Natural light question

JulianBenavidez

JulianBenavidez

Active member
I want to shoot a "people having a BBQ" scene outside with sunlight as my lighting. What would I need to do to the scene 'lighting wise' to make it look professional? I would be shooting w/ a DVX100b and possibly a 35mm adapter.

Any help greatly appreciated! :dankk2:
 
There are many things that you can do to make it look better. The first, diffuse the sun. The sun is bright, if you haven't noticed, and it creates just as harse and unflattering shadows. Often, on major productions, a softening fabric is put over the scene in order to soften and diffuse the light. Often it is a 20x20 1/4 Silk or such fabric. Say that you can't afford the money for rental and a crew? Try and at least to soften the sun on close-up's where it is more manageable. You can use diffusion gels (such as opel, or 250) but you can also get creative. A sheer, like what is on your Grandma's windows or in the good-will for $2.00) can be put on a stand or open 4x4 frame and used just as well. IT will help a lot!
Another big help is fill cards. Fill those racoon eyes (shadows under the eyes) by bouncing the sun back under the eyes and opposite the bright (key) light of the sun.
You can use foamcore, or polycard (from hardware stores), or anything white, or silver if you need more.
You can also use the same card to create a rim, or hairlight. Mirrors also help in this situation.

Good Luck - W
 
Set the scene in the shade of a tree or a building. Then your problem is to keep the background from blowing out...unless you shoot towards the building.

A good cheap diffuser is a home made pvc pipe frame from Home Depot covered by a stretched sheet from Walmart.

You use the sheet for either a diffuser tent over the actors if you shoot in the sun. Or as a giant reflector if you shoot in the shade.

The most important feature of the scene is how the bbq smells. Let me know how you get that into the video...and how you edit it.
 
Ok...wait just a minute.

Julian, you're from NY. What do y'all know about real BBQ? ...I mean what do youse guys know about BBQ? Isn't there like one BBQ restaurant in all of Manhatten? I think its south of Union Square on 4th or Broadway near NYU.

And forget the Walmart. I think there is a K-mart on 11th or 12th and 3rd. Good luck finding a Home Depot.
 
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Ive used the sunbounce diffuser, in a slight breeze that thing becomes a kite. I bet this one is similiar. If I were shooting a commercial I'd buy some tulle, by the yard, at the local material shop...wedding dresses ect. and get creative. Maybe hanging it in the trees or homemade frame... at least with tulle I can make a large diffuser on the cheap.
 
There are probably 10 good park locations between NYU on the south and Central Park on the north off of 5th or broadway.

Also, the north-west corner of Central near Columbia U.
 
...and every one of them have student teams out with the dvx100's shooting class projects right about now...NYFA, NYU, Pace, etc.
 
super cheap?? use 4mil painters plastic/drop cloth to diffuse the light and white poster board from an office supply store for the bounce on the subject.
 
Control of Natural Light

Control of Natural Light

The easiest and most efective way is to shoot against the sun.
Position your peoplewith the sun as their backlight... This will give you nice rimlight around their bodies. At the same time your background will not be illuminated which will add depth to your picture.... from separation between rimlight and darkened background
You can bounce sunlight from the front into the faces if needed. Hold something over the camera lens as not to get direct sunlight strike it.
Cinematography Workshop
 
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