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white dry-erase board shoot
follow up to thread below: https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/47/858900
John: “You must consider the white board as if it’s a mirror and not aim any light directly at it. I would build a wall of 4×8 white foamcore and light is so that it creates a baselight for your subject and the board. If there was a shadow it would be only one and very soft edged.
Then I would give the actor a key light from the side he is most open to as he turns to write on the board, being very careful to keep it off the board itself, with a flag or other cutter.”
John,
Could I trouble you for a quick sketch of this? I have fresnels and softbanks and reflectors and plenty of c stands with gobo grips for flags. Whatever background/wall you suggest is doable. Not sure what you mean by “baselight.”OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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6 Replies
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I think what John is saying (and an approach I heartily agree with, for what that’s worth) is that you don’t want to position ANY fixture such that if the white board was a MIRROR – you could see the lit face of the instrument itself. That’s what leads to “hot spots.”
Instead, you use your lights to light up a REFLECTIVE SURFACE – in this case the large sheet of foam core – which then becomes the surface reflecting light onto your scene.
This hopefully makes for a very large light source relative to the white board and provides a very diffuse, even light without the aforementioned hot spots.
Then you add the talent key from a position where it falls on the talent but NOT on the whiteboard. Essentially a “side key” positioned so that the talent faces it and therefore it brings the presenters face up so that the audience can read expression and take visual cues from the presenter without spilling light onto the white board.
That help?
“Before speaking out ask yourself whether your words are true, whether they are respectful and whether they are needed in our civil discussions.”-Justice O’Conner
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A quick and dirty method to raise the overall light level in the room or “base light” is to shine your light to bounce off a white ceiling or white wall behind the camera. But the base is only a foundation, you’ll still need keylihgt, as the pros say, in this case, from the side where the presenter wil turn to face awway from hs writing toa ddress the camera. Typically, assuming a right-handed presenter, I would say this key light is on camera left/ his left, as he is facing the whiteboard.
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Thanks Bill and Mark,
I get base light now.
I did understand the basic premise having read the other thread. I got the point of the white wall, but can’t picture where I would put this giant reflector without blocking the students’ view of the instructor or having the instructor, as he moves toward and away from white board, casting a shadow onto the board.
Perhaps angled off the white board on either side? Angle Softbank’s from overhead, back the lights up until the diffusion is broad enough and at the right intensity. Easy enough to see unwanted reflections on the white board.
Controlled key on the instructor.
I’d block the teacher so he stands stage right of the white board, assuming he writes with his right hand. When he is actually writing, the emphasis is usually on what is being written so lighting his face well in those moments I think is less important. I’d go CU on words and hand. I would put the key light to the right of the camera aimed stage right angled enough or flagged enough to not hit the white board.If we were shooting without students present, I would probably not use a white board but rather do a computer screen capture with v.o. intercut with talking head shots. Another possiblility is to use a projector. Since it generates its own light, it records well and then you just need to light the talent.
I’m just thinking out loud and still would like to see a sketch of what John had in mind. Is the wall as Mark says really behind the camera with Fresnels aimed at it, reflecting light on the whole set?
I’ve used reflectors and white cards but just as fills.
OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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It’s helpful to know scene takes place with actual audience (students), you’ll need to create base light by bouncing off the ceiling (as someone else has already recommended). Wall of foam core is only appropriate if no audience.
Measure the baselight to determine how bright the key should be. In this case the “baselight” is essentially “fill”
JS
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Thank you. With a broadcast monitor in tow and zebras in cam I should be able work it out.
OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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[Craig Alan] “back the lights up until the diffusion is broad enough and at the right intensity.”
Not sure whether you meant this as written. The further away the light is, the more like a spotlight it becomes. The sun is a softlight when you’re 1000 miles away from it, but from 90 million miles it’s a spotlight. And it’s much cooler.
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