Lighting with Practicals.

Staven

Staven

Well-known member
I'm doing a short soon. I'm going as cheap as possible, and want to practically light the shoot. The main action takes place in a basement. It has three seperate ceiling light fixtures. The bulk of the scene will take place right below these lights. The ceiling is low and chances are the lights will be in shots. I am by no means a lighting expert, but here was my plan...(can let me know how wrong and off I am) (and can please give good alternatives).

Scene takes place during the day. All windows in basement are covered. Shooting 32k preset. Planning(until told what I should actually do) to install the new energy saver light bulbs into the 3 ceiling fixtures(23w that equal 100w normal bulbs, let off a "warm white light). Also have a set of work lights that are two 500w(1000w together) that I will bounce into the area of shooting for fill. Have another smaller work light that may act as back lighting.

So now that you know my plan... what should I actually do? Feel of scene should be damp, dank, and dark like the old basement it takes place in.

Thanks for any help.
 
Re: Lighting with Practicals.

If windows are covered:

Do you mean intentionally for the scene?

or

They are beyond your control and covered!
 
Re: Lighting with Practicals.

It sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what to do...I couldn't really suggest much other than when you're looking through the viewfinder, move those worklights around until it looks how you want. You'll probably end up wanting to use the worklights as backlighting and for one side of the actor's face; It'll give a nice contrasty look to the scene.

I'd probably expose mainly to the highlights, letting the rest roll off into blackness, and possibly push the levels in post, to give a more gritty look with blown out highlights, while retaining the detail in them, and adding a bit of grain. If you adjust the blacks so that a lot of the shadows crush into darkness, it'll help with that gritty look, too. Shadow detail is the number one thing that I think would make your scene work or not:

No shadow detail= scary and good;

Shadow detail= not scary and less good :P

My two cents; anyone else chime in!
 
Re: Lighting with Practicals.

The scene is set during the day, and shot during the day. Covering the windows to give it a closed atmosphere and so that I don't have to match the light entering through the window to what I have for lighting(as far as I understand re color temp).
 
Re: Lighting with Practicals.

Sometimes it can be a good idea to mix color temps. You never know what look you might get, although I have no idea what the conceptual design is for this piece.

I think with the (3) practical bulbs and (2) worklights you have it covered. I do think you should consider using ambient light from the windows, or covering them with white sheets (I'm obviously thinking extreme guerilla low-budget here) to diffuse the light or maybe even just allow "some" light to sneak in and strategicly bounce that ray 'O' light.

Even with a dark, dank atmosphere allowing some light in might work if even just a beam or two.

Just my thoughts.
 
Re: Lighting with Practicals.

I think that with the plan you are describing, you will get almost exactly the opposite look that you're going for.

Using the fluorescents will amount to installing soft lights in the room. And then bouncing worklights off the wall will be bringing more soft light. And for dank and dark, you don't want soft light, and you don't want fill. You want hard shadows, you want pools of light and lots of dark.

If you want to do this with practicals, you'll have to invest in some black wrap (black aluminum foil) to make snoots & barn doors on your lights, to shape and control where the light falls.
 
Re: Lighting with Practicals.

Barry is bang on. I would suggest to use only 1 of the practicals (I am imagining an old school edison screw in type fixture..) and put a bright incadecent bulb in it. Dont diffuse it at all. Point whatever remaining heads you have to create "streams" of lights, to give some contrast in the background, such as placing your halogens snooted pointing down stairs raking agains the walls or a desk lamp placed somewhere.
 
Re: Lighting with Practicals.

.. im just agreeing with barry and jared here.. heaping up the unanimous response.
 
Re: Lighting with Practicals.

I just watched Freddy vs. Jason tonight.. I know, I know, but it was a beautifully lit movie. You can watch that movies to get a good idea how to light at night, both Hard and Soft and with Daylight and Tungsten sources.
 
Re: Lighting with Practicals.

Man you aint got to explain it.

I just bought the DVD's SCREAM and THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD!

SCREAM is also very well lighted!
 
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