Lighting Scene with Chinese Lanterns

M

MoleManX

Member
I have a scene I am trying to co-ordinate which is gonna take place on the beach. I want the only light in the image coming from two chinese lanterns the 2 characters will be holding. I am afraid it's not gonna be enough light, so should I have some other lights off camera? If so, which would help create a nice night shot, but not make it plainly obvious the characters are being lighted by something other than the moon or the lanterns?

Also, anyone know of any good, bright chinese lantern kits out there? Thanks!
 
What's your budget Cowboy? I like the idea of the lanterns but casting the 'Moonlight' effect onto the sands behind them would be nice; so..........

What's your budget?
 
On lights, prolly a few hundred bucks. It's an independent little featurette that will end up costing about $3-4,000 without the price of the camera.
 
You will probably get a decent exposure from the light coming from the china balls... but that wil only reach as far as key lighting your characters.... eveything else will be black tho, which will look dumb. My suggestion would be to shoot your subjects on long lens black light any trextures (like the water or the sand) in the background. If you go wide you will need to back light a large area of the beach.

I just worked on a film called Dungeon Siege and they had a wicked set up for this beach scene where a army of orc looking creatures were marching up a beach with a bunch of catapults. They had a 100mill budget... but you could always push for a condor with some 20k's and a starlite crane with 6 12k pars on remote heads. :evil:
 
You can backlight a few splashes of light with car headlights, maybe with 1/4 or 1/2 CTB. Just never use both headlights of the same car, because they will cast double shadows. Sometimes that works.
 
You could make a DIY moon. Essentially get about four or six worklights and make a big diffuser/soft box for them (all in one). But it needs to be BIG and you need to controll spill. Also you probably want to gel it as Taubkin mentioned. You also need a way to hoist it. or a hill or a big mother of a ladder.

Have someone standing by with a fire extinguisher....
 
Don't shoot it at night! Shoot it just when the amount of ambient dips appropriately below the light created by the chinese lanterns. Yes, you won't have long- once it's completely dark, your out of luck unless you bring a few trucks with which you light the rest of the beach.

Again, careful selection of the time of day.

fn
 
Fake Name said:
Don't shoot it at night! Shoot it just when the amount of ambient dips appropriately below the light created by the chinese lanterns. Yes, you won't have long- once it's completely dark, your out of luck unless you bring a few trucks with which you light the rest of the beach.

Again, careful selection of the time of day.

fn
Click to expand...

I was actually thinking of doing this. I suppose with the DVX's problem with low light situations it will appear much darker than it really is, thus giving the effect I want.

Also, if i choose to do a day for night filter effect in post, will the lanterns show up? I think it would look nice getting a splash of light on the characters from the lanterns their holding, but I'm afraid in sunlight it wont show up at all.
 
I know nothing about the day/night post technique. I just look at the light ratios- if the lanterns are brighter than the ambient light, set your exposure to thatof the lanterns, and the ambient will be darker. Taking it to the extreme, you could put two or three Soviet military surplus magnesium paratrooper flares inside the lanterns and shoot in full daylight. You talent might be a little uncomfortable, but the heck wit them, that's why they get paid, right?

Is this how internet myths get started?

Anyway, I'd setup as the sun falls, watching my monitor carefully. At some point, the lanterns will be brighter than the remaining ambient. That's when you shoot. Keep in mind, the lanterns will likely be lit with tungsten, and thus a LOT warmer than the ambient- I would NOT correct that, I think it will look warm and friendly.

fn
 
Take a work light or 3 (like the kind you can buy at a hardware store for $15, put some half or full blue gel on them and bash them into white foamcore that is as high as you can rig them, all along your shot.

Peace - Wilson
 
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