1st time HMI user

[Craig Alan]

[Todd Terry] “But… no, clips on a computer monitor are rarely if ever an accurate representation of what something will look like on a “real” TV monitor.”

Right. That’s what I’m asking. If we look at these clips on-line, do we really know the look you created?
I’m not suggesting it’s not helpful anyway, but lighting is all about the look, exposure, color. Since more and more video is being watched on-line, I’m just wondering how lighting pros address this variable???

When you save your files to be posted on-line do you color correct your clips specifically for the on-line version?

OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz
; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Todd Terry]

[Craig Alan] “I’m just wondering how lighting pros address this variable???”

Hmmm… well, to me that’s not much of a lighting issue. Much more of a post-production issue. I don’t know of any DPs that light differently because their projects might also be viewed on a computer screen. There might be, but I’ve never heard of such.

Our projects are predominantly for broadcast usage, so that’s how we light, block, shoot, edit, and color grade. When a version is made for viewing on a computer screen (usually just so a client can approve a project, or so a potential client can see our work), it’s usually more or less just a straight conversion for web-friendly version… not a custom version for computer as compared to a real monitor. Maybe on occasion we might saturate or desaturate the the chroma just a bit to make it more web-pleasing, but usually not much.

One thing we do do is make sure that if a project is natively interlaced, we do a progressive version for the web. But since most of our projects are native progressive anyway that’s usually not an issue.

There are probably some people who just specialize in online content creation, and they might have opinions as to how that kind of lighting differs from broadcast. But here, it’s not something that’s taken into consideration at all from a lighting standpoint. Our primary goal is to make sure the broadcast version looks good, since that’s our audience.

But again, I think it’s all much more of a post-production issue… and only minimally a lighting issue, if at all.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Craig Alan]

Thanks,

I was aware that it was a post question but I asked only because lighting pros will link to samples of their work and I assume they don’t hire a post pro to do this for them. That and I know they would be very critical of color and exposure issues and would want to show their work in the best light. (intended).

OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz
; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Daniel Schultz]

Todd,

Is this what you had in mind? A couple differences:
1. 1.2 fresnel inside for the back highlight splash, since I don’t think I can do the outside light.
2. Joker bug 800 has a diffuser screen rather than a softbox.

Dan S.

[Todd Terry]

I dunno Daniel… I’d probably just wing it on location. Pretty often what I have in my head gets tweaked a fair bit on location. If you can’t get an instrument outside, I might just use the Joker-Bug in the back/side for my rear “light splash,” and use the 1200w into a 4×4 bounce as the key. I’m not really sure what the “diffuser screen” is on the Joker-Bug you have… it’s probably not soft enough to use that instrument directly as your key, I’d think you’d want to soften it more or bounce it.

Planning is a great thing… but I’d encourage you not to sweat it too much or over plan, because once you get on set it can all change… and usually does. I think you have instruments that will work well, and several options on how to use them. Get in there and play with them… and have fun.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Daniel Schultz]

Thanks. And I will never ever ask any more questions about this shoot. Ever. I promise. (I’ve been told before, rightly so, that I plan/obsess too much.)

Dan S.

[Todd Terry]

Not a problem 🙂

It’s better to plan too much than not enough.

But I think at this point you’ve worked out all the bugs that you can anticipate… you’ll just have to wait until you’re on location to see what works best.

Good luck!… and let us know how it went.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Dennis Size]

In your planning (obsessing) process did you actually do a survey of the site — take measurements, visualize it in your “mind’s eye”, explain what you were planing to the people at the site — perhaps do a rough diagram for them (and yourself), and get permission to put a light outside?

DS

[Daniel Schultz]

Hi Dennis,

I wish I had that opportunity. Would love to have done a scouting shoot and done everything you suggested. But I’ve gotten little info back from the Principal who has, in her mind, more important fish to fry, like running the school. So in a word, no. But that would make me feel a lot more comfy if I had.

Thanks, Dan

Dan S.

[Dennis Size]

Perhaps a simple email or phone call saying “I’d like to put a light outside the windows shooting into the classroom ….. yes or no?”

DS