Lighting setup for doctor's office

holymexicobatman

holymexicobatman

Well-known member
Hey guys,
I'm going to be DP'ing(on the dvx100) a small production for a medical center here in Moscow in a few weeks and I need some tips on lighting. I'm going to keep it simple and just go for a standard 'E.R' look-no fancy artistic stuff going on here. It will be a series of narrative sequences used to help train doctors in patient-doctor relationships. My boss wants it very cinematic but very simple, smooth cinematographic style, and easy to follow. We will be shooting over a period of two days in a very well-lit yet cramped clinic. The following are some photos of the clinic.

DSC_0864.jpg

DSC_0869.jpg

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I'm pretty much clueless as to what else I need to add to help this environment look better but I don't think it'll be much. But I REALLY want to avoid it looking too flat! My main concern is that the temperature of the light fixtures change from the hallway to the office and I might be doing a continuous shot in some segments. Secondly, if I do add any additional light, it will all have to be done on a shoe-string budget(It took me an hour just to convince my boss to pay for a 50 dollar skateboard dolly). And finally, does anyone think I will run into problems while shooting under these florescent lights, such as flickering and what not.

Thanks everyone in advance for your time and support! Cheers :)
 
I wouldn't worry about the flickering... but if it looks flat it looks flat. About all you can do is get a silver reflector... or turn off some lighting in the BG that you don't need... but then it might just look weird.

You just laid out a situation where you're hands are tied and you have no money to do anything different.

All you can really do is use whatever the closest light is... use the geometry of the situation to your advantage... and I guess try a silver reflector. Hopefully you have one of those available (inc. stand and arm)... then stage any interviews as close as possible to a light. Look up... pick one... get your talent just a little behind it with a nice BG... the bring in the reflector to eliminate shadows... that's about all you can do given the situation.
 
Thanks very much. That does help. And yes I do have two multi-shade reflectors(you know, those fun fold up Chinese ones--hehe). I also may be able to get my hands on some work lights and/or detachable fluorescents. Do you think that might do any good? BTW, they are actual narrative skits, like a reenactment of someones doctor appointment--not actually 'interviews', so the lighting needs to look natural--not a studio set or anything. Am I making since?--sorry I kinda suck at communication(need to work on that...).
 
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I've shot plenty of office type stuff recently. One of the best tips I can give you is to go out and get aluminum foil. Tape this around the fixtures to help make the lighting more directional. Literally hang the stuff around it, basically like a snoot on a fresnel. It also helps keep light off the top parts of the walls. Because the fixtures are essentially softboxes, the effect will be subtle at first, but as you get more fixtures covered, you'll really start to see the effect, and the camera will really pick it up. The look can be enhanced in post by adding a little more contrast.
 
I'd go the reflector route as well. If you need more light, buy a flourescent fixture and use the exact same bulbs that are in the doctors office. Attach a Baby pin to the fixture, to allow use on a stand with a gobo head or C-stand, or just to aid in carrying it and aiming it.
Or a grip can hold this above or just below lens for fill while traversing the hallways. A chinese lantern with a sprial type floro bulb, on the end of a pole may also work for your moving shots. --This will definately need an attentive grip/gaffer , that can not only anticipate the doctor/patient/nurse's movements, but remain aware of the surroundings, space to work in, avoiding hitting patients or delicate medical equipment. There is also a trip -hazard with stingers on the floor and what not.. Just a thought. If the doctors and nurses spend a great deal of time ,at say.. the Nurses station.. You can pre-light these locations with some additional flourescent fixtures--again using the same type bulb. You'll have better lighting for the patient check-in area, and where the doctors speak to others about a patients care or treatment needs.
The hallway shots are best left up to MattinSTL's suggestion of just reflectors, or like I mentioned earlier, staying light(as in weight) and just use a simple shop sized- flouro light or perhaps a VIDLED- dimmed down , diffused,and gelled to match the overhead lights. You don't want nasty shadows on the narrow walls of the clinic with too powerful of an on camera light.
 
Also something that can really make your shots look better in this situation where you can't change up the practical lighting too much is to use good color timing(not just color correction but adding a possible unique look) You might also want to play with something like popping a colors a bit more.(after subtracting the green out of the flourescents) You'd be surprised how much that can make things look like you had more of a setup. Also make sure you control the light coming from those windows.
 
