lighting two people - interview setting

videoshark

Well-known member
so i'm lighting 2 people tomorrow night, and wanted to get some last minute tips..
my (small) kit consists of (1) 650W fresnel, (2) 300W Halogens, (2) 75W china balls, and some gels..dimmers..flags..bounce cards and so forth. i haven't lit for more than one subject for an interview with my kit yet..i would love some suggestions?
thanks in advance!

E
 
There are several ways to approach this, and since I can't see the location, the layout of furniture, how high the ceilings are or the room dimensions, I'll give you a couple of suggestions.
This suggestion is also dependant on how far away the two people are from each other and if both are sitting in chairs facing each other or not.
I'll ASSUME they are..It would also be nice to know if this is a two camera setup or not.
Go get a 4'x8' ft piece of foam core. Place it on the floor on the long side, parallel
to their faces(along the side of their faces) aprox 4 -5 feet away. Place your 650 between them, just out of frame, and fire it into the foam core..at full flood. Use the barndoor to keep it from spilling onto the background.(This light can be rigged to hit the foamcore from many angles..this is just one scenario) Use your chinese lanterns as fill on the other side of their faces, and use your 300 halogens as background lights and additional hair separation lights. You may need to raise up the height of your foamcore as well.
Use some diffusion or maybe a silk to soften the halogens if you use them as hair lights. Your dimmers might need to come into play on these lights.
I hesitate to suggest using the 300's as your talents KEY light, as I do not know what type they are...
If you don't want to put a 4'x8 ft piece of foamcore in your VW Beetle.. You can buy a shower curtain liner(a frosted one) Hang it from a couple of stands, and fire your 650 thru that at, your subjects. Add a 1/4 cto, to warm up their skin.
What type of fixtures are your halogens ???
Again, there are SEVERAL ways to light this...Putting higher wattage bulbs in your china balls. Open the curtains, and gel your lights with 1/2 ctb, and just use them for background,fill and edge lights.. Good luck tonight.
 
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Are you in a classic two camera, one on the interviewer and one on the interviewee type of "60 Minutes/Barbara Walters/interviewer facing talent" setup or are you interviewing two people sitting next to each other and facing camera?

Makes a huge difference in how you should light it.

Dan
 
it's done..came out great. was only one camera unfortunately..kept it a two shot. never shot the interviewer.. used my 650-open flood. and filled with a 300 bounced a 300 of a wall to dissolve shadows..and bouce-carded a little side fiills. china balls as back light and everything was perfect.
 
Hey ya. Any chance of posting some stills or anything. I'm wanting to get into interview lighting soon for some stuff I want to do and am looking for any tips I can get.

One question. What do you use inside the chinese lanterns?

Cheers
Aaron
 
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