Lighting a panel discussion

F

Fresh Bread

Member
I have a shoot coming up where there will be a panel discussion in a large room with windows behind. Shoot will run from afternoon light to dark. Need minimal ideas to light and be weary of reflection. Anyone have experience with the arri L7c or joker bug 800 hmi. Also thoughts on these choices as they pertain to my particular scenario. The arris I would spot on the panel and be able to dial temp. Prob place 20 feet from target. Joker I would bounce I to ceiling and just try and raise ambient light. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
You say the windows are behind; behind the panel or behind the camera?
Will the sun shine directly in the room towards the camera or in the panels eyes?
Will you ND the windows or close the shades/drapes
 
If the camera is facing west and the sun will shine in during sunset, you have a problem.

We still don't know enough to help you.

If the glass does not have any ND built into it (many office buildings do) then you have to deal with the bright outdoors.
It depends upon how bright the outdoor light is. If it is shady with a forest background, then the light is quite a bit reduced from a clear sky background.
You have to deal with that light. If you don't have much light in the room and you expose so the panels faces can be seen, the windows will be blown out and you may get a halo effect. If you try to expose for the windows, the panel will be in silhouette. The other option is to blind the panel with lights to balance it out. But that may not be appropriate for the event.
 
Fresh Bread said:
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Floor to ceiling curtains over the glass. Unless you've got Hollywood level resources, you aren't likely going to see anything interesting out the windows anyway. A curtain will reign in your dynamic range problem to something manageable.

If you won't do that, you either need to ND film the windows down, or pump the light in the room up. IOW, you've got to balance the dark room with the light outside. Such are the laws of physics.

The fact that the light outside is going to be transitioning through a sunset just makes it a nightmare scenario. Which brings me right back to: Floor to ceiling curtains over the glass.
 
Yup, cover those windows - with curtains, foamboard, boxes, whatever.

Windows aside, your main issue will lighting all the panellists evenly - otherwise your editor will hate you, as every cut between panellists will give an unintended lighting change too.
 
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