Interview Lighting with window lighting

[DP StrangeLove]

Natural Window Lighting for Interview Shoot I posted this in the Cinematography section, but got no response, so I hope to get on here:

Just got a gig shooting an interview piece for client that they want to have on their website. They want to be sitting at their office desk, with a window that will be in the background off to the side behind them. They will be turned 3/4 from the window background, facing the camera. They want the window to read because it shows a nice tree outside the covers up the rest of the background, and isn't too distracting. Usually I avoid using a window in the shot, if I do, I usually just use the light from the window as my key, but do not put the window in the frame.
Should I completely avoid having the window in the shot? It does make the shot interesting, otherwise it would just be a plain old office desk. we are shooting in the morning and I will use NDO gel to bring the window level down to make the window scenery read and to balance with my Tungsten light. I will use the Window as my key, and a 650w Chimera Softbank for my fill, or just bounce the window light back onto my subject for the fill. How does this sound. Is it typical to have a backrgound of a window in the frame? Any other lighting-setup advice
Thanking you for any advice in advance.

 

[Justyn]

Greetings... I just Gaff'd a shoot where we had to do that exact thing. If FCP could handle the HDV 24P then I'd show you a link to the file and post it for you to see... It came out really good.


You are on the right track.. We Nd' the window with .6 ND, Probably could have even gone up to .9 Once we did that we checked out where we were in relationship and then brought up the room light to equal out the exterior and when we were happy it was a nicely balanced shot... Dealing with this shouldn't be that big of a deal.. Just bring a nice monitor and also have some variable size lights. Your chimera on the 650 would be nice for straight on fill... then you could bounce off the ceilging ( I know it's blasphemous) to raise the ambient... but then I'd also recommend some small lights 150-350 for accents and hot spots... and then of course you need to create a nice cookie for the walls and to add some flavor.....

If you want to get really whacky.. you could add a 1k out the windo with a cookie for some more increased variety...

Maybe I can get to the DP's shop and see if he can pull some footage for me to put up here... The director was really happy with our shot as we got to incorporate a great view of the lake and overall was a very pleasing shot...


Hope this helps... and good luck!

 

[DP StrangeLove]

Justyn, thanks for your helpful advice! And I was just checking your booty/cop footage, awesome work! How has the HVX been treating you since you go the cam from good 'ol Barb? I'm still getting used to the transition from my Xl1s feel.
I Would love to see you the results of what you did on the interview shoot.
Yes, I agree, need some accent lighting and need to pick up a cookie, any place you recommend in getting a cookie and gels? Usually I go through B&H in NY, but it seems like such a waste of resources and time to have it shipped over here to the West Coast. All the hipsters here in Portland are into the whole, buy local, don't be buying garlic from Argentina for conservation of energy Bio-Diesel thing. So that could be blasephemy in these parts.
Possible to make them yourself?

 

[Justyn]

Yes.. DP, Very very easy to make it yourself with some cardboard or some easily cut aluminum... Just do a search online for a cookie cookalorios (sp) and see how it looks and then make one accordingly... modifying it based on what you want and the type of space you'll be shooting in... I personally also like to bring out a finger to do slashes and stuff like that... Use a good C-stand and this stuff is easy to work with...


Also, for that overused.. but still highly beautiful and effective.. shot streaming through blinds.. You could buy a cheap set of blinds and then use that to sculpt the light. I use a couple of C-stand and then put the blinds in front of the light and viola.. instant film noir look. The same can be done to put a rotating fan in front of the light... or anything with an interesting pattern...

However, here's my number one secret weapon. It's called the Branch-a-loris. You can do it two ways: 1. Buy a nice plastic fake tree to your liking and bring that on set with you... You can then place this in front of the light and sculpt patterns accordingly and it takes no time to do it and looks really good...
2. The second way is to just rip off a tree limb wherever you are at... put it in a grip head and there's your natural branch-a-loris...


People think i'm nuts when I start worshiping the branch-a-loris.. fan-a-loris or whatever other loris I can come up with... but the point is the results and they look totally pro and don't take more than a few minutes to pull off...

