Need feedback on latest lighting tests - noir

S

Sledgeweb

Active member
Some of you gave us good pointers on our last test-post about flagging lights off to get a more controlled light film-noir look. I really like what we are doing with the background lighting on these, but wanted to see if I can get some more feedback from you'll. We're going for a noir style - maybe in color, maybe BW, or maybe something inbetween (desaturated color).

a24.jpg


a24bw.jpg


E-40.jpg


E-40bw.jpg


H-34.jpg


H-34bw.jpg


What do you think? Any feedback is very helpful and much appreciated.

Thanks,
Sledge
 
I definitely like some of those picks, I am not going to critique your lighting because so many more people here know way the hell more than I do. But keep it up and post more picks as I am currently writing a film-noir type short and it's nice to see other people lighting their set up film-noir style. Give me another year or two and then I might have enough knowledge to critique someone else's lighting setup. Now if you want critique on editing... Oh yeah one more thing, did you just desaturate in post or did you apply a B&W filter or something else?
 
Right now, I'm just desaturating. We've been shooting tests all night, and I just wanted to do some quick preliminary post-effects tests before I go to bed to see how it might look. If anyone has any tips for converting to BW, let me know.
 
I'm no lighting pro but I'd like to throw some critiques out there (which I personally find much more helpful than praise.) Feel free to set me straight on them:

-It seems like the 2 shot should be lit symmetrically or completely off center. The light source seems random.

-There are a lot of shadows from TV antennas, pictures and other irrevelant items. The shadow from the large, seemingly very relevant fireplace is fitting and I'd expand on it.

-Many of the shadows seem to be a result of props rather than intentional 'paintings.'

Again, I'm not a pro on lighting, but that's just what I see.
 
i would work with more black and white rather than grey. put down the blacks and up the whites and mess with contrast. because the color ones look a little fake with the hot spots from the lights and the grey ones are dull. try black and white.
 
I should point out, on the two shots, we are trying to keep one person in shadow, and the other having a little light. The story centers around this mysterious stranger whose identity isn't revealed until the end. So, that might explain why the lighting on the two shot is set up the way it is.
 
Thanks for the feedback, I've worked on the black and white shots a bit more. This time I used a channel mixer method in order to convert the images to BW. The result is that it pushes the darks toward black, and the lights toward white - cutting out the 'grayness' to the image. I also created some super low saturation images. Let me know what you think:

http://cubit.net/films/spare/lightTest07.php

As always, thanks for any feedback you provide.

-Sledge
 
You should take care with production design and costumes too. For a noir film, it´d be better some locations with elements that reminds 40´s/ 50´s look. The flat-screen tv , for example, seems a little strange. Also the polo t-shirt the man is wearing. Try a black suit or something like this.
 
I have to say it's very good. Above average, and very well acomplished. I second gumonstro's comment, the pics seem better in color than in BW for me, because the contrast is more appropriate in color. I'd also set your skintones a little lower, because they are on the verge of overexposing.

Since we are going to get neurotic, the framing of the bearded guy by the fireplace has the background fireplace too hot, and in the same side as the guys key. His face is fighting with the fireplace for our attention. And there is a double shadow on the frames on the wall. And you crossed the line! :)

Seriously, good job.
 
~To me it looks very "lit" and what I mean is that the lighting is very random. I just realized that The Green One wrote that. Anyways, that's the biggest problem I have with it. I do agree with the other remarks. And I don't think the TV is even need in the background of that shot. It's some what distracting to me. Another item that is distracting to me is the light switch.

~I love the way you have the light hitting the table and the guy on the left.

~You definetly crossed the line on the shots. The guy with the glasses is totally dark on the 2 shot and on the tight his right side is lit up.

I can't decide if I like the color or the B&W better. I think you could go either way. I am some what bias toward B&W. But they both look awesome.
 
A few things. First off, a lot of people think Noir has to always be really dark. It doesn't - much of Noir was lit quite brightly, Noir had to do with story not lighting. But there are certain halmarks to Noir. First, is unmotivated lighting. The lighting can be random and used just for effect - it always was in Noir. It's one of my favorite things about the genre. Also, it's supposed to look "lit" - but you can certainly go over the top! I would think more about your contrast ratios. Not so much where you're throwing light, but your ratios between light and dark, if more evened out will create a more "natural" noir thing.

So much of this is subjective though... I would have lit the master shot very differently, lighting much of the background dramatically for effect but with at a lower level that the foreground and placed lots of shadows. I like you second grab the best, but I would probably bring the highlights down a bit.

I've recommended this book before but if you can get Noir Style. There are tons of good books on Noir but, from a graphical standpoint, this is one of the best. Every page is a study in lighting.

If you want to see my stab at Noir lighting you can check out a short light test I did called after the gig at:

http://www.birthofthecool.com/films.html
 
Matt, that's a great looking clip... I remember watching that a few months back.

As for you grabs Sledgeweb. they look good to me!
 
Thanks guys. One other thing I forgot to point out. These are stand-ins, at a temporary location. The bearded guy on the one shot and OTS, is actually sitting in the other seat than he is on the wide shot. This is because the guy sitting on the left in the wide shot had to leave, and we were ONLY working on lighting at this point, so, it didn't really matter who was sitting where. I should have said that upfront - I just forgot to mention it. So, we didn't actually cross the line, though it looks like we did. It also explains the lighting on his face. Sorry about that, I know it makes it confusing, but we were only studying lighting on this test.

Thanks again for all the good feedback - we've come a long way since we started, and with some good suggestions from everyone here, hopefully we'll continue to tweak things until we have them just where we want them.
 
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