anyone has any thoughts (on the background or subject) as to how this was done, I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks!

 

[morgan_moore]

Soft Key Camera right, its actually pretty close to the camera vertically and horizontally (check the nose shadow)

I think the stroke on his temple may be from a hardish light

The background .. he is sitting in front of a (hardish) light which is pointing at the BG

Such shots a large deep studio helps - distance from subject off the BG (and adds cost) because the fore light is not bleeding onto the BG and the BG is significantly out of focus..

As for the colour shift on the BG .. I wonder if this is intentional?

S

 

[William_Robinette]

You could also get the source on the temple by something as easy as a 300 or 650 into some white bounce-board. Do it all the time, and I'll toss in a vote for that being a soft source. Something I'd also do is get that key around to give a catch light in his eyes, or add something small to give some sparkle.

 

[Greg Smith]

Placing some distance between the subject and the background seems to be the key here. That gave them room to put a Fresnel or something similar on a low stand behind the subject and aim it up at the backdrop. The background color may be a gel half in front of the light, or possibly two smaller background lights with different gels or color temperatures were used. I don't actually like the choice of two colors used for the background much. I see a weak, soft source almost 90 degrees to camera left creating the slight fill that shows on his temple. I think a catchlight in the eyes is desperately needed here. As is, the subject's eyes look sunken and dark.

- Greg

 

[Moseph]

I don't think that the background light necessarily has to be on a stand that's hidden behind the interviewee here. I'm not sure how big that room is, but based on the falloff and the fact that the two colors don't blend together, it looks to me like a fresnel spotted nearly all the way in. You would need a good amount of distance between the source and the wall to have a beam that wide if my guess is correct about what fixture they used, so it could be done from overhead or from the side if there's not enough space to place the light behind the talent and get that effect.

 

[Gabel]

That hard light from him is a slightly harder source, but softed (a bounced Fresnel as mentioned, or possibly a Diva), shooting from behind him in something close to a 45° angle. There's also quite a bit of vignetting done in post.