I just shot in a similar environment and what I did was use the available light and highlighted the talent with small soft lights to make them look a little more lit and to pull them off the background. Its a subtle effect but it works and models the actors more. I like that idea about putting the foil, didn't think about that one.
 
Well, from what I have seen in the photos, the available let seems sufficient for your fill, basically your ambient light. Try to get your exposure based on the pre existing sources, then like Aram said, use a small soft light, or a small kino (with proper color temp) above and slightly behind the talent to accent the rim, as well as supply a little more contrast to the hair. This will help seperate them from the more flat background, and will actually make your setups look much more advanced! Definitely utilize what Chris has said and you'll be set.
 
Flagging lights

Flagging lights

I LOVE CHRIS'S IDEA OF FLAGGING THE LIGHTS!!!!
I would go one step further and enhance an idea I saw
the DP of the "Office" use where the made boxes out of
foamboard and attached it to the lights. I would add Magnets to
the top edges and make it where the boxed could just be snapped into place
or give it some edges to tape down with gaff tape. That combined with
the reflector should make a huge difference.
 
Hey Kendall, did you see an article or something about the lighting for The Office? If so, could you provide a link? That setup sounds interesting!
 
Wow guys thanks so much for the advice! This is really helpful...I'm actually not so depressed now about having to handle this lighting setup/budget. haha! Oh, and could anyone do me a HUGE favor and post some links or info about further reading into purchasing/building these "soft lights"/"small kinos". I apologize for my ignorance. This is the first time ive been charge of lighting design and I wish I was more familiar with all the vocab...:( (i also wish i had more than pocket change to deal with too...hehe)

So yeah, just point me in the right direction, and try to keep the lighting slang and abreviations to a minimum(maybe you were'nt even using any, im just that dumb--haha)

thanks again! you guys rock my socks off! I promise to post some footage/grabs once I shoot some tests in a few weeks.

edit:
mr. miller, that link to the bts footage of the office set is extremely helpful as well! thanks a million for that.
 
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If you are working from pocket change, and are in need of some quick lights, I would suggest purchasing a few simple clamp lights, from your local hardware store. These ceramic sockets can support a decent wattage, and the aluminum reflector will do a fair job of spreading the light. Try to locate a local film company, or rental house, because you will also need some diffusion, I would recommend something thin, like Opal, or Hampshire Frost, so you don't bring the light intensity down too much. While you are there, try to locate some 200W or 300W bulbs, with the correct color temperatures of the locations you are shooting. Grab a few of each so that you can either switch out the bulbs for different areas, or make several clamp lights.

The great thing about this cost efficient setup is that it is very quick to put togethor. You will save alot of money this way, and it will provide sufficient light to shoot your tests, etc. The lights have rubber clamps, so you can easily mount them to the ceiling panels, so the need for more expensive gear such as stands, arms, etc. decreases.

Unfortunately with these however, the light spread is difficult to control, as is the lights intensity. There are certainly other lighting solutions, but I have found this one simple and effective.
 
My website has quite a bit of resources for DIY fluorescent lighting. www.coollights.biz.

You might just go to your local home improvement store in Moscow there and see what they have in the way of electronic ballast fluorescent light fixtures of the 4 foot long variety of just use a bunch of compact fluorescent bulbs.

Fluorescent light is a natural soft light so any fluorescent light will be soft. After that its just a question of matching color temperatures to whatever other lighting is going on there to keep it from becoming to much of a mess. The fluorescent fixtures there will be your predominant lighting so just check their color temperature and match to that. Not much else you can do unless you rebulb everywhere and that's not practical for your budget.
 
cardmaverick said:
I've shot plenty of office type stuff recently. One of the best tips I can give you is to go out and get aluminum foil. Tape this around the fixtures to help make the lighting more directional. Literally hang the stuff around it, basically like a snoot on a fresnel. It also helps keep light off the top parts of the walls. Because the fixtures are essentially softboxes, the effect will be subtle at first, but as you get more fixtures covered, you'll really start to see the effect, and the camera will really pick it up. The look can be enhanced in post by adding a little more contrast.
Click to expand...
Is there any more info or visual examples that i might be able to find online concerning the aluminum-foil flagging concept? im getting ready to shoot a test next week! thanks.
 
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