Lighting for TV Screens (shoot this friday!)

[Jon Starr]

Alright, so I'm doing a quick small film for a shoot this Friday night (Oct. 29). I was brought on last minute. The group is a bit new to filmmaking, but they're bringing on some more knowledgable people that know what they're doing for the technical roles... I'm on as the gaffer. One concern I have when I went to check out the location was that they want to film a TV on in the background.

I'm using an arri 1k, 3 arri 600w, a double 4' kino flo, and hopefully a second one (if not then a single tube 4' kino flo).

Now I mentioned turning off the TV and doing it in post like most of us would do, but it's a lot of movement in front of the screen and since they don't know much about this I'd like to try and do it on set if possible.

Now obviously there's the scan lines and you do synchro scan or just adjust the shutter, I know that much. But one time when I shot a computer screen I noticed that it came out VERY blue. Is there a concern for a television screen, and how would you suggest I compensate? I think we had the computer screen in sunlight, so I don't think just putting a CTB on all the lights and balancing to daylight would do it (unless I'm wrong?). Is it just some crazy color temp where you have to really go high on the kelvin scale?

Any thoughts, ideas? I thought of maybe cutting a large CTO for the screen itself, though I have a feeling the reflective surface would show.

Too bad there's no time for a test. Got on this thing two days ago.

 

[bill totolo]

First off- Are we talking CRT or flat screen here? That will determine whether or not you need to concern yourself with clear scan mode or shutter angles.
Either way it's going to be 5.5 to 6.5 Kelvin. To make life easier on yourself you may want to consider shooting daylight balanced. And I highly recommend you get inside the set menus to lower the brightness and contrast at the very least. Maybe even the backlight and saturation.

How high is the ceiling where you're shooting and where in the room is the television positioned? Perhaps you can light from above to mitigate reflections? Just remember the basic laws of reflectance when blocking camera angles. A flat screen with a matte surface will be your friend here. A CRT with a curved surface not so much.

Now you mentioned <<they want to film a TV on in the background.>> Does that mean you're shooting with a film camera? If so you're going to shoot with a 144 degree shutter angle at 24fps 60hz us when shooting a CRT.

I hope some of that was useful.

 

[Jon Starr]

Thanks for the info!

No, it's not film, just using it as a general verb "to film". "To video" sounds a bit funny. Plus film cameras aren't always the same angle shutter anyways. I shot with the Aaton and it was 180, and the bolex I've shot with is 130 degree. Plus there are some film cameras that can change shutter speed by enlarging or closing up the disc. Aaaanyways, we'll be shooting with the Canon 7D. I'm not the cinematographer, just the gaffer.

Perhaps we won't have scan lines, your right. It's an LCD I think (or plasma). Didn't have much time to check it out. Either way there's ways around it.

So if it's daylight I'll put in daylight in the kinos and put full ctbs on all the lights and balance to daylight. Thanks! It's exactly what I wanted to know!

 

[bill totolo]

Plus film cameras aren't always the same angle shutter anyways. I shot with the Aaton and it was 180, and the bolex I've shot with is 130 degree. Plus there are some film cameras that can change shutter speed by enlarging or closing up the disc.

Jon, you would manually adjust your shutter to 144 degrees compensate for scan lines.
Same as you would go into clear scan mode on a video camera, to manually adjust your shutter speed.

 

[Jon Starr]

Ah, I misunderstood. My mistake.

Anyways, it turned out just fine. We balanced the kinos and arri 1ks to daylight, set the camera to that, and the colors of the TV came out perfect. Thanks again!