Shooting outside magic hour

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NASDAQSUPERSTAR

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I am going to shoot my student film project tomorrow and the scene entails a couple looking up in the sky.

I am going to shoot the film in Pasadena CA and the weather looks like its going to be sunny around 82 degrees.

Is there any way i could shoot this w/o making the scene look over exposed? I am going to shoot around 3:30/.

Nas
 
Bring a white card and bounce fill into the actors. Of course, that is what is so good about magic hour - the sun is a great big (low) warm fill/key light. By the way, I'm in L.A., and magic hour right now is closer to 5pm.

Addendum - Oh wait. I see what you meant. I thought "outside' meant "exterior" - but you meant that you are aware that 3:30pm isn't quite magic hour yet. Sorry about that. In that case, the white card will REALLY be helpful!
 
Unless you have specific shots that you want that involve seeing the actors faces and the sky at the same time, I'd shoot it in 3 shots:

1 closeup (or mid shot/whatever you want) of the actors looking up at the sky, but from a top-down type angle so you don't get the sky in the shot, and expose for thier skin and the ground would most likely not be overexposeed either

then a POV shot of the sky, exposing using the iris and/or ND

and then a shot from behding the actors, exposing so the sky is not over exposed, and the actors would be somewhat sillohuets, but since it's from behind, it's not loosing much information and it'll look somewhat artsy. This shot isn't that needed, but I'd do it just incase you want something else when editing.

besides that, then yes I agree with cyclone: white card / lots and lots of bounce light!
 
I've found setting up a silk overhead helps lessen the harsh shadows that show up around midday.
 
how about usuing a polorizing filter to help keep the sky...and use the bounce card also. wudnt that help?
 
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