Tips for shooting dramatic Black and White footage

M

markinny

Member
I've always struggled to produce half decent B&W footage out the AF100 - any color footage I grade in post looks just like that - color footage converted to monochrome.

I'm working in Premier Pro and pretty handy in Colorista / have a good handle on mixing color but in Photoshop for converting photos.

Appreciate your advice
 
The key is mainly in the initial lighting setup. You need to light it more dramatic/more contrast on the face and between the subject and background. You can't really make skin white, as then it would be 90 IRE or above, and that would look strange. Just color correct with more of a contrasty look in mind, and you should be good. Do some tests I guess with different lighting setups?
 
markinny,

There's a black and white option in your menu which allocates a bit more bandwidth to your image quality that was once color information. It effectively turns the color channels off and leaves luminance values etc. I would personally shoot and monitor in black and white so that you are seeing your results on set. It's not necessary to light with more contrast to have a good black and white look. It's up to you really, and your creative ideas. I personally shoot as flat as possible, but keep a good eye on my contrast values so that I can apply my contrast in post. This is especially important for me when working with a format such as the AF100 which has a little less dynamic range than other systems. Just watch your highlights using your waveform monitor (one of the best features of this camera). Maintain good information in your lowlights and save the crushing for post. I personally prefer softer gradations in tonality for black and white stills and moving image formats. but this is my personal preference. While very contrasty images are sometimes associated with the classic black and white look, it's always a question of what your creative eye enjoys seeing. Either way, I believe the best technical practice with most available digital formats nowadays is to try and cram as much information into your digital negative as possible, then play in post. You will find that your possibilities will be numerous, and this gives you more creative wiggle room in the digital darkroom.

Check out a photographer by the name of Vivian Maier.

Z
 
Hi Z,

I wasn't even aware there was a black and white option. Will check it out in a test shoot. I had been planning on B-Press to get some decent contrast but the grain is terrible. Cine-D was my plan but would have needed a lot of work in post to get it to pop.

I'll let you know how I get on!

Mark
 
Zachary Halberd said:
There's a black and white option in your menu which allocates a bit more bandwidth to your image quality that was once color information.
Click to expand...

If the additional bandwidth is significant then the use of Contrast filters may be worthwhile. But be sure to have several options, & carefully monitor the image. There's no one filter best for all B&W, & they can introduce issues. One example is a pink dress, or red lipstick, shot with a red filter. The red filter will push these tones towards white which may be undesirable.

Still I'm unsure how the bayer's filter array will play with contrast filters (last I checked it was poorly), & if it were my project I'd still be inclined to shoot in color, & mix tones in post. For previewing on set just turn your display to B&W.
 
It turned out pretty darn well though my lighting was a little inconsistent between interviews:
http://vimeo.com/37443132


Went down the route of shooting black and white in camera and the raw footage looked gorgeous. Feedback appreciated as ever.
 
It turned out pretty darn well though my lighting was a little inconsistent between interviews:
http://vimeo.com/37443132


Went down the route of shooting black and white in camera and the raw footage looked gorgeous. Feedback appreciated as ever.
 
markinny said:
Hi Z,

I wasn't even aware there was a black and white option. Will check it out in a test shoot. I had been planning on B-Press to get some decent contrast but the grain is terrible. Cine-D was my plan but would have needed a lot of work in post to get it to pop.

I'll let you know how I get on!

Mark
Click to expand...
B-Press should be one of cleaner settings in the profile
 
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