What's needed for this scene? Please help

D

Dolomite

Member
Hello everyone,
I will be shooting a scene of 2 actors walking in the park. The scene is supposed to take place at night. I could probably by-pass a night shoot to do this scene. Anyway, what lighting fx is needed to give the impression my actors are viewing fireworks? :-/I will be using firework stock footage in post but I need to light their faces with multicolors. Any suggestions are welcomed. I hope I didn't confuse anyone in what I am trying to attempt to do.
Thanks,
DOLOMITE
 
Re: What's needed for this scene? Please help

I don't know that you'd need to have reflecting colours on the actor's faces...I can't remember clearly because I haven't paid attention ever, but *would* you even see the colours off of people's faces?

You might get away with the sounds alone, and reactions...
 
Re: What's needed for this scene? Please help

Mike,
Thanks, I just thought that there was something I could do. I may get away with just the sounds. I guess I wanted the viewers to get the feel that the actors were indeed watching fireworks. Oh well, Thanks for your time.
DOLO ;)
 
Re: What's needed for this scene? Please help

..i would go with the colors on their faces. but you could probably get away with whit balancing as normal, and doing some keyframed coloration in post to change the color and intesity of the light and make it flicker and such.. i would rather do that than mess with trying to actually light them with flickering muticolored lights.. it would have to be pretty dark for you to actually see the light on their faces. or youd have to have big bright lights. cause those big ones light up everything.
 
Re: What's needed for this scene? Please help

Colored flashing Christmas lights held up close to their faces?

As far as whether you need to do it or not, granted you'd never in a million years actually see the colored flashes reflect on someone's face in real life... but this is Hollywood, and in Hollywood, you see flickering light on someone's face when they're around a fire, or sitting in front of a TV set... so yeah, I'd say try it!
 
Re: What's needed for this scene? Please help

[quote author=Barry_Green link=board=lighting;num=1091515190;start=0#4 date=08/03/04 at 11:01:26]Colored flashing Christmas lights held up close to their faces?[/quote]

That's an idea that deserves a test shoot!
 
Re: What's needed for this scene? Please help

I'm by far no authoritive, but I have been watching fireworks with friends and as we talked with each other I remember not actually seeing the color but just seeing a dim white light on their face at the time of the explosion. Maybe you could use just a flashlight at a distance and blink it on towards your actors and see how that looks.
 
Re: What's needed for this scene? Please help

[quote author=taubkin link=board=lighting;num=1091515190;start=0#5 date=08/03/04 at 12:18:37]

That's an idea that deserves a test shoot![/quote]

Not close to their faces. Just close enough to sparkle in their eyes.

(Which could also be done in post, anyway...)
 
Re: What's needed for this scene? Please help

i was thinking, what if you got one of those strob lights from spencers gifts, actualy maybe 2 or 3 of them each with its own operator. and when the time is right, have them switched on, then switch them off after a few seconds. im sure they wont all turn on at the same exact moment, which is good, cause it will look random, also, if while they are turned on, turn on another light that has a dimmer. so once those strobes go out, start to dim that light til its off. that would simulate the fireworks falling to the ground and burning out in the air.
i say try to get it in camera if at all possible.

anyway, just an idea....
 
Re: What's needed for this scene? Please help

Hello,
Thanks everyone for your input and ideas. I will give some suggestions a try. I Appreciate the time and thoughts to my post. :D

DOLOMITE
 
Re: What's needed for this scene? Please help

Some of the larger bursts of fireworks that are a single color, such as red or blue, are definitley going to show up as a faint red or blue tint on the persons face that is watching. Why would a red firework show up as white light on someone's face? Granted, it is very faint in color, but I think the faint color would help sell your concept (as in Barry's suggestion of colored Christmas lights just out of frame).
 
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