Shooting a round table...

K

KissSpooky

New member
Hey all, I need some advice. I'll preface this with the stereotypical "I did a search but found no results that suited my needs". :P

So, I have to shoot a scene of basically three guys sitting at a round table playing cards while they talk shop (they work together, they're sharing stories, etc.).

Does anyone have any advice as far as staging, lighting, etc? I was thinking about just sort of winging it, but I'm on a limited time frame (on of the actors is moving away fairly soon), so I don't want to waste anyone's time by having it look like crap and having to either A: re-shoot (if we have time), or B: trying to fix it with editing and having it look amateurish.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
use the same set up seen on the Discovery show deadliest catch where all captains gather in a round table set up to talk about their season. Chang the lighting though to fit your mood.
 
Depending on the look, you could hang a china ball above the center of the table. You could also skirt it with Duva to keep the walls dark. Or you could shoot a light straight down and have it bounce off the table and light their faces that way. Or you could set up key lights with 650 fresnells for each player. Or you could just bounce a light into the ceiling.
 
seunosewa said:
Position them at right angles to each other and shoot from the 4th corner.
Click to expand...

For a short scene, yes, that's definitely the simplest option, and it lets you zoom in for closeups for a bit of variety.

If it's a big scene and you have some budget, a circular dolly track around the table can give some great shots
 
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