Pro Lighting Opinion Needed!

[Dennis Size]

I’d hardly call a studio space that’s almost 30 feet long “cramped”. Why are you putting your camera so far from the talent?

Why are you using the two 1500w fluoros as a key and a fill — while wasting that wonderful ARRI fresnel as a prop?!!
One major bit of advice….. minimize the sidelight angles (a LOT). It’s not attractive.

DS

[Ryan Velazquez]

Hey Dennis…

It’s cramped in that the ceiling is a mere 7-8 ft high and width wise, probably only a few feet more than that. I do have length in about 18 ft.

In any case, I am putting the camera so far away to decrease the depth of field and shift the lights in the background out of focus. That’s also the reason why I am using the ND filter.

I’m using flos instead of the Arri because I have to light it all with the use of flos. Just a part of the project.

Ok, now to business!

Sidelight angles… I don’t know what you mean by that. Would you care to explain?

Thanks for the response/help!

Ryan

Re: Pro Lighting Opinion Needed!
by Dennis Size on Feb 18, 2009 at 12:23:17 pm

I’d hardly call a studio space that’s almost 30 feet long “cramped”. Why are you putting your camera so far from the talent?

Why are you using the two 1500w fluoros as a key and a fill — while wasting that wonderful ARRI fresnel as a prop?!!
One major bit of advice….. minimize the sidelight angles (a LOT). It’s not attractive.

DS

[Dennis Size]

There are many ways to light one person in a room that size (despite a low ceiling), 1,500watt fluoros wouldn’t be my first choice however. That’s a VERRRYY bright fluorescent. What are they (make, model, number of lamps, etc).

Sidelight is just what it sounds like — when your fixtures are positioned to the side of the object, instead of at a more frontal angle.

DS

[Ryan Velazquez]

Hey thanks for the quick response Dennis.

You are most correct that the key and fill are more to the side than straight on. How can you tell? The ways the shadows fall? What looks so unattractive?

I was originally blocking for someone with glasses and the side angle helped me minimize reflection of the flights in their glasses.

[Dennis Size]

My 9 year old daughter could tell your lights were at too extreme a sidelight angle.
That is definitely why your talent looks God-awful …the highlights and shadows you’ve created are extremely unnatural.

The reflections are a combination of errors. The position of your camera is too far away from the talent as is the relationship of your lighting fixtures to both your camera and your talent.
The number one thing you must always remember (and has been restated dozens of times in this FORUM) is that “the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection”.

What are those 1500w fluoros?

DS

[John Sharaf]

Ryan,

You must be mistaken about the 1500 and 2000 watt units. The Kino Flo Image 80, which is a gigantic flo unit only draws 9 amps; two of them on a white wall would be like daytime. I don’t get the ND filter either, just set the iris wide open and start turning globes off.

The white cyc look hardly motivates a side light key. One expects a high key frontal source on the foreground to match the quality of the light on the back wall. With the black bg you can take more liberty with a low key or contrasty look, just be careful to use enough backlight so your dark haired subject doesn’t disappear in the darkness. In addition to the backlight for seperation you might consider a “scratch” light on the off key side.

Furthermore the direction and quality of the foreground lighting ought to be recreated on the props if one is to believe that they exist in the same environment/space.

I’m not going to be as harsh as Dennis here, but I think you’re overthinking things. Think about how the lighting creates a reality; what would be the logical source of the light and what’s the best way of recreating it? A window, an open garage door, a street lamp, the sun, etc.

[Dennis Size]

Me …. harsh? I guess I’ve gotten way too used to working with all the nastiest people on earth (and it’s rubbed off) 🙂
As for his nd filter, we all know it’s because he’s using those “nuclear” fluorescents — and will ultimately need to use layers of nd9 on them if he’s unable to turn off individual lamps.

By the way John, did you do Barbara’s upcoming pre OSCAR SHOW this year?

DS

[Ryan Velazquez]

Thanks Dennis and John,

I don’t mind any of the feedback. I care more about getting a good shot, and everything Dennis said was honest and, more importantly, true.

Your comments were very helpful as well John. I should definitely take the ND filter off and just knock off globes. Lapse of judgment on my part there. Care to go into the “scratch” light for the black bg in a bit more detail?

Any other suggestions, I’d love to hear as well.

Thank you both for your input!

Ryan

Also, excuse me if I misspoke about the lights. I was giving an approximation of what their approx. equivalent output would be for hot lights in an attempt to make it easier. You are 100% correct in that they themselves are not outputting at 1500 and 2000w.

[Michael Palmer]

Harsh? I think it was rubbed into me.
I believe I ran a crossed some 1500 watt equivalent (softbox) kits that he must be using. It would take nearly 38- 4′ T12 tubes to equal 1500 watts, thats 4-image 80’s and 1-4×4 kino.

Ryan,
Having the light far away doesn’t make it a bigger source on the subject, as it doesn’t rap around the face like natural light would do.

If you are using units with a single globe that can’t be individually turned off (like an image 80 kino) then try a (5×5) white bed sheet or muslin cloth much closer to your subject and bring these flos in behind it and see the difference Dennis is talking about. You most likely won’t need a fill light at all. The bed sheet will become the source and a much larger source it will be. Ad ND filters for the desired iris you want.

Your skill level is obvious, but keep trying new setups and you will find something what will work for you.

Good Luck
Michael Palmer

[John Sharaf]

Dennis,

Yeah, another year of Oscar specials, which as before there’s rumors that it will be the last. All the usual suspects involved; Chuck Lofthause as LD and I provided my four Varicam kit in LA for Anne Hathaway and Mickey Rourke and also traveled to Dallas for the Jonas Bros shoot and used a local five-Varicam Bexel package.

Also watch out for the 20/20 Special on March 6 about Siegfried and Roy. Same deal, my Varicams plus my lighting and grip truck. Shot at their ranch and backyard rehearsal stage.

First time in more than twenty years though that I will not be working on Oscar coverage, as GMA canceled their usual big deal and has cut back seriously, but I will be lighting and providing video facility for the Weekend GMA live remote from the Fashion Institute in LA. Sign of the times!

Thanks for asking,

JS