Venetian blind patterns?

Robert86

Robert86

Carbonite Member
Howdy folks,

I know you guys all got your stuff down with lighting and I am pretty sure you have some good recomendations or DIY's for venetian blind patterns so cough it up:) jk
Any of you know how to make your own venetian blind patterns or know where to buy some, I will be using them for a britek 650W light and also a 200W. They will be used for a film noir short. I would also like to take this time to thank you for any responses in advanced, thank you*round of applause* :)
 
Or buy a set of mini-blinds and mount them in a frame... After all, you might someday want to see the light/shadow change as someone closes or open the blinds.
 
Poster board is the cheapest way, just cut out the slat size you want and hang it from a stand in front of the light. It must a hard light. diffused light won't work.

make sure you control spill, I prefer using chimeras or softboxes without the diffusion panel. but you can box around any light with poster board or cardboard or black wrap

whenever possible I like to light from outside the room so the real venetian blind or plantation shutter is in the window for best effect with a wide shot then move in on my characters.
 
Hey Icarus, by the way, welcome to the forum. I've noticed you posting a lot of great answers. Thanks for taking the time to participate, and we appreciate all the info you're sharing!
 
I'll probably get smashed for even suggesting this, but if you're not getting the look you want, you can do some creative things in post as well.

That said, I WISH I had done the lighting correctly, but since I didn't - here' was my fix.

My subject ended up being HORRIBLY lit, and was pretty much underexposed the whole time. So, what I did was I created several bezier masks (I use Vegas) as wide bars in the angles I wanted them ... I feathered both directions to taste, and it actually helped improve the look of the lighting.

Where I was underexposed before, and felt like nothing stood out, by doing this faux venetian blinds in post, I drew attention to the eyes, mouth, etc. making them appear brighter by simply cutting other parts of the picture out. Hope that makes sense.

Everyone else here has the right tips on the lighting, but if you can't get the looks you want, shoot flat & play with it in post.
 
Yeah, I figured that I could light from outside in, but I've looked at some blinds that cost more than I can afford to spend. I get the idea of doing it in post, but my lighting skills are not great right now, so I want to practice with lighting rather than doing it in post, but if worse comes to worse I guess I wouldn't have any other choice :( This is really starting to stir up ideas for these shots, any more would be highly appreciated. Thanks.
 
The fun you can have with lighting is nearly unlimited. If you're looking for cool noir looks, try a slow fan blade to cast moving shadows across their face, etc.

For the most part, I think I stink at lighting, so I'm in the same boat with you as far as wanting more practice. I don't think post should be the one stop shop that many think it is, but it is nice to know that you can bail yourself out from time to time with it. Ultimately, in the right or wrong hands, nearly any thing can make or break a film (lighting, camera, sound, post, PLANNING, etc.). They're all equally important to each other in various aspects.

Since it's nearly impossible to be a master of everything, that's why film making should be a team/community effort. People can be experts of their own trades, come together & make an incredible product.
 
Great idea Envision! I will definitely also try that, sounds really cool and "detective" like. I just bought China Town yesterday, which was a real inspiration and I learned a couple things from it. I don't know why, but all of a sudden I have been wanting to write about detectives with a little bit of sci-fi, an experimental short film. I know I'm crazy. But all your suggestions are really inspiring, keep em' coming.
 
Sweetness. I was experimenting a while ago, 2:50am, and found a good way to make the venetian blind effect. A while back ago I "borrowed" some tote bags from my old workplace and I knew I was going to use them for something one day whether for sandbags or something else. Anyways, I had them in my closet for a while so I took them out today and cut off the straps and placed them across my softbox, I tried it out and it worked. The only problem is, is that they came out as wide shadows and not spaced out enough between each one. So I am going to cut each strap down the middle, that way I get double the amount of "blinds" and they are thinner which should look better. I keep you guys posted on how they come out, and maybe I will post a pic or two.
 
Don't forget to adjust your distance from the light source, to taste, to make the shadows softer and/or harder, etc.
 
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