DeShonDixon
Member
How do people do this type of lighting do they use a reflector or what?
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Sunny looking lighting
- Thread starter DeShonDixon
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Besides that, watch the clip in Full HD and pay some attention to the sun glasses, tells a lot 
The sun is a wash of bright, hard light coming down from a high angle. Any way you can find to give you that will have the effect. So, reflectors, powerful HMIs, the sun itself -- all options.
Michael Carter
Veteran
Going a little warm can help too. Look at reference.
Below is from a green screen music video, which we wanted to look "sort of real" but also cartoony. Using soft light in front and very hard, warm light from behind looked really nice in motion.
Below is from a green screen music video, which we wanted to look "sort of real" but also cartoony. Using soft light in front and very hard, warm light from behind looked really nice in motion.
DeShonDixon
Member
Like what kinda of light can I buy to get the look. Not crazy expensive but at a decent price??
Marc Villafan
Well-known member
The problem with that is, in daylight exteriors powerful lights are required. You are effectively fighting the sun.
The most affordable method would be to bounce/reflect the sunlight. The more expensive option would be an HMI light. The same goes for renting with the aforementioned price difference.
From a cinematography perspective Sunlight has two main characteristics:
- It's collimated very directional light ( small source, high contrast, strong shadows )
- It has no fall-off ( so the light that hits the first part of the room is identical to the light that hits the back of the room )
To achieve something that resembles sunlight you need to use a light source that has these two main qualities, which is usually a powerful fresnel or spot ( small source, high contrast, strong shadows ) from a fair distance away so that any light fall-off is minimal. You may have to cheat and use multiple localized light sources to light a large area, just make sure that you NEVER see duplicate hilights or shadows on your subject.
Depending on the time of day, you may want to add CTO gels to give the appearance of early morning / late afternoon warmer looking sunlight.
- It's collimated very directional light ( small source, high contrast, strong shadows )
- It has no fall-off ( so the light that hits the first part of the room is identical to the light that hits the back of the room )
To achieve something that resembles sunlight you need to use a light source that has these two main qualities, which is usually a powerful fresnel or spot ( small source, high contrast, strong shadows ) from a fair distance away so that any light fall-off is minimal. You may have to cheat and use multiple localized light sources to light a large area, just make sure that you NEVER see duplicate hilights or shadows on your subject.
Depending on the time of day, you may want to add CTO gels to give the appearance of early morning / late afternoon warmer looking sunlight.
DeShonDixon
Member
I don't want complicated answers just straight up tell me what kind of light I should buy at a decent price for a look like this. I'll buy gels and everything just for now I wanna know what kinda light I should get.
What's a "decent price"? If you mean something like less than $500, there probably isn't going to be much, certainly nothing new. Even used, you're usually talking no less than $1K and almost certainly far more.
DeShonDixon
Member
Nothing outrages it's just small music video like the one above
DeShonDixon
Member
I just realized would a worklight work?
RyanT
Veteran
My first post was a joke. Please never think that that will work. Not near enough output, wrong color temperature, if it's one of those ones with two lamps you'll have multiple shadows, it's just not the right light at all. I'm sorry I even said it! 
You should probably take a look at the set lighting technicians handbook if you really want to light movies or music videos. There's a lot to be learned about color temperature, the quality of light, and how much power is needed to do certain things.
Work lights are 3200 kelvin, while daylight is a lot bluer, at 5600 kelvin. In order to do anything outside, you need at least a 1200w HMI. HMI's are about 4-5 times more efficient than tungsten lights (your worklight), so even though it's only 1200 watts, it's closer to a 5,000 watt light in terms of output.
Your cheapest solution is reflectors through diffusion. There's still two routes you can go though.
1. The cheap way. Get 4x4 pieces of beadboard and then layer a piece of show card on top of that and then some roscoe soft silver on that. It'll make a pretty rigid board with silver on one side, and white on the other. Then you can either use this and bounce the sunlight back onto your actor, or you can shoot it through a 4x4 frame of diffusion. You can find these items at your local lighting rental house...Just say a silver/white beadboard and they'll know what you're talking about.
This would be:
Beadboard W/Silver and White - 20 bucks tops.
2 C-stands - 350
Platypus - 50?
4x4 frame - 65
Diffusion - 10
2 sandbags - 50
Honestly you should get a combo stand for the 4x4 frame, but as long as it's not windy and you don't stick up at all, you should be okay. If there is the slightest amount of wind though, I'd really advise going with a combo instead.
2. The fancy way. Get a combo stand a 4x4 shiney board. It's silver on one side, then has a softer silver on the otherside. Although this is a much heavier and expensive option, you won't have any problems of this guy moving around and in turn moving your light around in the shot. If you want even more output, you can go with a 4x4 mirror board and shoot that through a 4x4 frame of diffusion.
