Night Lghting

[clarkage]

How should I go about lighting a scene that takes place at night. I have heard that gels are very common in most lighting setups during scenes at night. My scene takes place on the streets. And I want it to still be dark but not horribly dark. Any tips?

 

[mburgh]

Some Night Lighting Strategies

Some Night Lighting Strategies

How should I go about lighting a scene that takes place at night. I have heard that gels are very common in most lighting setups during scenes at night. My scene takes place on the streets. And I want it to still be dark but not horribly dark. Any tips?

I just finished a doc that takes place mostly at night outside in a variety of locations, including city streets, residential neighborhoods, countryside, and driving.

For most of the time, I just let the DVX do want it wanted. As long as there was some light from some source, I got usable and even excellent footage.

If you have the resources, the time, and the permission, you can do the following:

1. Wet down the street (wet streets and smoke/fog always look great on screen)

2. Set up lights above the street level gelled to reflect on the slick tarmac, and on the characters.

But you can get dramatic and excellent lighting for nothing, if you have a commercial street full of shops with their lights and signs on.

I would suggest you take your camera for a test shoot at your location. Best of luck.

 

[scorsesefan]

Try putting a 2 or 3k high overhead with an amber gel. This should emulate a street lamp pretty well.