How to light Laundromat?

[Todd Terry]

I’d run a test to see what available light looks like. Every laundromat I’ve ever been in pretty much already had that “unsettling, tense, cold, bare, dark mood” pretty much already built in.

I’d go with the overhead flos as a base. I don’t know your budget, but you might re-tube them with better tubes (Kino tubes, or whatever). If you are using Kinos or other flo instruments, one cheap solution is to “poison” them by putting the same kind of tubes in them that are in the overheads, then you can universally take care of the color correction in post.

If I were shooting it and wanted the mood you are looking for, that garish green spike might actually be a good thing, not a negative. I’d probably supplement that with a few Divas as necessary for talent… I might put a ring light around the lens to to get faces to pop a bit in closer shots. But I would definitely see what the available light looks like first.

Outside the window, I might put an HMI steaming through, maybe fairly heavily color-gel it to make it look like light bleeding in from neon signs in the neighborhood, etc.

I definitely wouldn’t try combating green spikes with green makeup.

T2

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

[Bob Cole]

All that Todd and John said.

Also, re the flicker: That is a good idea and can be a lot of fun. There are even devices which can “flicker” a tungsten light with repeatability (important for narrative films, as you are going to be filming your wide shots and your close-ups out of order, probably). I’ve used the Great American (?) and Magic Gadgets flicker/dimmers. Your rental house should have one.

Bob C

[John Sharaf]

I usually agree with Todd, but I’ve never found a laundromat to be a “dark” place. To the contrary, it’s usually overbright with even overhead fluorescent lighting. I do agree that “poisoning” the floor lights with the same tubes as are used in the ceiling is the best strategy, and that selectively turning tubes off above the talent to prevent deep eyesockets and bright noses is also a good idea. 4’Fourbank Kino Flos are an excellent unit to use on the floor as most industrial fluoresents such as the ones you’ll be borrowing from the ceiling will fit them.

In the final timing, I’d recommend that you push the black level up a little to minimize black and create instead a grey or somewhat desaturated look such as is present in all the laundromats I’ve visited.

JS

[Todd Terry]

[john sharaf] “I usually agree with Todd, but I’ve never found a laundromat to be a “dark” place.”

I think we’re going to different laundromats, John. Recently the washer was on the fritz and we had to use one in our neighborhood. I think this was where they shot all the basement torture-house scenes from “Silence of the Lambs.” It puts the lotion in the basket!

But yeah, now that I think about it, most of them are probably brighter places. But even cold bright places like that take on a visually “dark” mood to me, especially at night.

Many ways to skin a cat.

(or a hitchhiker, too)

T2

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

[Robin Probyn]

A handy trick,is to just pull the over head flo,s out of their sockets and twist them a bit to “Turn off” some of the tubes if you want to, in strategic places.. or just to bring the brightness down a bit..

Presuming your shooting on video .. you can also play with the color balance a bit.. if you have a decent monitor.. but I wouldnt go too far either way as best done in post..

At least a couple of diva,s for the actor/actors..