shooting DVX100A w/ low lighting

[rajour]

I am shooting a short with my camera and I want the look to dark and eerie almost film noir like except darker. Do anyone have any ideals about how much lighting I need. I have two lights a Lowel and Arri 650. Do I need more or what? Thanks for your time guys.

Rajour

 

[mastermind]

650s may be a little too much but then again it depends on your location. If you're shooting interiors and you want a dark look, you may want close down your iris a little. A dark eeire look it not neccessarily the AMOUNT of light but also the QUALITY of light. You may want to use a harder light f(no bounce) and try to create shadows, or maybe even a low key lighting setup...it's all subjective ofcourse. Try to watch some movies with the quality of lighting you're looking and freeze frame when you see a lighting setup you like and see the way that specific scene was lit.

 

[Sad Max]

What about shooting in the mid-range, and darkening down and manipulating contrast in post...?

Seems that way, you don't run the risk of too-dark footage; you can control it to precisely what you want in the edit.

Just a thought.

 

[aaandre]

I would shoot with normal intensity of the light and expose for highlights.
I would try using only a keylight and place it at close to 80-90 degrees off camera.
If I use a second light it would be a backlight.
If I use a fill light/reflector, they would be a few stops lower than normal.

Start with the keylight and move it until you get the look you want.
Of course you would have to hire stand-ins for that

-- Andre