Preferred lighting issue with non low light camera

P

PIMP

Well-known member
Hello group:

So I own a sony f35 and my favorite lighting technique is lighting my actors with a 4bank kino covered with unbleached muslin. My cinematographer on my last shoot was against it because it dims the kino and he like to shoot at an f4 stop on the lens. My question is should i force him to shoot with the lens wide open or is there a way to enhance that technique of light. Just to add details we are shooting in a kind of low ceiling studio.

Thanks in advance
 
I use the same technique - but double the output with 2 4x4's clipped together - with 8 selectable bulbs -
I then create an edge with a pocket par
 
This same issue has come up for me in the past as well.
It's a great light, but the unbleached muslin really blocks a lot of the power.

I really need to mess around with some diffusion sheeting and gels to see if I can come up with a pairing that looks mostly the same but with less light loss.
As long as the source is as large as a 4-bank then I think the diffusion can be lighter without ending up too hard or with hot spots.

Off the top of my head without measuring the temperature of the muslin over a Kino, I think I'd try starting with maybe some 1/4 frost and a little bit of light Straw. Working up in density from there.
 
You can also try grid cloth, very soft, but more tranmission of light than the muslin. I use it often on my Kinos.
 
PIMP said:
Hello group:

So I own a sony f35 and my favorite lighting technique is lighting my actors with a 4bank kino covered with unbleached muslin. My cinematographer on my last shoot was against it because it dims the kino and he like to shoot at an f4 stop on the lens. My question is should i force him to shoot with the lens wide open or is there a way to enhance that technique of light.
Click to expand...

Hiring a cinematographer and telling him/her what instrument to light with is like giving actors line readings.

Separately: your DP should have been able to recreate that effect with any number of other instruments that could provide a similar effect. I personally find that Kino setup to be quite limiting because there isn't a quick way to ramp the output up and down incrementally--switching bulbs on and off is the equivalent of clickstops versus a continuous dial, and at a certain point you are affecting the size of the source as well. I use Quasar tubes instead of Kinos now for that reason.

As far as "forcing" the DP to shoot wide open vs T4, that's a choice which certainly is in the directorial wheelhouse because it has a specific look. If you want a shallow look for creative reasons, fair enough, but that shouldn't be dictated simply because of a preference to shoot with a given lighting instrument if there are other options available...that's the tail wagging the dog.
 
puredrifting said:
You can also try grid cloth, very soft, but more tranmission of light than the muslin. I use it often on my Kinos.
Click to expand...

But all the gridcloth I've ever seen is white. Unbleached muslin is not. That's really the reason most people use it.
So I think replicating this is more an issue of finding a color match, less so simple diffusion.

Need to meter it.
Next time I have some unbleached muslin set up over a Flo light I'll just hit it with the meter to see the temp and hue. Should be easy enough to replicate with the Rosco guide. But this week is out for sure...
Gotta remember to do this...

EDIT: In fact, I'd bet there's already a Rosco gel color made to mimic this shade. You ever REALLY delve into their books? Melt your brain with choices.
 
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