jwing
Active member
Okay, so admittedly, I'm still pretty new to lighting. I've been doing film for a while, but it hasn't been until more recently that I've been taking a more hands-on approach to lighting itself.
That said, I am kind of curious about how people generally like to raise the ambience of a room. I recently shot some tests using two fresnels, an Arri 650 (with diffusion) and an Arri 300. I wanted to concentrate primarily on key and fill lighting before moving into playing with back lighting; but maybe this was my problem? Because you see, I had no other lights turned on in this room, and the light fall off with fresnels is so dramatic (sorry to state the obvious), that my image appeared to have a huge vignette. I should mention also that I experimented with flood and spot controls, but regardless, everything is still so dark away from the subject.
I'm a fan of the low-key look, but it almost appeared as though my subject was sitting in complete blackness, a total void, with a spotlight just on the face. Everything else seems to fall off. I'm sure this is completely normal and expected with the nature of fresnels... but now I'm kind of curious as to how to get more of the environment lit, but without over-lighting it.
Assuming you do not have any sunlight coming through windows, do you turn overhead practicals on and color correct them? Do you point an open-faced light at the ceiling as a bounce to fill up the whole room?
I'm sure there are any number of techniques, and that no one technique is the right one, as it depends on each situation and setting. I'm just a little confused, as I've seen lighting diagrams for films where they used only fresnels--a key, fill, and a back light. But it would seem to me, based on my experience so far, that this would create a similar void, yet it doesn't. The room ambience is somehow brought up. Is this because I'm missing the back light?
Sorry if these questions seem a little dumb. I'm still learning as I go.
That said, I am kind of curious about how people generally like to raise the ambience of a room. I recently shot some tests using two fresnels, an Arri 650 (with diffusion) and an Arri 300. I wanted to concentrate primarily on key and fill lighting before moving into playing with back lighting; but maybe this was my problem? Because you see, I had no other lights turned on in this room, and the light fall off with fresnels is so dramatic (sorry to state the obvious), that my image appeared to have a huge vignette. I should mention also that I experimented with flood and spot controls, but regardless, everything is still so dark away from the subject.
I'm a fan of the low-key look, but it almost appeared as though my subject was sitting in complete blackness, a total void, with a spotlight just on the face. Everything else seems to fall off. I'm sure this is completely normal and expected with the nature of fresnels... but now I'm kind of curious as to how to get more of the environment lit, but without over-lighting it.
Assuming you do not have any sunlight coming through windows, do you turn overhead practicals on and color correct them? Do you point an open-faced light at the ceiling as a bounce to fill up the whole room?
I'm sure there are any number of techniques, and that no one technique is the right one, as it depends on each situation and setting. I'm just a little confused, as I've seen lighting diagrams for films where they used only fresnels--a key, fill, and a back light. But it would seem to me, based on my experience so far, that this would create a similar void, yet it doesn't. The room ambience is somehow brought up. Is this because I'm missing the back light?
Sorry if these questions seem a little dumb. I'm still learning as I go.
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