 

[DP StrangeLove]

Justyn or anyone else,
So let's say I'm pushing a 2k baby Tungsten balanced light with a cookie from outside to serve as my key and project the cookie pattern on the background wall.
First question, did a test of the above shoot, still had a mixture of light color with my 2k Tungsten pushing in from outside and the rest of the natural daylight balanced light from the window that serves as my key. Should I add Blue Correction gel to my 2k outside (if so how much Blue correction should I add?), and add the Blue to my other inside Tungsten lights, or add orange correction to the whole window? I am limited in my gels, and don't have enough to cover the entire window, plus wouldn't that over-correct (adding to much orange to my 2k tungsten outside)?
Second, is it ok to add a cookie to my key light that is coming from the window? If the talent sits far enough from the background, they should avoid having the cookie projection on their face. But is it wrong to place that in front of my key?
I sincerely appreciate any suggestions on this.

 

[DP StrangeLove]

Anyone?

 

[Stas_Tagios]

I'd forego the 2k outside and instead key from inside, that way you can just gel the window with CTO/ND and avoid having to gel the lights. It's usually better to knock down the windows than compromise the limited output of your tungsten lights with gels, especially when you're trying to balance tungsten lights with daylight; the sun is always going to be more powerful than the lights, so better to knock down the daylight. It'd be different if you had HMIs (or daylight-tubed Kinos), but since you don't, I suggest gelling the window and keying from inside.

Also, unless your shoot is relatively short and the weather is fairly consistent, I'd key with one of your lights rather than the natural light from the window, which depending on the weather, time of day, and length of your shoot, could vary considerably during the shoot.

 

[DP StrangeLove]

I'd forego the 2k outside and instead key from inside, that way you can just gel the window with CTO/ND and avoid having to gel the lights. It's usually better to knock down the windows than compromise the limited output of your tungsten lights with gels, especially when you're trying to balance tungsten lights with daylight;

The reason why I was going to key with the 2k pushing through the outside window is because the space is extremely limited for the interior shoot. I agree with you on trying to key from the inside, but my 2k would be just to close in on the talent, and give start giving her a pretty radical sunburn!
So just for arguments sake, lets say I had to place my 2k outside, and push it though the window how do you go about gelling the window and/or 2k light. Would I first have to place CTB on my outside 2k tungsten then place NDO on the window? That seems a bit contradictory to first cool my 2k with CTB, then warm it up again through the CTO on the window. So, I guess you're right, that would be pointless. Any other suggestions? Basically my lighting kit currently is a 500W Chimera (I also have a 1k bulb for it), a 200W Pepper, and my fairly large 2k Colortran light.

 

[Stas_Tagios]

The reason why I was going to key with the 2k pushing through the outside window is because the space is extremely limited for the interior shoot. I agree with you on trying to key from the inside, but my 2k would be just to close in on the talent, and give start giving her a pretty radical sunburn!
So just for arguments sake, lets say I had to place my 2k outside, and push it though the window how do you go about gelling the window and/or 2k light. Would I first have to place CTB on my outside 2k tungsten then place NDO on the window? That seems a bit contradictory to first cool my 2k with CTB, then warm it up again through the CTO on the window. So, I guess you're right, that would be pointless. Any other suggestions? Basically my lighting kit currently is a 500W Chimera (I also have a 1k bulb for it), a 200W Pepper, and my fairly large 2k Colortran light.

Limited indoor space is always a killer, isn't it,(especially if you're trying to achieve shallow depth of field). But here's an idea for your lighting scheme:

CTO/ND the window enough so that you can use your 500w w/Chimera as your key (supplemented with whatever daylight is coming through the gelled window, use a bounce board (reflector or foam core) for fill (to bounce the 500 and window light to the opposite side of the subject's face), and use your 200 as a backlight or hair light.

If the majority of what you're seeing out the window is a tree, then you might not need as strong an ND as you would if you were looking out at sky or direct sun.