Lighting for seamless white background

[Dan Shaw]

Thanks for the example Jason. Nice work. That is about the same crop that I would like to use. A little off topic, but can I ask what type of microphone you used for the doctor?

Thanks,

Dan

[Jason Jenkins]

I like to boom a mic in over the top. It requires a dedicated stand, sandbag, boom pole, etc., but I prefer not seeing a lav in the picture. I usually use my Sony shotgun mic. It was in the $500 range 15 years ago when it was new. I have used less expensive cardioid mics with success, as well.

Jason Jenkins
Flowmotion Media
Video production… with style!

Check out my Mormon.org profile.

[Todd Terry]

[Jason Jenkins] “I like to boom a mic in over the top. “

I’m with Jason… I almost always boom.

If we have to we’ll go with Sony hardwired lavaliers or Lectrosonic radio mics… but nothing sounds as good as booming, most of the time.

Even a really good lav has such a cold sterile sound, whereas a good boom mic will have a very natural sound.

We live and die by the Sennheiser MKH416 shotguns for all our booming. They are not cheap, but are great mics, I couldn’t live without ’em. Not that this was our first thought, but I later found out that a lot of top narrators use it in the booth as their voiceover mic as well… and a few times we’ve pulled the AT mic we usually use in our VO booth and tried the Sennheiser, and yep it works great… so they can pull double duty. It has a very warm and open sound, very natural.

T2

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

[Dan Shaw]

Good recommendations guys. I also had my eye on the Audio Technica 4053b so I think it all comes down to how much I want to spend. Any of these mics would be just great for my application. Oh yeah, then I also have to add another overhead stand also. $$$ 🙂

[Dan Shaw]

Hi Todd – Regarding the shop lights, how high do you normally place them? Reason I ask is that I need to look into a couple light stands and I see some that are called “background” light stands that reach 3′ and then others that get much higher. Could a small background light stand do the job? As always, thanks for your help!

-Dan

[Todd Terry]

[Dan Shaw] “Hi Todd – Regarding the shop lights, how high do you normally place them? “

Well Dan, I hate to give a smartass response, but the honest answer is “However high they need to be.”

Usually in my case I put them on C-stands with shorty risers…

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/33054-REG/Matthews_339574_Century_C_Stand.html

With a standard turtle base that riser goes up to just shy of three feet. So then you put a four-foot light on it, the max height of the top of the vertical light is about five feet off the stage floor.

Or… sometimes I put them on taller stands.

It just depends on what I need to light.

When I use them though to light green or white limbo backgrounds I find that the short C-stands are just about right for the way I usually block and frame talent. They usually work well for either sitting or standing talent.

T2

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

[Dan Shaw]

Ha! 🙂 The only reason I am shying away from a 3′ stand is that I am a 6’3″ guy and I want to light the white seamless for the top half of my body. So the lights need to get up there and light the top half of the background. What I need is a stand that goes from 3′-6′. 🙂

Thanks Todd!

[Todd Terry]

[Dan Shaw] “What I need is a stand that goes from 3′-6′. “

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/33053-REG/Matthews_339573_Century_C_Stand_with.html

T2

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

[Bill Davis]

Can’t you just use a Gobo Arm?

If I need to position a fixture either down close the the floor – or up 3 feet or so above the top of a C-stand’s max height that’s what I do.

FWIW.

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[Dan Shaw]

Hi Todd – Can you help me better understand how I can position the pepper fresnel as my hair light? I was thinking about a c-stand with extension arm, but then what 5/8″ connector do you use to attached the light to the arm? I’m searching around, but not finding the right answer. Thank you!

-Dan