Shiney board - 600
2 Combo stands - 500
Lollipop - 50-100?
4x4 frame - 65
Diffusion - 10
These prices are off the top of my head, they're probably in the ballpark, but not totally correct.
As far as what kind of diffusion to use, I would probably go with either opal or 251. Again, if you don't know where to buy these in your area, talk to your local rental house and they'll gladly point you in the right direction, or heck, maybe they'll sell you some of their old gear. Where are you located anyways?
So, mind finally telling us what to spend? There are SO many different ways you could do this, and until you say you only want to spend 100 or 300 or 1000 dollars can we tell you what you should get. There isn't just one answer.
You should probably take a look at the set lighting technicians handbook if you really want to light movies or music videos. There's a lot to be learned about color temperature, the quality of light, and how much power is needed to do certain things.
Work lights are 3200 kelvin, while daylight is a lot bluer, at 5600 kelvin. In order to do anything outside, you need at least a 1200w HMI. HMI's are about 4-5 times more efficient than tungsten lights (your worklight), so even though it's only 1200 watts, it's closer to a 5,000 watt light in terms of output.
Your cheapest solution is reflectors through diffusion. There's still two routes you can go though.
1. The cheap way. Get 4x4 pieces of beadboard and then layer a piece of show card on top of that and then some roscoe soft silver on that. It'll make a pretty rigid board with silver on one side, and white on the other. Then you can either use this and bounce the sunlight back onto your actor, or you can shoot it through a 4x4 frame of diffusion. You can find these items at your local lighting rental house...Just say a silver/white beadboard and they'll know what you're talking about.
This would be:
Beadboard W/Silver and White - 20 bucks tops.
2 C-stands - 350
Platypus - 50?
4x4 frame - 65
Diffusion - 10
2 sandbags - 50
Honestly you should get a combo stand for the 4x4 frame, but as long as it's not windy and you don't stick up at all, you should be okay. If there is the slightest amount of wind though, I'd really advise going with a combo instead.
2. The fancy way. Get a combo stand a 4x4 shiney board. It's silver on one side, then has a softer silver on the otherside. Although this is a much heavier and expensive option, you won't have any problems of this guy moving around and in turn moving your light around in the shot. If you want even more output, you can go with a 4x4 mirror board and shoot that through a 4x4 frame of diffusion.
Shiney board - 600
2 Combo stands - 500
Lollipop - 50-100?
4x4 frame - 65
Diffusion - 10
These prices are off the top of my head, they're probably in the ballpark, but not totally correct.
As far as what kind of diffusion to use, I would probably go with either opal or 251. Again, if you don't know where to buy these in your area, talk to your local rental house and they'll gladly point you in the right direction, or heck, maybe they'll sell you some of their old gear. Where are you located anyways?
So, mind finally telling us what to spend? There are SO many different ways you could do this, and until you say you only want to spend 100 or 300 or 1000 dollars can we tell you what you should get. There isn't just one answer.
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DeShonDixon
Member
Thanks I'll defiantly try that
j1clark@ucsd.edu
Veteran
My suggestion if you are trying to emulate this video... get rid of the guys... all of them, and just have the girls... the shots of the girls looked pretty much like a big softbox... simple lighting, and much better visuals that some jokers in sunglasses hanging out around a pool, or whatever...
Speaking of the sunglasses... I think if you look, you'll see some lights were used on the outdoor shots. Could be wrong, I just fast forward through the shots of the guys as it was... The lights were probably behind some sort of softening, but the reflection didn't look like a softbox or a big screen.
Speaking of the sunglasses... I think if you look, you'll see some lights were used on the outdoor shots. Could be wrong, I just fast forward through the shots of the guys as it was... The lights were probably behind some sort of softening, but the reflection didn't look like a softbox or a big screen.
DeShonDixon
Member
How about this lighting how would i create this?
DeShonDixon
Member
300 max but if you can get it into the 100-200 range that would be great
Shooter
Veteran
You are not getting complicated answers. You are getting excellent advice about "sunlight" ( especially The Dingos contribution) and thats what you asked for.
As a photographer or D.P... it is important to understand "light" and the way it works. ( elemental light physics)
So I will confirm: SUNLIGHT = Bright powerful focussed source from a long distance. Long distance as per the sun, allows the rays of lights to become very parallel by the time they arrive at the subject. Fresnel lenses are designed to create that effect ( ie - they focus the light and create hard shadows.)
Decent price ... well thats another matter. and very subjective. "If you have to ask..... you probably cant afford it."
All considered ...I would suggest a "hard" reflector (used on a sunny day) may do the job for you.