tips on constructing look for short

M

matthewd5

Veteran
hello.

i am going to be shooting a new short and i have one very important location where i can get access by request so time there is somewhat limited.

what i am trying to do is go there and spend a few hours coming up with not only the light and camera locations but developing a "look" for both the location and the project.

the main scene is a "bar" there will be extras in the background playing pool etc and the main character will be sitting at one end of the bar, plus the obligatory bartender and two women talking at the other end.

the main character is supposed to be "dark" as far as mood and kind of mysterious.

is it too simplistic to block off the lighting around him so he is less lit than everyone else?

what other things can i do in the cinematography to build his character in addition to the dialog?

there is dialog between him and two women at the end of the bar that makes them gradually feel uncomfortable and start to feel that he is kind of weirding them out.

what subtlties can i use to get this across before he leaves?

any suggestiosn on movies i can watch where they do this??

matthew
 
Re: tips on constructing look for short

is it too simplistic to block off the lighting around him so he is less lit than everyone else?
Click to expand...

For your mysterious/menacing character I would shoot him backlit as much as possible or lighted from the side. Possible give the 'sillouette' or 'hard light' approach. I'd also shoot him a little lower comp wise to give the 'menacing' vibe.

Damn, these are tough ones.

what subtlties can i use to get this across before he leaves?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure of this as what would the dialog be? Chit chat at the bar? There are many ways for a dude to weird chicks out but without actual dialog I am not sure where you are going with this.

Maybe as you shoot the over the shoulder shots you can always make sure he is at the far side away from the frame and theese two girls would be centered nicely? Maybe give the 'physche' visual thing?

I dont know. Anyone? Id like to figure this out though.
 
Re: tips on constructing look for short

From what I know of women (which admittedly is very little), they generally don't like being stared at.

If any guy at the other end of a room fixes his eyes on a woman and does not break his gaze, she will get weirded out. In that case, I think if you went with that approach, it would lose effect if you put your character in too much darkness.

Cliche overkill.
 
Re: tips on constructing look for short

Hey, I'd get weirded out too if some backlit dude I didn't know was staring at me . . .
 
Re: tips on constructing look for short

[quote author=J_Barnes link=board=news;num=1101702461;start=0#2 date=11/29/04 at 07:06:59]From what I know of women (which admittedly is very little),
.[/quote]

You, and the rest of us
 
Re: tips on constructing look for short

without knowing anything else about the character or the short, my suggestion would be to maybe give him a hat. If it's appropriate it can ads alot, and can help with the litting too, the brim of the hat shadowing his eyes and stuff.
 
Re: tips on constructing look for short

[quote author=David Jimerson link=board=news;num=1101702461;start=0#3 date=11/29/04 at 07:22:22]Hey, I'd get weirded out too if some backlit dude I didn't know was staring at me . . . [/quote]

Reninds me of when we did time for that safe cracking gig gone awry.
 
Re: tips on constructing look for short

[quote author=Cheesesailor77 link=board=news;num=1101702461;start=0#5 date=11/29/04 at 15:17:46]without knowing anything else about the character or the short, my suggestion would be to maybe give him a hat. If it's appropriate it can ads alot, and can help with the litting too, the brim of the hat shadowing his eyes and stuff.[/quote]

I suggest a beanie with a propeller.
 
Re: tips on constructing look for short

[quote author=J_Barnes link=board=news;num=1101702461;start=0#2 date=11/29/04 at 07:06:59]From what I know of women (which admittedly is very little), they generally don't like being stared at.

If any guy at the other end of a room fixes his eyes on a woman and does not break his gaze, she will get weirded out.  In that case, I think if you went with that approach, it would lose effect if you put your character in too much darkness.

Cliche overkill.[/quote]


Do the backlit thing, but put a little kicker on just his eyes, so as to make them luminous and feral-looking...?

Always works for me when I'm looking for a pickup at the bar.
 
Re: tips on constructing look for short

i was thinking about something like that...

i realized that in my light kit is all big-ish lights, i have tota lights, dp lights and a pro light, but nothing smaller, so i picked up a lowel L light.

i have tons of options for hanging things from the ceiling, so i will probably play with the L light hanging from the ceiling projecting towards the characters face.

waiting till i can get back in to the place we will be shooting this scene so we can spend half a day there working on lighting and camera angles.

i'd love to find a book on how to plan out the shots at a location.

matthew
 
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