Lighting Tip & Filters

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digitalinnovations

Well-known member
I posted this over in the HVX forum for help in the filter area and I also thought to post it here for any tips on the lighting side.

I have a shoot coming up later in the week and I am interested in trying out some on lens filters for the shoot. Here is the setup: we will be shooting outdoors, after dark. It is possible that will be some slight ambient lighting from a parking lot. There will be some pretty extensive lighting on this one. I have approx. 6000 watts in my "arsenal". They are a mix of 500/750 Omni lights, some pars, fresnel, etc.

I have not used on lens filters before (besides the protective, clear one I have threaded onto my lens currently) so I am pretty unfamiliar with what is available and what they are capable of. I was looking for some that could potentially help with a. flare and b. something that would punch up the color and really make it "pop" some some colored and neon signs in background.

It is very possible I could be WAY off base with what I am looking to achieve, but I am always looking to learn new areas and filters would be one for me. I appreciate any help you might be able to give. Thanks in advance!
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I have not shot outdoors completely after dark before, so I am looking for any tips you can think of that would help me avoid any "tragedies". I will begin setup right at dusk (around 5pm here) and the shoot will not begin till somewhere around 9-10pm. I did this to give plenty of time for setup.

Thanks for taking the time!
 
Filters can be dangerous at night. My first piece of advice would be to take off the clear filter. Unless it's a $200 beauty, you're probably losing some of your clarity with it, and there certainly is not much UV you need to worry about after dark. That should, in theory, also make things 3-6% brighter.

6000 watts is probably enough for 2-3 subjects plus maybe a tree in the background. I have a bunch of 350w-500w halogen worklights I keep on hand to supplement my real lights when I go outdoors. Basically a "broad" style light. They're great for background lighting and only cost about $12 at a place like Home Depot.

Be wary of those parking lot lights. If they're sodium, you'll be in the 1900k to 2100k range, very orange looking. If they're mercury vapor, they will be in the 3200k-4000k range but look green no matter what you do. Either way it's pretty ugly light.

When you say "help with flare" do you mean adding flare? Depending on the scene, a star filter or vari-cross might work. Use a diffusion and you can get some interesting halos. If you want to control flare, that's all the DP... you can't do that with filters.

If you want neon to pop, I'd just do it in post. It's pretty simple in After Effects. The only filter that can make reds 'pop' in color would be a dydidmium, and that's not going to have an effect on something like a neon sign, which has a very limited frequency spread anyway. It's designed more for foliage and situations where you need to unify yellows oranges and reds. Plus it would take your exposure down a 1/2 stop or so.

The only filters I can imagine you needing on a shoot like this (on video) would be a graduated ND or possibly a specialty filter like a graduated minusgreen to work with the parking lot, plus any diffusion/warming for talent with problem skin.
 
Thank you! The halogen work-light sounds like a great way to supplement! I will pick a couple of those up as well. Do you use the kind on a stand or just the type that sit on the floor? I do have a minus green card that I can balance to so maybe that will help in that area.

As far a punching up the color you think that is best left to post, huh? I have always been torn and in the past I have always shot pretty "naked" and adjusted in post. I do at time "warm" balance my cams but that is the extent of my adjustments/ filtration.

Thanks again for the help and if you or anyone has any thoughts, please feel free.
 
For lighting trees in the background I use the ones that sit on the floor. I've got a couple on stands I keep handy for special occasions, too.

I don't think the minusgreen card will help unless you're shooting partly under mercury vapor/fluorescent lights. Chances are you'll just want to WB to 3200k.

Experiment with settings on the HVX, esp. the pedestal. That's key to low-noise and punchy shots in high contrast environments.
 
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